Ramblings on losing a chicken...

As you can tell from what I said on my last post, I have been working too much OT.

About a month ago, I installed a solar powered electric fence charger and laid out a pretty elaborate grid of electric fencing to protect the outside fence from any predators. I still need to to install the overhead chicken wire later on to protect from any aerial attacks.

So anyway, as I was getting home late last night. I headed down to the coop to gather eggs, lock the 'hatch' and bring the feed in. I locked the hatch and took the outdoor feeder and placed it inside. I always count the birds on the roost, and I counted only five. I counted again still five. I entered the coop and laid hands on only FIVE birds! Dag Nabit some critter must have grabbed one of my laying hens and I was TICKED OFF!

I just knew that whatever had grabbed my hen, would be back whenever they wanted a meal until my entire flock was gone!!!

Then, I calmed down, went back into the chicken yard to look for the pile of feathers and/or where that darn chicken thief had entered... As I searched around with my flashlight, my light shown into some tiny beady eyes that turned out was attached to some feathers...

OH NO, the chickens had to witness the demise of their comrade. I was hoping that it would not effect their laying, and then it occured to me that my egg layer was in fact very much alive and looking at me like what is the big idea, ruining my sleep???

I quickly picked her up and placed her inside the chicken coop where I knew she would be safe. Then walked inside and placed her on the perch since there was no light for her to see how to get up there.

As I locked up the coop and gathered the 6 eggs, a sense of relief washed over me. I will now scan the chicken yard before I lock the hatch from now on.

I still do not know why Ms. Chicken decided to stay outside. Maybe she liked the temperature, had a falling out in the pecking order, decided to lone chicken it, or maybe she was eating to many bugs others while the others secured their place on the perch and night came quickly??? I don't know, but I am glad I didn't have to go outsmart a chicken thief.

Sometimes even when you build a bunker, you begin to focus on the worst case scenario and often times it is not that.

Don't get your feathers in a ruffle just because things are not the way you planned out.

I am not usually complacent in my level of alertness and I need to not do so in my safe zone either.

Had I preformed my checks to see the entire chicken yard instead of the things I was familiar with seeing, I wouldn't have typed such a long entry in the blog!!!

I need to be a little more observant...

Thanks for reading,

Later,
ZA