Okies in the BYC The Original

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Hi there everyone! My dad is doing better...he scared the bejebus out of all of on Sunday when he got really really sick. I had to call his doctor on his cell phone because the on call doctor refused to come in. His doctor showed up and started to immediately fix things. Apparently dad had some sort of abcess that busted and drained out the drain tube. This is what caused him to spike a fever of 103, caused his intestines to swell again and of course smelled awful....I was worried we were going back to surgery again. But all is well now...they have him on different antibiotics and completely off of food or liquids til the end of the week and then we will try again to start him back on liquids for a couple of days then soft foods then solid foods. He may be able to go home by the end of next week so I am told as long as everything goes right. His wound is healing well and they are happy with the progress on that.
Meanwhile, I am behind on my house work, my laundry, my reading for my classes and two assignments. Thank goodness my professors are understanding and have been VERY lienient with me right now.
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Otherwise things around the farm are doing well and I am looking forward to Fall. Spring is my favorite time of the year and the second would be fall
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Our new pup, Shiloh, is doing well and she and Sasha are getting acquainted slowly. Shiloh is a very calm, though very alert, pup, who so far doesn't jump on anyone, but will slurp Vashi's face if he gets it close enough (which he does). She's very happy to see both of us, and we're working on "come," "sit," "stay," "leave it," and "OK" after food is put in her bowl. Finally today she actually walked several feet with the leash. Before that, she just laid down when it was snapped on. She apparently loves her sleeping area, which is in the air conditioned small Dutch barn.

Some kind of critter has visited the chicken pens the last two nights, eating eggs from beneath broody hens, leaving some shells. I wasn't dead set on those particular eggs hatching (though I kinda wanted some of them), but will be emptying two other nests in a couple of hours. I do want those babes, and I think they will probably hatch fairly soon. I think the critter is probably a pack rat, as we have a huge nest in the feed shed next door to the complex, and I've eliminated one source of their food by replacing heavy plastic bins with tin garbage pails. Whatever it is hasn't bothered some fairly small chicks in a nearby pen. I know there are other critters, such as opossums and skunks that will feed similarly, but there's no skunk smell, and I don't think there is any opening large enough for either.

I'd appreciate opinions on the critter.
 
Betsy I would vote skunk. The one we have around here bites the end off of an egg and laps out the insides. And 99% of the time you will never smell them even if you are standing next to them. And you would be suprised at just how small a hole they can go through too.
 
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Perhaps a rat snake who cracked an egg in the struggle to get it out from under her? or pushing it into another egg while he was eating it? or is it leaving alot of shells? if its alot of shells I would say rat as well. opossum and skunks will kill the broody. Not sure if they would actually take eggs without doing so. snakes and rats can fit threw tight places.
 
There are several broken shells, though not a lot; most of the eggs are completely gone. We've had snake attacks before, and never has there been a broken eggshell left. It even left a broken eggshell on top of a flat-roofed coop that I'd laid several eggs on--to be disposed of later. It ate only two or three of those eggs. I'm going to leave the remaining three or four out, as it knows where they are and may be satisfied with eating them. I should have said that the broken shells are only partial shells and empty.

Les, I certainly hope it's not a skunk. Sasha still patrols the yard, but not as diligently as she did. That, of course, is one of the reasons for getting a new pup. Shiloh has been introduced to a couple of chicks. She sniffed, then licked the first one, but only sniffed the second. She's now been around some of the chicken pens, and was only momentarily interested. I'm hoping for a really good dog, and determined to do as good a job of her training as I can.
 
I've been rethinking the "Poultry Addiction" diagnosis - Watching and petting chickens is so relaxing and petting animals has been shown to reduce blood pressure. I do have High Blood Pressure. Maybe I can count my birds as a medical expense and take that off my taxes?
What about Mental Health? The next time I loose my patience with a 6th grader that I've asked to be quiet for the 10th time I'll count to ten and think of fluffy little cochins. I'll let you know how it works because I'm sure it will happen several times tomorrow.
OK, I don't ask a student to be quit 10 times. The second time equals lunch detention, the 3rd time is In-School Suspention.
Today I sent a 7th grader to Lunch Detention for hitting another student with a ruler. (They were just playing but.......) I saw the Soccer Coach in the cafeteria and ask him to talk to the student because he is one of the players. The Coach ask me to pick a number between 1 and 10. He often helps me with hyper kids by taking them out of class to do push ups or sit ups. I figured that was the case and said"9". Coach said "Sergio, that 9 extra laps at practice today".!!! Tough Love!
 
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