Well, been an interesting afternoon here. The girls found a raccoon under the duck coop after I let them out to free-range and have been spooked since, poor darlings! I think I became the chicken therapist for the day. 
They needed lots of hugs and reassurance. Even my super skitterish Light Brown Leghorn, Tiwhiri, came over to huddle with me! Reuben made me proud again, too. After we got the raccoon out of there, he was completely inconsolable until he was able to find all the girls and see that each and every one of them was okay. Such a good boy he's been lately! The ducks don't even seem to care that that all went down under their coop. 
Trudi did make a few alarm calls this morning, but she and Malcolm have kept with their normal routine all day, so I just assumed she was continuing to remind the county that call ducks resided here. Oh, well. At least it didn't happen around the Guinea coop, or the entire state would already know.
They're definitely my favorite breed at the moment.
You'll have a lot more skimming to do in the future! Oh, and it didn't quote that part of your post... But thanks for the idea about window coverings! 
But, I was able to add Great Horned Owls to my life list last winter--finally spotted one of them in the woods at dusk after listening to them call every winter for a few years! 
Gorgeous birds. What can I say, I love all kinds of feathered creatures. I love the antics these birds do. Your bedtime story reminds me of a winter or two ago, when I went in to count everyone and get them arranged for the night and found one of my Sebright bantams (Scooter, I think) perched contentedly on my Frou-Frou, who didn't seem to mind in any way. Frou'f did always seem to get along better with the bantams than anyone else, big, sweet fuzzball that she was. Wish I had gotten a picture of it.
They needed lots of hugs and reassurance. Even my super skitterish Light Brown Leghorn, Tiwhiri, came over to huddle with me! Reuben made me proud again, too. After we got the raccoon out of there, he was completely inconsolable until he was able to find all the girls and see that each and every one of them was okay. Such a good boy he's been lately! The ducks don't even seem to care that that all went down under their coop. Trudi did make a few alarm calls this morning, but she and Malcolm have kept with their normal routine all day, so I just assumed she was continuing to remind the county that call ducks resided here. Oh, well. At least it didn't happen around the Guinea coop, or the entire state would already know.
Aw, thanks.
They're definitely my favorite breed at the moment.
Just wait, I'm in my first genetics class in the spring.[COLOR=8B4513]Genetics-related posts are the only ones I skim through! [/COLOR]
You'll have a lot more skimming to do in the future! Oh, and it didn't quote that part of your post... But thanks for the idea about window coverings!
We have a Great Horned Owl pair that nests in our woods every winter. It's one of those things that stands right between my two loves, raptors and chickens, although I have yet to lose any birds to those owls, just sharp-shinned hawks.[COLOR=8B4513]He looks like a wonderful boy![/COLOR] [COLOR=8B4513]The other night when I was in the far back yard, I heard a great horned owl calling for its mate repeatedly. I texted my DH who came back there, and of course, the owl stopped! It's interesting that they're the only owls that make the classic "Who Who" sound.[/COLOR] [COLOR=8B4513]Tonight's Bedtime in the Coop story…Screech, my tiny Cochin, and Eliza, my giant Orp were intently looking at each other through the partition windows. I was waiting for Eliza to peck through the window at Screech. Then Screech stood up on her tippy toes and peered over the partition. Then she leaped up and over the partition and landed on Eliza's back!! Eliza's big dark eyes about popped out, so I grabbed Screech and held her close to my warm body to distract her before I put her back on her side of the perch. She is a nut![/COLOR]So my fearless protector laid in the same spot all night as a great horned owl called out and he barked at it non stop! ! I love all creatures but these freak me out knowing they can pick off your full grown Peas while they roost! I'm going to go see if I can get a good recording of it. Typically I only ever hear the Barred owls here. I known the Great Horned are around because my brother just a few houses down has told me about a very large owl being in his backyard. .I knew it had the be the GHO. Just never heard one. Such because I fear for all the outside sleepers! My wonderful boy earlier today.
But, I was able to add Great Horned Owls to my life list last winter--finally spotted one of them in the woods at dusk after listening to them call every winter for a few years! Gorgeous birds. What can I say, I love all kinds of feathered creatures. I love the antics these birds do. Your bedtime story reminds me of a winter or two ago, when I went in to count everyone and get them arranged for the night and found one of my Sebright bantams (Scooter, I think) perched contentedly on my Frou-Frou, who didn't seem to mind in any way. Frou'f did always seem to get along better with the bantams than anyone else, big, sweet fuzzball that she was. Wish I had gotten a picture of it.
