I started with three Barred Rock hens a year and a half ago, but have only Harriet and Lucy now. I came home from the grocery store on a cold (for the Puget Sound) winter day and saw a red tail hawk taking off from the garden. I first thought, "Cool!" Then immediately, "Raptor!" Sure enough, the hawk had killed Eulalie and scared the other two silly - though, not witless. Harriet had muscled through the gate and hidden in the bamboo; Lucy hightailed it into the coop. Later that day a naturalist on the radio said that, with the cold, the predators will be out looking for calories. A warning I could have used earlier.
I've been lurking here ever since I decided to get chickens and learned a great deal from this site. I registered today because I'm worried about Harriet. I'll post the details on the disease/injury site.
I've gotten quite nuts about my chickens. The one disappointment is that they won't eat slugs. So, in the spring I'm adding ducks to my gardening staff.
I've been lurking here ever since I decided to get chickens and learned a great deal from this site. I registered today because I'm worried about Harriet. I'll post the details on the disease/injury site.
I've gotten quite nuts about my chickens. The one disappointment is that they won't eat slugs. So, in the spring I'm adding ducks to my gardening staff.
