Our Mixed Flock Journey!

[drstratton]

Hi everyone! We just got back home from being in town! I always head straight out to make sure everyone is in the coop...I was short one, a Welsummer! Heart sinking...I walked around inside the free range pen and didn't find any sign of her, so I went back in and told hubs that one of the girls was missing! He headed out and found her...she was sitting on top of the walkway between the coop and pen! Evidently she found another way out, but couldn't figure out how to get back into the pen...I was so relieved! We had added more fencing yesterday and I had hoped that would keep everyone contained once again! So tomorrow, I need to go out and try to figure out once again what's going on! The grass is always greener on the other side!

 

[drstratton]

My girls rush the door when I go into the run/coop area. Two of them particularly, my leghorn Blanch, and my RIR Rose (I recently dubbed her that), aggressively try to zoom between my legs to get out the door, and Blanche made it yesterday. And she took off! Yes! Freedom!
Naturally she wouldn’t come to me, snacks or no snacks. She was out! Believe it or not, Gracie and Otis helped me herd her towards the backdoor of the run. I almost never use that door, and I left it open and we got her in there.
She is such a little brat.

Mine are always trying to dart past...unless I have their cracked corn...then that trumps freedom...lol I'm glad you were able to get her back in!

 

[drstratton]

I love when our family gets a new little baby! I am a little sad because I think the list of grandkids is finished. (There ARE 12!) Our kids are done building their families. Next will have to be the great grands!

They are such a fun blessing...we might get one more, but I'm not expecting 12...that would be fun though!

 

[drstratton]

Oh no. I am so sorry.
It is the worst feeling in the world when this happens.

Thank you Kat! It really is...

 

[drstratton]

I'm so sorry.

I've been there two. If you let them free range then they are going to be at more risk. Even if you are there at all times you can still lose them. You can keep them completely safe but it's that the life you want for them. There is no easy answer.

I chose to continue to free range despite my losses. That's my choice. You have make yours.

I really am sorry. I lost my first hen to a hawk. I know your pain.

Thank you Bob, it is really hard, I'm sorry you had to go through this too!

We will continue to free range them in their pen...I just can't lock them up into the enclosed pen and coop, they would be so miserable and I have no desire to have them live like that. I wish we could let them roam the whole property, but as you know the dogs are a worse problem than the hawks, they have wiped out 95% of my flock in one pass before, that was why we quit keeping chickens! I'm rolling a few ideas around in my head as to what I can do to add more protection from the sky, a majority of their pen has tree's, there is really only one area and that's where most of the grass is. I will be looking at it tomorrow as I try and figure out how my girl got out today!

 

[drstratton]

Er, snow?

If I moved to Missouri, I probably wouldn't have to deal with to much of it anymore! That being said, there are years that we never see any snow! I'm hoping this year will be like that!

 

[micstrachan]

The great escape part 3!!! I went back out to see if I could figure out what was happening and I had 3 hens on the loose! I managed to catch them and place them back into their pen. I then stood around to see if they would try to escape again...my patience was rewarded! As you all know we have more than a few rocks on our property...well...my smarty RIR figured out that a certain rock along that fence line allowed her to slip through one of the upper holes! I went and got hubs and he came out and grabbed some more wire and we blocked them in one more time...I should mention that by the time we got back out there to fix the problem, I had 4 hens out...definitely not dumb...

Wait...what, I know there was an opening here somewhere...thwarted once again...
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Sneaky girls!

 

[micstrachan]

I lost my little Madeleine today! I'm 99% certain that it must have been a hawk! I was supposed to keep her safe, I just don't know how to protect them from those kind of attacks and let them be free range too!

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I’m so sorry. She was beautiful!

 

[drstratton]

I’m so sorry. She was beautiful!

Thank you...she was a pretty girl & super sweet!

 

[cluckcluckhens]

Congratulation!

I guess you know how to sex the welsumers. We didn't and ended up with a Roo roo.

Have fun with your chicks.