Last winter the kids and I giggled with delight as we were told we could finally have egg laying chickens. We dreamed of our flock. We imagined the darling baskets with fresh eggs nestled in the bottom. We planned for all the wonderful desserts we would make with our organic, home grown eggs.
Last spring the chicks arrived and we were giddy, but not as giddy as the day when the came home. Home. To our little chicken farm.
Then, we were attacked. Two nights in a row, no less. Some evil blood sucking creature of the night took the life of Ginger and Kale (full battle story here). There were tears. There were coop repairs. There were guns.
Our coop has been safe and happy since the last night o’ death (as The Boy enjoys calling it).
Our chickens have been barren, but safe. We won’t even talk about how much that first egg’s value is actually going to be when it (if it ever) comes. I’m confident My Sweetie has been calculating feed, coop fencing, feed, water troughs and feed since the beauties arrived. Maybe I’ll auction it off to the highest bidder.
Alas, tragedy has again struck our home, er, coop. We had two more dead chickens yesterday (Bryn and Castora, since I’m sure were going to ask). This time there were no tell tale signs of a predator. No blood. No injuries. No nothin’.
We stood around staring at our pretty (barren) chickens as if we could figure out what had happened. As if we had the forensic insight of Bones or Horatio. As if we knew enough about (barren) chickens to figure out what caused the untimely death of the feathered creatures.
We were definitely out of our element as we poked and prodded and pondered.
Sigh. This whole chicken farming thing seems to be eluding us. The kids sure are enjoying their feather collecting though. I guess that’s something.
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
We have the same problem. Chickens and no eggs. In other years it's been because they have not gotten enough feed. Or water. OR daylight. Now I am not sure. But those are some expensive eggs.
About the deaths… there may be other predators in Texas, but around here if they are left in the coop it's a weasel. We lost 40 meat birds (almost full grown, too) in one night once. It was a massacre in our field.
Evidently racoons take them to their home to eat, and owls will just cut the heads off.
Sorry for your loss. And may you get an egg soon!
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So sorry about the chickens…hmmm.. that's a mystery.
:0(
~your sis
So sad. But don't give up! Hang in there. We'll get more chickens in the spring and keep trying. Lisa~