We’ve enjoyed living our lives close to wildlife! Cougar Mountain is literally a hop, skip and jump between us and Mt Rainier. So. Cougars are standard for the area! The Bald Hills are home to all the normal wildlife of the Pacific Northwest, and black bears have been spotted a few hundred yards from our home. Elk. Deer. Bobcats. Coyotes. And, I’m sure I saw a wolf one day, although that was over a dozen years ago and the memory is faint.
Generally, we are great ones to protect the animals we are responsible for. Feral cats wander through, we feed them, even when we can’t pet them, we groom them with our broom. (Diablo!) Even that hissing Yellow Tom Cat that didn’t know how to purr, but loved to hiss when he finally let you touch him! Lost dogs? We find their home. We’ve had loose cows and pigs from various neighbors, but fortunately they were found by the owners before we had to deal with them.
Through the years, we’ve taken in strays and runaways. Mostly dogs. It seems they get in the most trouble and then get lost, and our house has always been a friendly stop.
I’m needing to paint the house, trim some bushes, and do other repairs…but I’m waiting for all the nesting birds to deliver their young to the Big World they are part of! I’m need to tear out some stumps, rocks and blackberry vines, but those baby bunnies need their protection!
What do I do? I wait until an opportune time to do what needs to be done when it seems to be the best time of the year to do it…
Funny story… Just this week… Our next door neighbor finally got rid of his rooster (sent to a farm) because it kept waking them up around 4 am! Only, the very next day a neighboring loose Rooster came to claim the hens! Another one for the farm! He says it’s common for people to drop their own Roosters off along a country road because of their constant Early Warning System going off at ungodly hours!
So. Here I am. Writing my thought. When it comes to those that we are daily responsible for, well, let it be said that we are capable of providing a safe environment for them to “age off” the scene. We’ve had dogs live until they are 15+ years old. We have my daughters cat, Lucy, who is well over 17 years and has come home…again… (Thinking of a Forest Gump thought here!)
Now. We have chickens.
We started with chicks about 2 years ago. Many told us which ones were best for egg production (Some are better “fryers” than others!), and make sure they are sexed so you ensure you only get hens and no roosters. Some are aggressive, others passive. Some have health issues, others are downright indestructible! At least when it comes to disease! Some are cute, and others, well, there is an ugly Gene that sweeps through certain breeds, just like those ugly dogs and cats!
So. We bought our chickens based on their cuteness!
Two Reds… Two Blacks… Two Whites…
My bride named them, but I cannot remember what they are.
Chickens do not really like being called names!
Their first winter, when they are not normally producing eggs, well, we were getting 4-6 per day. Probably because we bought them as chicks in the late summer, and they came of age about the time the frost appeared! Their second winter they go weeks without production. But now? As winter lays down to rest until later in the year, they are back in full swing! 4-6 Eggs per day! Keto, anyone?
My bride calls me the Chicken Whisperer. When I talk, they listen. Where I walk, they go. It almost seems like they are my “flock” away from the “church” – if you know what I mean! [Click to watch] For the most part, most animals are like that around me. It must be something they find soothing and comfortable with my voice and mannerisms. Once you realize this about yourself you would be wise to cultivate the Whisperer title and use it to your advantage! My neighbor’s horse will come over for a snack, and then stand and listen while I tell all my problems to the one who can do nothing about them!
Well. Back to the home front. Disaster strikes. A predator slips in and makes off with one (White), and then a second one (Black), just days apart. We are “fit to be tied” and wondering how best to protect our friends who have no defensive or offensive skills of their own.
Neighbors have lost their chickens to hawks and eagles (nests nearby), coyotes (herds of them roam our area), and one neighbor even confronted a bobcat with a dead chicken clutched tightly between those sharp teeth. Someone told me of raccoon’s coming to haunt their coop, or even a raven slipping in and stealing an egg! If you are in other parts of the USA, then you may even see a snake!
Now. That’s their problem. My problem is how to handle the issue before we lose all our friends! I’m shopping for a wildlife trail camera to determine who is stealing from us, and then I’ll better know how to handle the problem. My problem. But all signs point to a bobcat!
I cannot build a fence tall enough to protect against all predators, but I can build barriers that would keep but the most determined out of the hen house!
We locked them up last night, hoping that if it’s a night raid then we are taking care of them the best way possible. I let them out several hours ago…One, two, three…Four! All there! If it’s a day raid, then my dogs don’t even know it’s happening!
If you have any suggestions on protecting these friends of ours, let us know. We could organize a neighborhood watch, march through the pasture and woods chasing off the criminals or set up in a tree stand looking for an opportunity to dispatch with deadly force.
I’m telling you! It’s time to fight! This 5 Acre ranchette ain’t big enough for me and thee! I’m from Texas, and I know what that means! No time to be a Whisperer!