I haven't even gone back to read the past posts (I've got 18 updates on this thread it says), because I'm up at 5am for work.
Yesterday my birds were slaughtered/attacked. By a mother Fing raccoon. I was at work. I called DH at lunch time, he was home working on our stove in the basement (my sister was watching my kids and dog for me at my mother's house----and I thank the LORD for that, from the bottom of my heart). He said we had lost another bird to the cyanotic gasping action. I thought it was due to stress, because it's been in the 40s here, and at night the low 40s and rainy and the birds were wet (two nights ago from ranging all day in the rain---their choice, they loved it and didn't want to come in right away) so I turned the heat lamp on at night. They clustered below it, but were very restless and repositioning and jockeying position all night to get closer for warmth----so I attributed his death to rough handling the night before/stress.... that was lunch time that this happened yesterday.
I worked 14 hours, so at 8pm when I left last night I called home to let DH know my departure and see if my kids were sleeping yet to say good night, and he was whispering. He told me he was holding vigilance with a gun over the coop, that yesterday IN THE BROAD DAYLIGHT while he was IN THE YARD WITH THE BIRDS WATCHING-----2 raccoons came and tore through my birds.
DH is liking the birds and free ranging them, he let the big ladies intermingle with the babies in the yard yesterday and it was great, they all hung out together foraging. My property is about .6 of an acre, so not very big, and the birds are all ranging up close to my house/garden. He said he heard what he thought was "the egg song" when someone lays an egg. Only they all 6 of them were doing it at once. He thought that meant he had a lot of eggs to collect, so he rounded the corner of the house (the garden is off to the side of the house). All the hens were in the coop, sounding off---they put themselves back inside, 1st day free ranging-----no eggs. He stepped out, turned the bend of the chicken house and there the b*astards were. Plowed though my chicks and killed them in my pepper patch. The girls sounded the alarm but it was too late. The coons ran off when they saw DH coming toward them. THIS WAS IN THE DAYTIME, like 4 or 5pm. Not even close to dark!!!!! DH got a gun and took off after the raccoons, but he was too noisy from being upset, he couldn't find them. So he held vigil. Didn't even eat dinner last night. I got home, and I held vigil with a gun. Nothing.
We left the bodies in the garden where they were killed to use as bait, but they haven't come back for them. They beheaded 2 of the chicks yesterday, 1 died of other causes, so that is 3 dead. I've got 17 birds left and a few not doing so hot, because of being roughed up from the coons. I'm the only nurse for my half of the clinic today so I have to work and cant call off, but I'm beside myself.
The biggest sick factor in my gut is if my kids had been home, they free range in the yard, as long as we are within earshot/eyesite----they could've been attacked. My dog, gets her rabies vaccines tomorrow at the clinic in town and she would've been mauled had my sister not taken her. Its not safe. I'm not used to my home not being safe. Wild animals are everywhere, I live in the sticks, but something is wrong with these raccoons to attack while my DH was within site and in the middle of the afternoon. In a pair. They're solo hunters/scavengers....this pair tactic is foreign to me. I'm a hunter, have been for 7 years, but I'm knocked for a loop. I want them dead so that my family and my livestock are not in danger. I am waiting by the window now, listening, before work. Nothing.
He said the little birds didn't make anymore noise than normal, which they are very vocal anyway. He's sick over it and so am I, for what could have happened and what did happen.
I will work my shift and come home late again tonight and then I will sit up again and wait.
Tomorrow---rabies shots for all my animals, and my tomatoe canning will be put on hold. Talked to DH and I'm going to be building a large run. and my CX and layers will all share it together. It'll be like a horse pasture, but predator proof with hardware cloth and probably electric wire.
Do not want to go to work right now.
I just saw this Plaid and am heart sick for you. Sending you a PM.
