I feel sick and sad ... our friend who cares for our other flock of hens reported the loss of two to raccoons. One is my namesake, and the other is one of the Gourmet Blacks (don't know which one). We've lost several from that flock in just half a year ... one who was eggbound, one to an unknown cause, one probably due to natural causes (she was a lame hen). I don't like to think negatively but I have this sick fear that we may lose just about all of them before we're able to move to our farm. I've been trying to come up with alternatives for our hens ... but the answer isn't coming to mind. We can't bring the six that are left to where we live right now -- our suburban backyard is pretty much at capacity with our flock here. Oh, and our friend tells us that two of the hens are regularly flying over the electric fence and wandering up the hill to their house. Not sure what to do about them! We need to be with all our chickens, but we really don't have a situation where we can move up to the land right now, and just get on with things! Well, I'll just keep pondering options ....
I'm in the same position as you. My flock is out at the farm and we are stuck in town without enough $$ to put in well, septic, elec, etc (just a composting toilet and spring for water out there and the stupid gov't won't allow us to live there till we do things their way. Can you believe it there's a LAW in MI that you MUST hook up to the grid even if you have solar???). So far, so good, but I worry when I'm not out there (a day or 1 1/2 at a time at the most, with pretty secure digs and five gallon feeders and waterers). They will have to come to our town yard for winter (the hens that is, most of the roosters will be residing in the freezer by then) if we can't come up with funds before then. Not looking so hot with THIS economy.
Thanks for the hugs, guys! And ... wow, Ravenseye -- yup, it's a similar situation all right. It is certainly exasperating that regulations can make it illegal to live in a place unless you have all the designated stuff (well, septic, etc.) and meet their building codes -- even when one would like to live more simply and sustainably -- for short or long term. Well, best wishes for the continued well-being for your flock, and for your farm project! And I'm certainly going to send lots of good wishes to our remaining six! (And a mental plea to the two that keep flying out of their yard to please hang in there!). A picture of some of our flock back at our old farm ...
