The chickens of the Sunshine Motel!

[BY Bob]

Some very sad updates from my sunny coop.
Several predator attacks thinned my flock significantly, killing 6 of my babies, and another of my big girls in a 24 hour period.
Fortunately, I was able to resurrect an old, bigger coop, patch it up, and now everyone is on total lockdown.
It's not ideal, and no one is very happy with it, but there are foxes, hawks, bobcats, and weasels around, and I'm not sure of a fence that deters all of them.

I'm so sorry. Nardole wasn't able to fight them all off I guess. Do you know what it was that attacked?

 

[BY Bob]

So Nardole and his original 4 are in the sunny coop, since most of my new polish chicks were among the fallen, I didn't have the heart to leave poor Amy by herself with the big birds, so she is back with the rest of the littles.
Sarah Jane Smithhas gone broody, I gave her a few eggs (including 3 from River, my most recent big bird casualty) and also ordered some chicks to arrive on day 21 just in case she doesn't stick with it well.

Is that the inside of the resurrected big coop? It looks pretty nice in there.

 

[Dona Worry]

I'm so sorry. Nardole wasn't able to fight them all off I guess. Do you know what it was that attacked?

Hawks and foxes. The littles got out, probably started by a hawk, and we massacred. The rest were gotten by foxes.

 

[Dona Worry]

Is that the inside of the resurrected big coop? It looks pretty nice in there.

Thanks! It's been abandoned for a good 20 years, and I would have like a few months to patch it up properly, but oh well, it's better a less than perfect coop and live birds.

 

[BY Bob]

Hawks and foxes. The littles got out, probably started by a hawk, and we massacred. The rest were gotten by foxes.

Fox are just crazy these days. They are everywhere. My whole life growing up with the farms (as my Dad calls it, "on the hill") I only ever saw 1 fox. Now-a-days they see them all the time "on the hill". The farm I got my first hen from when I was a child lost their whole flock to a fox in one night earlier this year. The widow who runs it now just never thought to call my Dad. There would have been 1 less fox in the world if he had known. Sad.

I'm glad they didn't wipe you out at least and you have someplace safe Yup keep them.

 

[BY Bob]

By the way, it's nice to have you back posting. I missed you and your flock.

 

[Dona Worry]

By the way, it's nice to have you back posting. I missed you and your flock.

My sister and her girls have been visiting, plus I've been busy on the farm, but I wanted to touch base with my chicken crew!
The new chicks will be arriving on the 20th, give or take. Hopefully Sarah Jane accepts them, regardless of whether or not she gets some eggs to hatch!

 

[BY Bob]

My sister and her girls have been visiting, plus I've been busy on the farm, but I wanted to touch base with my chicken crew!
The new chicks will be arriving on the 20th, give or take. Hopefully Sarah Jane accepts them, regardless of whether or not she gets some eggs to hatch!

No judgement here. We're all get busy with life. I can't wait to see photos of Sarah Jane with chicks.

 

[Dona Worry]

Watermelon day! And those fabulous floofy cheeks!

 

[BY Bob]

Watermelon day! And those fabulous floofy cheeks!View attachment 1874889 View attachment 1874890 View attachment 1874891 View attachment 1874892

O how they love watermelon! Beautiful birds as always. Do you free range supervised or are they living 100% in the new large coop?