Hi fellow Cheeseheads!
I'm kind of new to the site. I've done a lot of reading here on BYC,but I have not posted too much. This is my first time raising chickens,so I'm a total rookie. My wife grew up on a small farm in Franksville WI,me........Chicago,but I've been living up here in Racine county since the late 80's.
Anyway,the whole "raising chickens" idea was my wife's,but I've pretty much taken over seeing as how the chickens seems to have warmed up to me. They follow me around the yard,eat out of my hand,ect. they run away from her! HEHE
I just wanted to post my rookie story somewhere,but didn't know where to write it, I figure you guys might get a chuckle out of it.
As of now I have 13 chickens,all born May 1st,so they're about 10 weeks old. I "put them to bed" every night about 8:45PM,just before I leave for work. Usually they're huddled up in the coop by then,so I just take a head count,check their water& feed,then lock the coop doors so no coyote's, raccoons,local gang members,ect get in over night. Tuesday night I only counted 12 at bedtime...Hmmmm.... I got a flashlight,and a spare kid, to help me look for the missing hen. No luck. I was worried she would be on the receiving end of one of our local coyotes overnight,but I had to get to work. When I came home from work yesterday morning,as always,the first thing I do is let the girls out of the coop. Who greets me outside of the coop- the missing hen!
So.....Last night I figure I'll round them up a little earlier,like 8;30,when it's a little lighter out,in case one goes missing again. Sure enough,a head count of 12...AAARRRGGGHHH!. I look high and low,and I can't find this same missing hen..Sigh,,I have to get to work..After I locked the coop door and headed back to the house I heard a light "peep" up above. I looked up in my Locust tree, a few feet from the coop,and here was the missing hen in the crotch of the tree....about 9-10 feet off the ground! I didn't have any idea they could get up this high! Well....now I know where to look.
Don't know if it was from the guinea or something else happen. She didn't look beat up.
