ONE Chicken left- update - not all happy

Hello all, 

Here is an update on my chickens, the picture tells the truth. The picture is numbered for a reason, the first time we lost 3 chickens and the second time around we lost 2 chickens. Was not a pretty sight. This is the second time around he got into the pen this time, killed one and tore open the body, and ate parts, the second bird had a head injury and lived for one week before she died. 

We now have "Lucky" duly named. She is getting special treatment until our shed gets here later this month. Inside at night and out in a special cage during the day close by so we can check on her all day long. We have learned a lesson the hard way, but trust me from now on, NO land critter will get them unless a "bear" comes out of the woods. Never say never!!! 

What we had and what is left

We will get more chickens and our shed will be here later this month. Once it is all set up, we can sleep without any worries as we will have wire below the ground and all around the edges as well as all around the shed and cage, so at least at night, they can rest. There will always be overhead threats as the hawks are always around when they are out for free-ranging during the day. We will put corn out to help attract the crow as the hawks do not like them, seems crows will chase them off. Our neighbor down the street also agrees with keeping crows around. 

We are also checking out an electric fence.

Once we get new chicks, will post the pics here also. 

Love and Prayers, 

Margo

No air conditioner

Afternoon everyone,

Just letting you know we are still here, just way tooooo hot outside to do anything, and the air conditioner quit working so for two days now and nights, we are taking cold baths just to try and stay cool. Way too hot to work inside also.

Love and Prayers, 

Margo

Follow Us by Email

Morning to all, 

I have now (I hope) set my site so you can follow us by your email. The sign-up is located on the home page on the left side at the top, just click on it and click on the link to follow us by email and a pop-up box will appear there you sign up with your email address. Then in your email account open the email that comes to you and click on the link which will confirm your email and you are all done. 

The next postings I put on my site should be sent to you. Fingers crossed!

Love and Prayers,

Margo

Larry and Pups

Morning to all, 

We went to see Larry yesterday and took the pups, got it ok'd before we went. Still have to wear a mask and keep our distance and no hugs yet, DARN that covid anyway. But at least they were allowing us to visit and the dogs to come and see Larry. He was a happy camper. We chatted for a long time and I got a chance to clean his phone out again. Of course, all the people in the home who saw us wanted to pet the dogs. 

Happy Larry with his pups

Hope all are having a wonderful day. 

Love and Prayers,

Margo

Tree Lily's in my yard

 Afternoon everyone, 

On a happy note, we have a huge amount of Tree Lily's that are flowering in posts because we have not yet got them planted in the yard. These are from my move from Ohio. I missed a few that have already flowered. They sweeten up the air outside so much. Missed taking a pic of my Easter Lily's that flowered also sitting in a pot. They were the tallest I have seen them. Had them in the ground in Ohio and they come back and flowered although the plants were very small no doubt because of the cold winters there. 

This fall we will be putting them into the ground this fall for sure. Along with some Rose of Sharon's that we dug up and brought with us also and a couple of Fire Bushes. 

So here are the flowers to enjoy. 

  

These two are of the same flower, it is a double or triple flower, my only one. I got so excited when I saw it I reached for it to smell and it snapped right off. 

 

 

These plants are huge, stand way above my head in height. Huge stocks on the plants.

I love them. In one pic you also see a small yellow sunflower volunteer. The flowers last for weeks and weeks. I may plant even more next year.

Love and Prayers,

Margo

Chickens I have left

Morning to all, 

The board in front of the pen was placed there last night because the raccoon had returned and was digging out from under the door, so we placed a very heavy board there for the night. and set the trap also. 

Here is what is left of my chickens. They are now of course very nervous hens, but I hope this will change once we get everything in place and they feel safe.

The shed for them should be here the first part of Aug. I can't wait until it is here and it is set up and then their pen placed against it and all secured nicely. Should be no more bad things happen. This is now the "Fort Knox" chicken pen. 

Love and Prayers,

Margo

Chicken killing Raccoon caught in trap

HAPPY morning everyone, 

Hope all are enjoying a nice cool morning even though there is a lot of humidity in the air. 

Yesterday we saw that the raccoon was back and was digging to get at the chickens, The night before this I noticed that one of the boards had been moved from where I had placed it against the chicken pen, the dirt was all clawed away and he had reached under the door and was scratching inside the pen, so we set a trap yesterday and he is in the trap this a.m.  So now to get rid of the pesky thing for once and all. Vince will "dispatch" his butt and then he will no longer be a threat to my chickens. 

I will keep a diligent eye around the pen area from now on. Our chicken pen now looks like Fort Knox I kid you not. Yes, it is sad, but so is walking out to your chicken pen and finding 2 chickens with their heads chewed off, and a third still alive with such severe head wounds that he died half a day later, his skull had a hole in it I later found out. 

Love and Prayers, 

Margo

Lost three chickens overnight

Morning everyone, 

The day before yesterday, we lost 3 chickens overnight. A raccoon chewed the heads off two chickens and the third was still alive, but after cleaning his head wounds, found what I think was part of his skull that was sticking up through the open wound. It was very deep when I found that I gave up the thought that he would make it. He fought hard for life, he lived almost a whole day before he passed. I was so upset I could have killed the coon with my bare hands if I could have got ahold of it.  Our pen now looks like Fort Knox. Nothing can get through. If I had my way I would bear-proof it using wood with nails through it laying all around the pen on the ground about 3 feet wide out away from the sides of the pen. Still might. Never had this happen in Ohio and as a child and mom had 12 chickens in the country and this never happened. I am thinking that this W.V. is a little too wild when it comes to animals. 

Just about a week ago a cop that lives on up the neighborhood, shot a deer (two shots) just up the road from where we live (about 50 feet uphill) from us. Left it there to "stink" as the summer heat rises and we get to smell it. I stood on our balcony and watched him walk from his truck toward our place for the second shot. Then he turned and walked to his truck and left. This happened in our next-door neighbor's front yard, he told us that the person was a cop that lived up the hill from us.

You hear gunshots now and then out here in the woods, you get used to it, probably just people killing deers hit by a car, or shooting raccoons or whatever. 

Just can't wait until we get our shed for the chickens, then they can be locked up at night.

Love and Prayers,

Margo