the crooked little chicken house

“guess I wasn't fast enough - got home tonight to find a gutless red hen in the driveway.”

“Is your neighbor killing the chickens?”

“Cousin's kid said she wanted to raise chickens. All I could think of was this thread. She's not up for the chicken business.”

“It is for the birds that's fo sure.
Duane”

“haha... no ST, but years ago he planted a privacy tree wall that we both love (I do, and I'm SURE he does, since his deck overlooks my front door without it) and my chickens L-O-V-E it. Shade and dust baths are popular, plus puddles are fund too. And whatever lugs them off and kills them, sometimes chews them up on someone elses lawn. My neighbors spend their weekends annoying me with the noise of riding lawn mowers and music to drown out the drone of those lawn mowers, but to what end I don't know. Not one of them is ever outside to enjoy their finely manicured little rectangle or square, so why not let a dead chicken or two rot there? :)

Kids who don't undrestand that chickens that walk around the yard clucking and laying eggs are the same as Kentucky Fried chicken, or that mammals other than humans like to eat them, probably aren't up for raising chickens.”

“Finally started letting the little ones out during the day. Had to peel momma cat off one yesterday, wonder how many will be left today!”

“I wonder too about most of my neighbors, hardly ever outside. Chicken meat and eggs? Those come from the store, everyone knows that.
Duane”

“yep.

all babies live. :) they are so cute! Got some interesting colors going on.”

“All my babies survived my absence on my float trip but my old black sex link has a bad bum leg. Something got a hold of her bad. She's still eating though.”

“I have one rooster who has limped since day one. He's able to attack though.”

“Fount a pile of feathers in the woods. I guess it was one of the silky bantams. 8(
New plan! Today I leave all dogs penned up in their large dog pen. The only chickens I'll let out of the coop/pen are the two roosters, Chuck Liddell and Napoleon Dynomite. I moved the foxtrap to a better spot and put fresh weenies in it. I gotta catch this thing, he's cleaning me out...”

“yep, they will keep at it 'til nothing is left...”

“A friend of a co worker somehow acqiured a small chicken house, and is looking for 4 laying hens. I agreed to give her two, she seems so excited.”

“I gave her two of the more popular hens, she was horrified when she saw the, LOL...

I've been overly confident with the new babies, and it look like I've lost 2/3 of them. Some of the nicest colored ones too.”

“Apparently the ride to the new home didn't bother the hens at all, and they promptly each laid an egg. New mamma was thrilled.

I found two chick carcasses, and now see that more than I thought are still around. I need to get on a mission to get rid of Mr Skunk.”

“Don't quit your day job yet. :( Too many critters in your area too.

Duane”

“I searched on "chicken" like I always do and this thread didn't come up - so I tried "house" and "crooked" with no luck.

I think the ducks have a nest in the brush pile. They are so cute together.”

“lol dork :)”

“Nothing like fresh eggs in an omlette.”

“omlettes are okay, but I like tiny little chicken wings.....”

“Hello erbidy! I been dealing with a fox or yote, don't know yet which, but it's shore bigger'na coon. Anyhow, down 4 chickens, and the Taliban squad is down to 7.

Hiking stick a 30-30 as of late. But in the evenings I been tying and rotating the dawgs out to stay by the coop, so that's at least cured the kill-fest for the time being.

Twig our 6 ducks are growd now. I gotta be specially cautious with them, they're dummer than chickens if you dare to believe, and if my predator catches them at the right time, they'd all be easy to kill at one go. Man the missus would not be kewl with that!”

“oh yeah



Collecting my first honey! Yum!”

“I didn't think the ducks were dumb, but I did lose all but 2 (lost 5). I thought it might be because they can't roost.

I showed the new chicks how to get on the roof of the coop. The skunk was wiping them out, and when they tried to get up with the grown chickens, they would peck them away. So I put some things in place that would make it easier for them to get up there and put them on the roof. They learned quickly, an now have their own rosting area.
They are quite funny, they look like mini chickens at this point.”

“So ef...

The two chick that need extra attention...I finally let them outside and was putting them in at night.

Got home late today, and both were in the pool. Not swimming.

Darn.”

“getting quail tomorrow. :)”

“the quail spent the day in 5th grade. One laid an egg and they put it in the incubator.”

“What? Quail? You gonna eat it?”

“In HS around 1970, I got some domestic quail, egg laying little things, and the males jump anything that moves or doesn't move. For fertile offspring though, they need I believe it was 18 hours of light a day. Kind of tough when the generator would get turned off at 9PM. I ate some of the eggs, my folks and brother would not touch them.
Duane”

“One of my coworkers husband raises quail for training hunting dogs. I give her eggs, they gave me quail. She had given me a couple dozen eggs once and they are perfect for scotch eggs.

My family will only eat chicken eggs, won't touch duck or turkey eggs. One did try the quail eggs and liked them.

My brother, who was the only one of us who spent his entire life on the farm, now lives in the city and refuses to eat farm fresh eggs. Go figure.”

“Today on one of my trips back out of my house, I was sitting on the steps from my deck lacing up my boots, I watched quail, doves and Blue Jays in my garden and even a sap sucker up in my maples, kinda soothing for a few minutes watching them all. A couple pair of quail have been hanging around, they must have a nest close or about to start sitting. Have not seen any sign of turkeys for a couple weeks, they might have a nest going now.
Duane”

“D-Wayne, I totally feel ya. My Place in the woods is like that in the mornings. I see dove but there aren't many quail around here”

“Last summer after I accidently discovered a quail nest, AFTER I cut down a small pine next to my garden that was shading it, they managed to produce a clutch elsewhere in the hood. :) I'm not sure if this is some of their brood or them. Quail have been around here for some years now, just seemed they never nested until last summer. I like sitting for a short time, watching the birds. Now and then while on my deck, relaxing with a brew, the jays or Robins will light, and get bugs out of the lawn or pick sunflower seeds from the standing plants. Even watched a Douglas squirrel knaw the head off one sunflower so it would drop on the ground to where he could easily get the seed. Just like he would on a cone on the evergreens in my front yard.
Duane”

“I need to make a run for the quails since they are ground birds and will run and dive. Right now they do a lot of hopping.”

“Don't see any quails roun here, too many yotes and fox I guess. Do have some turkey tho.”

“friend a work gave me a variety of pepper plants so I set them out with the basil. damn chickens ate most of the leaves!”

“COL!
(clucking out loud)”

“Dang quail are eating my potato plants as they are not very big yet, so I've been shooing them off all day and put some pieces of hardware cloth I've used to cover other plants, over the rows.
Duane”

“I took hard boiled quail eggs in to Austin's class today for the midieval feast. Funny how the kids thought of them as "babies" since they'd had the quail in for a day previously.
they are cute little egg bites, but pita to peel. Next time I'll soak them in vinegar and dissolve the shells.”

“How does that work twig? Just soak them in vingar ..... and voila?”

“That reminds me, I was thinking about pickling some eggs. Y'all ever tried that?”

“Mmmm, love pickled eggs!”

“Me too. Can't be too comPlicated to make. I'll google dat ish....”

“Pickled eggs with hot pepper rings. Mmmmmmm!”

“my quail people make pickled quail eggs and sell them, different varieties. I haven't tried them yet.”

“Sadly, whatever is taking the chickens is likely taking cats as well We are down two, momma and a boy from the first litter who had the best personality. Another has a bite taken out of her hide. I know we have a skunk, and fishers are common in the area, so it's likely that a fisher has moved in. Who knew that having twelve cats would be the norm and only having ten seems like an empty house...”

“Ye twig, wuz you on that tv show I saw .... bout all them cats.... an such?”

“Just teach those cats to lay eggs and you'll be back in business!”

“I didn't mean to have 12 cats, it was an accident - and then another accident, LOL.
They all have such awesome little personalities.

Each year the fifth grade class hatches eggs. This year, one of the little chicks was struggling with its guts hanging out. The kids wanted the teacher to do something, so she asked who would snap its neck. One of the boys who hunts a lot did it. Kids were happy the chick was no longer suffering.

Enter digruntled parents.
Now the teacher may not have a job next year, after 30+ years of teaching.
Poor judgement on her part (maybe) but the intent was compassion. Not to mention that this is a Catholic school, and don't they teach forgiveness.
I did write to the Superintendent on her behalf, but I doubt it will do any good.
Even if she gets to stay, no more chicks.”

“Wow”

“For the love of God twigs.... this country is a piece of schytte.

As fer catses, ukfay they ooday.”