This is a boring thread...

[birdlover]

but I just have to tell you anyway!

I don't have chickens anymore (but will again someday) BUT I worked at a fall festival last Sept. - Nov. and was in charge of the poultry and rabbits. There was a beautiful blue peacock and 3 sebrights running loose from the year before. After the festival was over, I let the 5 guineas free and now they all hang together. I go over once a week to make sure the feeders and waterer are full as the people who own the place don't bother supplying them with food and water! So, I consider them mine even though they aren't. I love them so much. Today, after I gave them their food and water, I sat in the car and watched them. The 5 guineas were extremely curious about that "thing" looking out the window of the car and came over to check me out. It was so cool because, when I'm approaching them, they run away but, since it was just my face, they didn't feel threatened apparently. I got to observe them very close up and, gosh! It's impossible to tell them apart!!! As I was driving away I noticed a barn cat had caught a mouse and was "playing" with the poor thing. He'd pick it up with his mouth, set it down and when it tried to run away he'd do the same thing. I had a dream the other night that I saw a cat catch a mouse and, when I came back later, the cat had skinned the mouse and it was still alive but had no skin! I decided to rescue the mouse I saw today. It was too much like my dream. So, the cat saw me coming and actually brought me the mouse. He laid it down at my feet and, of course, the poor thing started to run away and the cat started after it. I picked the cat up and held him until the mouse ran into the barn. When I let the cat down, he ran into the barn and was meowing and trying to find the mouse. I probably deprived him of his dinner. Oh well. One mouse lucked out. So, that was my day visiting "my" peacock, sebrights and guineas with a little extra adventure or two. I TOLD you it was boring!!!!

Ellen

 

[chickenbuddy]

I didn't think so....

I know the mouse probably looked cute and stuff, but next time I'd let the cat kill it. It might be carrying diseases that could harm your birds, etc.

 

[smom1976]

the day and the life of a bird lover LOL

 

[snowydiamonds]

When the cat gave you the mouse, it was a present. My cat I got for DH when we were young and dumb and severely in love, decided to live w/me when we were going thru the long stages of breaking off our love affair and the cat used to bring me gifts all the time. If I didn't hurry or wasn't home, he'd only leave the "hands" (4) and head... if I was home and/or hurried to the door when he announced he was home, he'd drop a live bird or mouse for me and we'd set it free together. He loved that part, he was a "trader" and loved smoked salmon. If we had a live gift, he traded for smoked salmon.

One day I looked out the window when my DH & and I were on the phone as DH was out of town and we were still on the long agonizing stage of breaking off our relationship and saw his cat (then my cat) walking up the sidewalk on the main road to the airport. I couldn't tell what he had and was bringing me. DH (don't know why I call him that, even then, he was a great Don Juan) said to put down phone and let "Spyder" in and tell him what the cat had as a present...before I did that, while he was talking on the phone, I see our cat marching a pintail duck up the sidewalk, he had it by the scruff of the neck and was making the female duck walk on her webs while his two front paws were on either side of her two legs/webs...couldn't believe it! The duck was the same size as he, and he meant business. He got smoked salmon after we hung up and turned the duck loose where he got it from, a marshy place we call "Dry Creek/Chicken Hill" LOL

 

[birdlover]

That is a cute story, snowy. Yes, I've had cats like that, too. They seemed to have a propensity for bunnies!

At present, all I have are a dog and a rabbit (and "my flock" at the farm).

Right now, I'm craving a couple of parakeets. I love the happy chattering they make when they're content but I'll have to wait for the dog to "take the bus" (as my dh calls it). He's 14 but going amazingly strong. He's a mixed terrier I got at the pound when he was very young. Well, I ramble too much!

Ellen

 

[debilorrah]

I have a kung fu kitty. She is so mellow and quiet and then out of nowhere, she attacks something by flying through the air and pouncing on it. Usually a Thomas train.

 

[Bammony]

What a fun morning for you. I love to sit and watch my birds. I would do it all day if I could. That was nice of you to care for the mouse and to spare his life. I begged my hubby once not to kill two cute mice that had fallen into our trash can full of dog food, but he said they carry diseases and he killed them anyways. I don't like mice on my farm but I can't watch them be killed either.

 

[Wildsky]

Quote:
What do the owners of the place think of folks leaving fowl behind like that?

 

[birdlover]

It's like this, wildsky...They buy all sorts of poultry and rabbits just before the festival opens in Sept. This year, I bought everything on their dime. At the end of the season, they give away all the birds and rabbits. They don't want them after the festival. Anyway, I bought 5 guineas (along with lots of other birds and rabbits) and found all of them homes except for the guineas. I just let them loose to be with the peacock and 3 gold sebrights that got loose at the 2007 fall festival and couldn't be caught. They all hang together and are extremely happy wandering into all the outbuildings and just sort of taking over the farm in the winter. The peacock was actually let loose last year after the festival by the owner - he didn't escape like the sebrights. Last winter, the peacock and 3 of the sebrights (there were originally 7) made it through to this year even without food or water. They just free-ranged and I didn't know about it until they told me this year. So now, since I was in charge of feeding all the birds during the festival, I kind of feel a special bond with them and go over to feed and water them once a week. The family that owns the farm don't really farm it anymore but they have a HUGE fall festival every year. This is the fall festival: http://www.coxfarms.com/ They bought the winner of the Va. state fair pumpkin, paid $500 for it and do you know what they did with it?? They smashed it on the last day! Lifted it up with a forklift and that was the end of the pumpkin and $500 down the toilet!

 

[DuckLady]

You are not boring, Ellen, you are awesome and sweet and a gentle caring lady.

Someday I dare to hope you will have ducks again.