On Friday, in the middle of my workday, I heard something outside and went to check. No chickens out and about, but I thought I heard some up on the west ridge. I found two cowering in the dust bath inside the run and several more hiding under he coop. That was worrisome. I walked back up calling for them, then heard my beagle/Aussie mix growling in the fenced-in back yard. She was busy killing the cinnamon queen hen, Kitty, who had apparently gotten spooked and accidentally flew down into the fenced area and then couldn’t escape. I got the dog off her and scooped her up in a towel but it was too late. I kept her in a basket inside and tried to get her to drink some water, but she appeared to be in shock.
When my husband got home a few hours later, we looked and her injuries were substantial and she was missing most of her feathers, so we put her down. I am grieving her but know we did the right thing by ending her suffering. She just could not have survived those injuries. We buried her the next day in the mini orchard, in view of the coop.
I had named her after one of my grandmothers. That Kitty was a delightful, interesting woman -an actress and model with an odd interest in the paranormal.
Her namesake hen was equally curious and friendly. She was a good hen and deserved better. (Here, Kitty the chicken and Cowboy the cat hanging out with me.)
The rest of the chicken story but this part with a happier ending:
After I had Kitty wrapped and tucked into a basket, I ran back to the coop and more birds were returning. Hildegard the Easter Egger was way up in a tree, but flew down when she saw me and made a beeline for the coop. Then I found a couple of big piles of feathers (this is a small part because before I took the picture I gathered up a bunch of them to put under and over Kitty in her grave so she could rest in her sister's feathers). I only have two gray chickens and Hildegard was already back, so I knew the hawk had gotten my cream legbar, Peg.
But when I checked again in an hour, Peg was back! How she survived that attack, I don't know, but she has only a single gash that I can find and a bare spot on her back. She refused to leave the coop for a couple of days and at a friend's suggestion I started supplying her with electrolytes and sugar in water. I also put small dishes of food for her in the coop. Yesterday, she ventured out into the run and muscled up the the wet mash bowl with everyone else, so she seems to be okay.
Peg is named after my Aunt Peggy, another beloved relative. Aunt Peggy was my father's sister and who I got my middle name from. She was smart and very funny, and we were also very much like-minded.
I am grateful that her namesake Peg, the sweet legbar with the sassy bouffant, managed to escape the hawk and is still with us.
When my husband got home a few hours later, we looked and her injuries were substantial and she was missing most of her feathers, so we put her down. I am grieving her but know we did the right thing by ending her suffering. She just could not have survived those injuries. We buried her the next day in the mini orchard, in view of the coop.
I had named her after one of my grandmothers. That Kitty was a delightful, interesting woman -an actress and model with an odd interest in the paranormal.
The rest of the chicken story but this part with a happier ending:
After I had Kitty wrapped and tucked into a basket, I ran back to the coop and more birds were returning. Hildegard the Easter Egger was way up in a tree, but flew down when she saw me and made a beeline for the coop. Then I found a couple of big piles of feathers (this is a small part because before I took the picture I gathered up a bunch of them to put under and over Kitty in her grave so she could rest in her sister's feathers). I only have two gray chickens and Hildegard was already back, so I knew the hawk had gotten my cream legbar, Peg.
Peg is named after my Aunt Peggy, another beloved relative. Aunt Peggy was my father's sister and who I got my middle name from. She was smart and very funny, and we were also very much like-minded.
I'm glad Peg is hanging in there.
