Kristen’s Chickens and Farming Ventures

[Kris5902]

57 chickens... tonight I am hunting over bait. 7 birds lost totalitarian this owl, Missy and Zeta, this morning Sweetie, Buffy, and the last of Lil’ Peeps Barnvelder line; Eagle Bait, and one of the big White Boys from Chickie Hawk, the nice one who would shelter the flock from the wind with his wings at night. He died with his wing in that position as wellMy bird netting was not as properly secured after my Cousin in Law removed several of the hay bales holding it in place.

I love Owls, but this one is no longer welcome. I will have to look for the nerf balls when the snow is gone. Several bird lovers and environmentally minded people have also suggested permanent measures. It’s an aggressive and invasive species, not native to this part of the country. It has had a devastating effect on local threatened species of owls (the spotted owl, Screech owl, great Horned, great grey, and barn owl) and other birds.

We also awoke to frozen pipes, -3c inside the trailer as our propane heater ran out in the night. I’ve swapped our last somewhat filled tank over, and thankfully the propane truck was on island yesterday and we can get all our tanks refilled today. Spent the morning disassembling the meat tractor to rig up a temporary brooder with hardware cloth in the barn and relocating my remaining 15 birds in Barney’s flock into it. All the waterers are frozen solid and I don’t have any to offer with frozen pipes. We need to get over the hill for water and propane today, hopefully it isn’t too badly frozen up, snow is fine but ice is terrifying

 

[BlueBaby]

57 chickens... tonight I am hunting over bait. 7 birds lost totalitarian this owl, Missy and Zeta, this morning Sweetie, Buffy, and the last of Lil’ Peeps Barnvelder line; Eagle Bait, and one of the big White Boys from Chickie Hawk, the nice one who would shelter the flock from the wind with his wings at night. He died with his wing in that position as wellMy bird netting was not as properly secured after my Cousin in Law removed several of the hay bales holding it in place.

I love Owls, but this one is no longer welcome. I will have to look for the nerf balls when the snow is gone. Several bird lovers and environmentally minded people have also suggested permanent measures. It’s an aggressive and invasive species, not native to this part of the country. It has had a devastating effect on local threatened species of owls (the spotted owl, Screech owl, great Horned, great grey, and barn owl) and other birds.

We also awoke to frozen pipes, -3c inside the trailer as our propane heater ran out in the night. I’ve swapped our last somewhat filled tank over, and thankfully the propane truck was on island yesterday and we can get all our tanks refilled today. Spent the morning disassembling the meat tractor to rig up a temporary brooder with hardware cloth in the barn and relocating my remaining 15 birds in Barney’s flock into it. All the waterers are frozen solid and I don’t have any to offer with frozen pipes. We need to get over the hill for water and propane today, hopefully it isn’t too badly frozen up, snow is fine but ice is terrifying

Sorry that has happened to you! Lock the rest of your bird's up until you can dispatch the invasive species of owl. We have those invasive species of the colored doves here, but they don't try to kill any flock's. There is an unlimited take on those kind during dove hunting season.

 

[Ribh]

57 chickens... tonight I am hunting over bait. 7 birds lost totalitarian this owl, Missy and Zeta, this morning Sweetie, Buffy, and the last of Lil’ Peeps Barnvelder line; Eagle Bait, and one of the big White Boys from Chickie Hawk, the nice one who would shelter the flock from the wind with his wings at night. He died with his wing in that position as wellMy bird netting was not as properly secured after my Cousin in Law removed several of the hay bales holding it in place.

I love Owls, but this one is no longer welcome. I will have to look for the nerf balls when the snow is gone. Several bird lovers and environmentally minded people have also suggested permanent measures. It’s an aggressive and invasive species, not native to this part of the country. It has had a devastating effect on local threatened species of owls (the spotted owl, Screech owl, great Horned, great grey, and barn owl) and other birds.

We also awoke to frozen pipes, -3c inside the trailer as our propane heater ran out in the night. I’ve swapped our last somewhat filled tank over, and thankfully the propane truck was on island yesterday and we can get all our tanks refilled today. Spent the morning disassembling the meat tractor to rig up a temporary brooder with hardware cloth in the barn and relocating my remaining 15 birds in Barney’s flock into it. All the waterers are frozen solid and I don’t have any to offer with frozen pipes. We need to get over the hill for water and propane today, hopefully it isn’t too badly frozen up, snow is fine but ice is terrifying

Oh, Kris! I am so, so sorry! I agree that owl has done for himself. Yours is not his personal fast food chain.

I am so glad I don't have to deal with ice & snow on top of everything else. You do so well & I'd be upping C~in~L for the cost of the birds seeing he moved the bales!Yeah, I know...family... You'd think he'd think, or @ least say that's what he'd done.

 

[Kris5902]

Thanks, it has been a crummy morning. And it had to be sweetie... of course. She would jump into my sweater when I was feeding them, loved to have her wattles stroked, and would almost fall asleep in my arms within mintues of getting up in them. Absolutely No Quarter will be given to this owl going forward. I may have gotten it with the nerf gun if it hadn’t been so windy, but I’m thinking missing it may not have been a bad thing after all... now that I know how many were killed and who. It will be less likely to flee when we go to deal with it tonight.

Everyone is fully under hardware cloth now, cramped to no ends but relatively safe. I will bring water and propane to heat it with this afternoon once we get to the fill station.

 

[rjohns39]

57 chickens... tonight I am hunting over bait. 7 birds lost totalitarian this owl, Missy and Zeta, this morning Sweetie, Buffy, and the last of Lil’ Peeps Barnvelder line; Eagle Bait, and one of the big White Boys from Chickie Hawk, the nice one who would shelter the flock from the wind with his wings at night. He died with his wing in that position as wellMy bird netting was not as properly secured after my Cousin in Law removed several of the hay bales holding it in place.

I love Owls, but this one is no longer welcome. I will have to look for the nerf balls when the snow is gone. Several bird lovers and environmentally minded people have also suggested permanent measures. It’s an aggressive and invasive species, not native to this part of the country. It has had a devastating effect on local threatened species of owls (the spotted owl, Screech owl, great Horned, great grey, and barn owl) and other birds.

We also awoke to frozen pipes, -3c inside the trailer as our propane heater ran out in the night. I’ve swapped our last somewhat filled tank over, and thankfully the propane truck was on island yesterday and we can get all our tanks refilled today. Spent the morning disassembling the meat tractor to rig up a temporary brooder with hardware cloth in the barn and relocating my remaining 15 birds in Barney’s flock into it. All the waterers are frozen solid and I don’t have any to offer with frozen pipes. We need to get over the hill for water and propane today, hopefully it isn’t too badly frozen up, snow is fine but ice is terrifying

So sorry Kris

 

[Ribh]

Thanks, it has been a crummy morning. And it had to be sweetie... of course. She would jump into my sweater when I was feeding them, loved to have her wattles stroked, and would almost fall asleep in my arms within mintues of getting up in them. Absolutely No Quarter will be given to this owl going forward. I may have gotten it with the nerf gun if it hadn’t been so windy, but I’m thinking missing it may not have been a bad thing after all... now that I know how many were killed and who. It will be less likely to flee when we go to deal with it tonight.

Everyone is fully under hardware cloth now, cramped to no ends but relatively safe. I will bring water and propane to heat it with this afternoon once we get to the fill station.

I hate losing birds! It hurts the heart.

 

[Kris5902]

Even with the boys, who were destined for the freezer, it hurts. Especially the little white boy who was so well mannered. And the pullets. The owl shouldn’t be a problem going forward, but I will need to see if it somehow survived. I am going to upgrade our “permanent solution” as soon as I get my PAL (possession and acquisition license, for firearms in Canada)

 

[BlueBaby]

Even with the boys, who were destined for the freezer, it hurts. Especially the little white boy who was so well mannered. And the pullets. The owl shouldn’t be a problem going forward, but I will need to see if it somehow survived. I am going to upgrade our “permanent solution” as soon as I get my PAL (possession and acquisition license, for firearms in Canada)

If you missed the hit, the owl could come back.

 

[BY Bob]

57 chickens... tonight I am hunting over bait. 7 birds lost totalitarian this owl, Missy and Zeta, this morning Sweetie, Buffy, and the last of Lil’ Peeps Barnvelder line; Eagle Bait, and one of the big White Boys from Chickie Hawk, the nice one who would shelter the flock from the wind with his wings at night. He died with his wing in that position as wellMy bird netting was not as properly secured after my Cousin in Law removed several of the hay bales holding it in place.

I love Owls, but this one is no longer welcome. I will have to look for the nerf balls when the snow is gone. Several bird lovers and environmentally minded people have also suggested permanent measures. It’s an aggressive and invasive species, not native to this part of the country. It has had a devastating effect on local threatened species of owls (the spotted owl, Screech owl, great Horned, great grey, and barn owl) and other birds.

We also awoke to frozen pipes, -3c inside the trailer as our propane heater ran out in the night. I’ve swapped our last somewhat filled tank over, and thankfully the propane truck was on island yesterday and we can get all our tanks refilled today. Spent the morning disassembling the meat tractor to rig up a temporary brooder with hardware cloth in the barn and relocating my remaining 15 birds in Barney’s flock into it. All the waterers are frozen solid and I don’t have any to offer with frozen pipes. We need to get over the hill for water and propane today, hopefully it isn’t too badly frozen up, snow is fine but ice is terrifying

Oh Kris this is getting awful. I would have to consider something more permanent as well.

This has been a rough couple of days, frozen pipes, owls, and snow with frozen temps. My gosh.

I wish I could do more. Here's some virtual hugs.

 

[Kris5902]

Oh Kris this is getting awful. I would have to consider something more permanent as well.

This has been a rough couple of days, frozen pipes, owls, and snow with frozen temps. My gosh.

I wish I could do more. Here's some virtual hugs.

Thanks... appreciated muchly. I’m hoping the owl is no longer one of my problems. I still want something a little more versatile than the old 22 though.

Good news Is: We are now sitting on 130 lbs of propane, so we have heat again... the frozen pipes I can live with. We are at 21 Fahrenheit outside, which is quite unusual for here, and not likely to last too long thankfully. Inside temperature is now approaching 40, so the cats are no longer having fits, although they are still burrowing into all the blankets.

I’m quite frustrated with hand watering everyone though... mr Marans, his girls, and Chickie Hawk and his ladies were the easiest. Mr Marans flock remembers this from last year. And Chickie Hawk’s ladies follow his lead, and last year’s February “snowmaggedon” he was still in with Mr Marans. All the younglings were the hardest, constantly spilling their Tupperware dishes, pushing, jumping in the water, and generally being annoying, I guess Barney and Bob don’t remember last February quite as well, or their young ladies just don’t take heed of their advice properly.

Hawk and I didn’t even have the inkling of a confrontation today... his “aggression” is mostly just showing off for his girls in the mornings, and he doesn’t really have a beef with me. When things get tough he knows we are both on the same side, like when herding his “lost” (outside!!!) GF back into the tractor together, or him not attacking my oh-so-vulnerable self as I offer water to everyone directly in the confines of the roosting box. That is when he could do some real damage, if he wanted to... when my face is exposed, my hands tied up holding things, and my mobility severely limited... yet he is simply watchful, with no attempts at all of violence or “aggression”. Chickens are quite smart really.