The Old Folks Home

[Wisher1000]

Yesterday, I retrieved four Silver Campines from a man here in my town (long story.) I put them in their quarantine pens just at dark last evening. I was then working inside the feed room of my main coop when I heard them pitching a fit (squawking, flapping, screaming, and such) and thought the dog was trying to get to them. My old dog does not take kindly to new chickens and they have to be here a while before they are accepted. I took off running toward the commotion and for just one instant I thought I saw a coon, spread eagle, on the side of the pen. I am not positive, though, because my only light in the now complete darkness was from my headlamp, and as I said, I was running and yelling the dog's name. Once I again had light cast on that area, there was nothing there and I could not hear anything running through the woods. I thought maybe what I saw was one of the hens, mid flap, and hanging on the inside of the wire. My only hesitation about that is that the birds were highly upset about something, and it was after dark, and they stopped when I ran out to them.

I dunno'

Weird.....

 

[hennible]

Good story though...

 

[Amberjem]

Yesterday, I retrieved four Silver Campines from a man here in my town (long story.) I put them in their quarantine pens just at dark last evening. I was then working inside the feed room of my main coop when I heard them pitching a fit (squawking, flapping, screaming, and such) and thought the dog was trying to get to them. My old dog does not take kindly to new chickens and they have to be here a while before they are accepted. I took off running toward the commotion and for just one instant I thought I saw a coon, spread eagle, on the side of the pen. I am not positive, though, because my only light in the now complete darkness was from my headlamp, and as I said, I was running and yelling the dog's name. Once I again had light cast on that area, there was nothing there and I could not hear anything running through the woods. I thought maybe what I saw was one of the hens, mid flap, and hanging on the inside of the wire. My only hesitation about that is that the birds were highly upset about something, and it was after dark, and they stopped when I ran out to them.

I dunno'

Weird.....

 

[perchie.girl]

Yesterday, I retrieved four Silver Campines from a man here in my town (long story.) I put them in their quarantine pens just at dark last evening. I was then working inside the feed room of my main coop when I heard them pitching a fit (squawking, flapping, screaming, and such) and thought the dog was trying to get to them. My old dog does not take kindly to new chickens and they have to be here a while before they are accepted. I took off running toward the commotion and for just one instant I thought I saw a coon, spread eagle, on the side of the pen. I am not positive, though, because my only light in the now complete darkness was from my headlamp, and as I said, I was running and yelling the dog's name. Once I again had light cast on that area, there was nothing there and I could not hear anything running through the woods. I thought maybe what I saw was one of the hens, mid flap, and hanging on the inside of the wire. My only hesitation about that is that the birds were highly upset about something, and it was after dark, and they stopped when I ran out to them.

I dunno'

Weird.....

I think you probably saw right.... Raccoon. Its amazing how much you can see without really focusing in on what you are looking at. Your periphrial vision is geared for that .... survival mode. When I work outside I dont use a light in the evening. even in the middle of the night. Ambient light from the stars is all I get most nights ... or moon. But once your eyes adjust.... you can see a HECK of alot.

The really dangerous things in my area you cant see well with a light anyway. You have to depend on your hearing and that night vision movement thing. Oh and when I go out at night I carry a walking stick... About the size of a Staff and its good for catapulting Rattlesnakes Or whacking on the fence to make a lot of noise. I get human traffic coming through and I would rather they not see me.... So making a big noise in the dark is a very good defense. The Border Patrol uses night vision so I am good there.

My horse does some of that as well. I listen at night and if she hears peeples coming up through the brush she lets out a BIG horse Snort.... and she sees very well at night so I can here her two thousand pound hoof beats pounding the corral You can feel the thumps. Then that big Snort when she stops and tries to sight something in the brush.

I dont know any one who would come up to find out what she is in the dark.

except maybe the Border Patrol.

deb

 

[dsqard]

Deb, gotta agree with you there. DD's horse is half percheron half quarterhorse and that mare does the draft horse stomp and snort very well. Never a question who is making the noise when the horses were all agitated.

 

[perchie.girl]

Deb, gotta agree with you there. DD's horse is half percheron half quarterhorse and that mare does the draft horse stomp and snort very well. Never a question who is making the noise when the horses were all agitated.

I have seen Katee take a swipe with a front hoof at a dog.... If the dog had been slower she would have been Jam.

Percherons KNOW where their feet are at all times.... and know how to use them if need be..... Katee kicked a hole in the round pen one day .... ten inches in diameter through half inch plywood. The chunk that came out was found twenty feet away.

deb

 

[bamadude]

Yesterday, I retrieved four Silver Campines from a man here in my town (long story.)  I put them in their quarantine pens just at dark last evening.  I was then working inside the feed room of my main coop when I heard them pitching a fit (squawking, flapping, screaming, and such) and thought the dog was trying to get to them.  My old dog does not take kindly to new chickens and they have to be here a while before they are accepted.  I took off running toward the commotion and for just one instant I thought I saw a coon, spread eagle, on the side of the pen.  I am not positive, though, because my only light in the now complete darkness was from my headlamp, and as I said, I was running and yelling the dog's name. Once I again had light cast on that area, there was nothing there and I could not hear anything running through the woods.  I thought maybe what I saw was one of the hens, mid flap, and hanging on the inside of the wire.  My only hesitation about that is that the birds were highly upset about something, and it was after dark, and they stopped when I ran out to them.

I dunno'  Weird.....

U didnt happen to eat 1 of the Christmas brownies that I sent u before u went out for chicken chores did u?

 

[Amberjem]

I have seen Katee take a swipe with a front hoof at a dog.... If the dog had been slower she would have been Jam.

Percherons KNOW where their feet are at all times.... and know how to use them if need be..... Katee kicked a hole in the round pen one day .... ten inches in diameter through half inch plywood. The chunk that came out was found twenty feet away.

deb

 

[Alaskan]

Quote: yep, all yummy.

Deb, gotta agree with you there. DD's horse is half percheron half quarterhorse and that mare does the draft horse stomp and snort very well. Never a question who is making the noise when the horses were all agitated.

Our Percheron would growl.

 

[Wisher1000]

Quote: No, Dude, as tempting as it was, I did not eat the brownies. One - I have been around long enough not to be gullible, and Two - we have random drug screening where I work and I don't want to get fired. I gave the whole plate to the senior ladies' Sunday school class for their New Years party tonight. I think they will find the fireworks hilarious.