Deb walking through the yard is one thing....when I lived in Oregon I found this outside my coop one night around 11:00 ish....
Background: Noises from coop so I grab jacket, flashlight and walk out to coop....coop sat in clearing of a wooded area about 2/4 acres from the house. Look through coop and see nothing, look around coop and see nothing but the hair was standing up on the back of my neck so I keeping scanning with the light and went up a tree....sitting on a limb about 6 - 7 feet above me was the cat.
Knowing I could not outrun it and knowing it had me no matter what I decided since my camera was in the jacket pocket....take its picture so when hubby found my mangled body he would know who did it.
I should add....Kitty did not like a light in its face and did not appreciate having pic taken....
Kitty thankfully let me back away slowly and collapse on my front porch and it never bothered my chickens or coop. It came through my garden by my living room window every day twice a day....it hung out in that tree a lot at night and I suspect it was waiting for bunnies and other tasty treats to stroll by. But it scared the crap out of me.
Okie Dokie Ms. Mary....We shall play name the bad kitty in order of size *smirk*
First up....The Elusive Bobcat...here in Kentucky they are the university mascot "The Wildcats"....suspected of snatching my son of Suede a few weeks ago. They hit a weight of 11 - 30 lbs. The hunt by stealth and are very elusive. They can kill prey much larger than themselves. They kill by delivering a deathblow with a lethal silence pounce of up to 10" accurately. They are beautiful and have spots. They range throughout North America.
Bobcat:
Next bad kitty...The Canadian Lynx Much larger than its cousin the bobcat...reaching average weights 30 -55 lbs. Brazen lethal hunter that will chase down prey. Built for and acclimated to heavy snow areas and range primarily in Canada and far northern areas...rare in the US Beautiful critters.
The Lynx. Note the Lynx wears permanent snowshoes!
Then there is my bad kitty...the Mountain Lion aka Cougar aka Puma and larger than its cousin the Florida Panther. They reach avg weight 50+ lbs upwards of 100lbs. They are spotted as babies and juveniles and by 2 years old they are the beautiful cream color with a light belly and have large head and eyes and distinct black markings around he muzzle area. They can and will attack humans, livestock, dogs, goats, llama and even horses. Solitary animals who are always watching you if you are in their territory.
The one in the pictures I took I believe was a small male....far less aggressive than a female would have been at that time of year. I am estimated his weight at about my present weight 95 lbs.
The detailed version of my encounter was more exciting than previously posted so I shall endulge you with the tale of my near death. hahahaha
When I could not find anything wandering or hiding around my coop but still having "that" feeling, I began scanning further in the woods with the light and eventually up in the tree where I saw bad kitty perched calmly on a VERY SMALL branch about 5 - 7 feet above my head. I immediately gasped and put my hand on my chest to attempt to squeeze my heart into slowing down when I felt the camera in the jacket. So I talked to bad kitty calmly....said conversation being one sided albeit very intellectual. I said " Helllo kitty, please do not eat me. I am slowly taking out my camera to take your picture so my husband will know it was you who killed me when he finds my body. Please do not eat me until I have the picture, that is the least you can do. *snapped pictured* kitty was purring and leaned to one side to avoid the flashlight in his eyes and *snap pic 2". Then I said "kitty I am putting the camera away and I am going to slowly back away from you....I mean you no harm so please let me leave." I began backing away slowly while bad kitty watched me and I kept back away until my ankles hit the front porch and I fell into a sitting position. Kitty did not follow me.
My husband came outside and said "Baby why are sitting here alone at this hour? What is wrong? What happened, you look pale?"
I could not speak, stand or think so I merely handed him the camera. Hubby said,upon seeing bad kitty's photoshoot (I shall bleep out the bad words) My Gawd Baby ***? Where was it? Did it hurt you? Why the bleep bleep bleep did you not yell for me? I would have shot it bleep bleep wife, what the bleep were you thinking?
To which I replied....I decided taking pictures of tame chickens in broad daylight was too tame and wanted to try something more daring so I hunted the beast down....made it climb up the tree and lounge while I took pictures of it shining a flashlight in its face and Why? Well because I am just an adrenaline junkie and that is how I roll. I wanted to memorialize the moment forever!
Now Deb....they would look great with your light fixtures...having seen your lighting up close and personal.
I can't believe your broodies put up with them. Mine always seem to start chasing them away at about 4 weeks. Odly enough that's about when my mom had enough of me. (just kidding)
Okie Dokie Ms. Mary....We shall play name the bad kitty in order of size *smirk*
First up....The Elusive Bobcat...here in Kentucky they are the university mascot "The Wildcats"....suspected of snatching my son of Suede a few weeks ago. They hit a weight of 11 - 30 lbs. The hunt by stealth and are very elusive. They can kill prey much larger than themselves. They kill by delivering a deathblow with a lethal silence pounce of up to 10" accurately. They are beautiful and have spots. They range throughout North America.
Bobcat:
Next bad kitty...The Canadian Lynx Much larger than its cousin the bobcat...reaching average weights 30 -55 lbs. Brazen lethal hunter that will chase down prey. Built for and acclimated to heavy snow areas and range primarily in Canada and far northern areas...rare in the US Beautiful critters.
The Lynx. Note the Lynx wears permanent snowshoes!
Then there is my bad kitty...the Mountain Lion aka Cougar aka Puma and larger than its cousin the Florida Panther. They reach avg weight 50+ lbs upwards of 100lbs. They are spotted as babies and juveniles and by 2 years old they are the beautiful cream color with a light belly and have large head and eyes and distinct black markings around he muzzle area. They can and will attack humans, livestock, dogs, goats, llama and even horses. Solitary animals who are always watching you if you are in their territory.
The one in the pictures I took I believe was a small male....far less aggressive than a female would have been at that time of year. I am estimated his weight at about my present weight 95 lbs.
The detailed version of my encounter was more exciting than previously posted so I shall endulge you with the tale of my near death. hahahaha
When I could not find anything wandering or hiding around my coop but still having "that" feeling, I began scanning further in the woods with the light and eventually up in the tree where I saw bad kitty perched calmly on a VERY SMALL branch about 5 - 7 feet above my head. I immediately gasped and put my hand on my chest to attempt to squeeze my heart into slowing down when I felt the camera in the jacket. So I talked to bad kitty calmly....said conversation being one sided albeit very intellectual. I said " Helllo kitty, please do not eat me. I am slowly taking out my camera to take your picture so my husband will know it was you who killed me when he finds my body. Please do not eat me until I have the picture, that is the least you can do. *snapped pictured* kitty was purring and leaned to one side to avoid the flashlight in his eyes and *snap pic 2". Then I said "kitty I am putting the camera away and I am going to slowly back away from you....I mean you no harm so please let me leave." I began backing away slowly while bad kitty watched me and I kept back away until my ankles hit the front porch and I fell into a sitting position. Kitty did not follow me.
My husband came outside and said "Baby why are sitting here alone at this hour? What is wrong? What happened, you look pale?"
I could not speak, stand or think so I merely handed him the camera. Hubby said,upon seeing bad kitty's photoshoot (I shall bleep out the bad words) My Gawd Baby ***? Where was it? Did it hurt you? Why the bleep bleep bleep did you not yell for me? I would have shot it bleep bleep wife, what the bleep were you thinking?
To which I replied....I decided taking pictures of tame chickens in broad daylight was too tame and wanted to try something more daring so I hunted the beast down....made it climb up the tree and lounge while I took pictures of it shining a flashlight in its face and Why? Well because I am just an adrenaline junkie and that is how I roll. I wanted to memorialize the moment forever!
Now Deb....they would look great with your light fixtures...having seen your lighting up close and personal.
I know it is odd but the little Swedish Flower Hen does help Lukka out with the babies during the day. Sometimes Lukka runs off with Isi and the babies play with Big Sister. She shows them how to dig and stuff. Ha. Lukka has a nanny! With big hair.
Tomorrow is hatch day. Two icelandics are out and one more zipping, all yellow. One of my BCM's is almost out and they are due to hatch two days after the Icelandics! Temp is 99.5! That is the time lapse in the corner. I put them on the floor and not in a tray so I could capture the hatch on video. More room for them this way anyway and I have shelf liner down so clean-up is easy. Gosh I hope all four BCM's hatch! The girl I have now is a consistent double yolker and that can spell problems down the line.
Just look at what Tucker came home with this evening.
They had gotten out of the run somehow and I found him sitting on the hill with them. He then tried to herd them back into the run (the correct run!) I got a little nervous when he chased them. I still wouldn't trust him alone with them. I have to find out how they got out tomorrow. Dang runs! I miss the ones I had professionally fenced at the old house. Much better than these.
