Update On Fox Situation

It has been two days since the fox (or foxes probably) have made a kill here. I bet they are wondering as they sit staring out from the wheat fields cover with their beady eyes where all the meals on legs went to.

We are in operation LOCKDOWN here on our little plot of paradise.

I really hated to do it to them. I mean, what is the since in being a chicken if you can't free range? Cooped up with all your friends, and maybe some that are not your friends. All day, staring out at the green green grass.

It is for their own good. As their owner I must do what I feel is best for them. Right now everyone has to stay safe. I cannot watch out there all the time. I do have other things I need to be doing.

They express their displeasure over the development. Lots of whining and crying. I tell them to go ahead, they have every right to whine and cry, but I have to do what I have to do, even if they don't understand why.

I got out the huge heavy roll of this really strong netting given to me by the neighbor. It stretches like you wouldn't believe. I keep a lot of the baling twine from the hay I buy. You never know when it will come in handy. This day it did. I got the roll going across the chicken pen floor. (This is the main pen, the dog pen that was there when we moved here) It is big enough to keep everyone comfortabley without them bumping into each other constantly. I began to cut off strips of the baling twine and tie the netting to the top of the chain link fence. It took until dark, but I got it completely covered. Bell, Gabby, and a Red Star escaped from this enclosure the next day. I wrangled them up and put them back. I hadn't had a chance to staple the netting to the backside of the garage yet, so they figured a way out yesterday. Not so today though. I got out there this morning and got the job finished.

You may be wondering what ever happened to the carcass I doctored and threw back over the fence just where the fox was trying to pull it through the fence. Well, its unfortunately still there. I must have missed my window of opportunity when the fox came back for it while Shelby was watching while I doctored the carcass. Fox can be carrion eaters though. I imagine they might get pretty desperate here soon. Two days now, and no meals for the kiddies, much less themselves. Maybe they will take it soon.

With everyone in pens I have to go out before everyone wakes up good and get fresh food and water for them. I don't want them lurking at the gate trying to get out as I get them taken care of.

Not to mention the heat, it has been something else here. We are having August weather in June this year here. The highs have reached the nineties every day and the heat index has been over a hundred every day. So I am happy to get out there early and tend everyone.

You ever have one of these types things happen? I took part of the morning and cleaned out the three Serama cages. I also moved them to a better location. I had fresh shavings in there, scrubbed out water dishes. Fresh food in their dishes. I had lined them up together and put a nicely fitted tarp over the top of them to shade them from the daytime hot sun. So nice and clean.

Someone forgot to turn off the hose when they were done with it this morning. Yeah, that would be me. Oops. I use a nozzle so I don't waste water. The pressure built up with no release blistered out a weak spot in the hose. I had gone in to do indoor chores for the day. I look out about thirty minutes ago...and found the house had burst. It couldnt burst out the side and spray anywhere but...you guessed it...

on those three cages. The tarp? Oh it was blown off by the increasing wind! Another time of me getting sidetracked I had not fastened the tarp down to the cages before going in.

So now I had uncovered chickens, wet chickens, wet pens, wet food, wet pine shavings.

SIGH...

Well at least its sunny and dry today. It will dry out the shavings in no time, even if they are covered. Had to replace the food though.

All in all, because they had been uncovered and were in the sun I guess it was good??? that the hose burst there, to keep them cool til my silly self got back out there to see what had happened. ;)

I have been less stressed since everyone is penned. I am not worrying myself all day, peeking out windows and opening doors to look out here and there throughout the day. I know they are all safe.

The eggs won't be as rich because they are not free ranging and eating grass and bugs, but it is better than no chickens left at all to give me eggs.

It won't be this way forever. Everyone will just have to be patient and wait it out. Eventually the fox will get desperate and take the bait. It won't have any other choice if it wants to eat here.

Time for me to get up from here and do some things. Laundry waits for no one. ;) I got a grocery list to make out also. Y'all have a good afternoon. I will see about getting some pictures of the poor pitiful souls locked away for their own good to post here soon. Not right now, its blue blazin' hot out there.

Mama used to say, " Its hotter n' three hells out there today!" I have caught myself saying that now.

Mama gets hot real easy. She doesnt like to get hot at all. ;)