I have a small tractor with a run attached. After I open the pop door that leads down into the attached run (which the girls don't use in the morning, they are in such a hurry they jump out of the door as soon as it is open) I open the door to the run so the girls can go in and out of the tractor/coop.
So, today I go out to change the girl's water, refill the food, check for eggs... y'all know what I mean.
My girls free range and the coop is basically a sleep/laying box. When I opened it up to get the eggs there were NONE. Then I noticed on the ground one lone EE egg. I was expecting anywhere from 3-5 eggs and for Minerva to lay her egg on the ground outside of the tractor? Ridiculous.
I have some neighbors that annoy the stuffing out of me and I just knew someone had been in my yard and had taken the eggs since I had been gone most of the day to SLC. They had taken the eggs out of the nesting box and then laid them on the ground while they closed the coop, got frightened off and left one behind.
I already had padlocks on fences next to the gates because I have had to lock my gates before but I had slacked off because it is such a PITA to unlock and open the gates all the time.
I went right over and put every singe padlock on the gates again. That'll teach 'em.
Then I came in and told my husband (who is ill today) about our neighbors and how I just KNEW they had stolen eggs.
At dusk I went out to put the girls to bed and they were still milling about. I was amazed how bedtime got later every night and went back inside for a while.
Fast forward 45 minutes. Oops! It's dark now AND it's raining again.
I go out to shut the pop door and there's no chickens in the coop.
I had forgotten to open the door to the run so they didn't have access to the coop all day. They have food and water in three different locations around the yard so I wasn't worried about that but that explains my lack of eggs. It also explains why they were still milling about at dusk.
I found four of the five huddled on the metal sloping roof, under a VERY small overhang, soaking wet and clucking miserably.
I have no idea where my fifth girl is. Bright is a RSL and I am hoping she is somewhere high, safe and relatively dry.
The good news is, my neighbors aren't responsible for the latest fiasco.
The bad news is that I am.
The good news is that I didn't find feathers anywhere.
The bad news is I didn't find Bright.
The good news is it isn't supposed to get below freezing.
The bad news is it has been raining all day and Bright is wet and alone.
I knew something was wrong and I didn't investigate fully.
I think that's what kills me the most.
I was such a jerk I jumped to the wrong conclusion and never questioned myself. Oy. I hope Karma doesn't bite me in the bum for being such a quick to jump to the wrong conclusion jerk.
Keep my poor girl in your thoughts, she deserves better.
Brenda
So, today I go out to change the girl's water, refill the food, check for eggs... y'all know what I mean.
My girls free range and the coop is basically a sleep/laying box. When I opened it up to get the eggs there were NONE. Then I noticed on the ground one lone EE egg. I was expecting anywhere from 3-5 eggs and for Minerva to lay her egg on the ground outside of the tractor? Ridiculous.
I have some neighbors that annoy the stuffing out of me and I just knew someone had been in my yard and had taken the eggs since I had been gone most of the day to SLC. They had taken the eggs out of the nesting box and then laid them on the ground while they closed the coop, got frightened off and left one behind.
I already had padlocks on fences next to the gates because I have had to lock my gates before but I had slacked off because it is such a PITA to unlock and open the gates all the time.
I went right over and put every singe padlock on the gates again. That'll teach 'em.
Then I came in and told my husband (who is ill today) about our neighbors and how I just KNEW they had stolen eggs.
At dusk I went out to put the girls to bed and they were still milling about. I was amazed how bedtime got later every night and went back inside for a while.
Fast forward 45 minutes. Oops! It's dark now AND it's raining again.
I go out to shut the pop door and there's no chickens in the coop.
I had forgotten to open the door to the run so they didn't have access to the coop all day. They have food and water in three different locations around the yard so I wasn't worried about that but that explains my lack of eggs. It also explains why they were still milling about at dusk.
I found four of the five huddled on the metal sloping roof, under a VERY small overhang, soaking wet and clucking miserably.
I have no idea where my fifth girl is. Bright is a RSL and I am hoping she is somewhere high, safe and relatively dry.
The good news is, my neighbors aren't responsible for the latest fiasco.
The bad news is that I am.
The good news is that I didn't find feathers anywhere.
The bad news is I didn't find Bright.
The good news is it isn't supposed to get below freezing.
The bad news is it has been raining all day and Bright is wet and alone.
I knew something was wrong and I didn't investigate fully.
I think that's what kills me the most.
I was such a jerk I jumped to the wrong conclusion and never questioned myself. Oy. I hope Karma doesn't bite me in the bum for being such a quick to jump to the wrong conclusion jerk.
Keep my poor girl in your thoughts, she deserves better.
Brenda
