chickens

It was a very unpleasant discovery this week. A stray dog made its way onto our property sometime early Monday morning, and got into our hen house. It killed 4 of my laying hens. We were getting 5-6 eggs each day from our beautiful hens. The children really enjoyed (and so did i) checking the hen house, and collecting the eggs.

We only have our rooster, and 1 hen left. I am going to have to start buying more eggs, and more hens. We are suppposed to get a few layers from Rosemary, but they will not be laying until fall.

We are still on the look-out for the return of the chicken killing dog. Pepper chased him away, and so far he hasn't returned. I hope he doesn't, because one of us will have to shoot him. Strays are not only dangerous to live-stock, but pets and children.

Every evening when Ben and I take our walk the chickens would follow us, and we would lock them in their hen house. It is a lonely walk with only 2 chickens to chase us. I bribe them with apple peels or strawberry tops, watermelon rinds, these are happy fat chickens. Too bad they made a meal for a very ugly dog.

a tale of 2 chickens

I do not know what has come over my speckled hens, but this new form of chicken insanity is starting to really bug me. Thursday night I rode along so Ashley (with her new permit) could drop Connor off at school to get ready for his basketball game. I waited in the car all alone while Ashley found out what time we needed to get to the school for Connor and Nicoles' games, when I heard this noise(braaagh), oh no I didn't hear that, I sat very still, and once again(braaaagh).



It could not be, not again, who let the stupid chicken in the van. Sure enough, as I was climbing out of the van, out hopped the stupid speckled hens. 2 stupid hens . I don't believe this. Now we have to guard the doors of the van when we are loading up to avoid hitchhikers.

I told Fr. Matthew about the behaviour of my hens, and he suggested I turn them into Sunday dinner. I told him no way. these speckled hens are small, scrawny things, and once I got the feathers off of them there would be nothing left. Sunday morning , they tried to hitchhike to church, but Connor chased them out. I could just picture us piling out of the van at church, It is quite a sight to see rows of children racing to get out first, followed by speckled hens.

chickens

I have very strange chickens, I am convinced these chickens are not the least bit normal whatever that is. I had an appointment in Ada at 10:15 , so I was planning to leave the house at 9:45. Ben decided to go with us, and you would think 2 adults and 2 children could get out of the house on time.

Thinking was my first mistake. As we loaded the 2 little ones into their car seats we left the drivers door open, and the side passenger door open. Ben was in row 2 hooking up Christian, and I was in row 1 hooking up Alexandra when I looked down and saw a chicken running through the van. In our 15 passenger van, the area under the seats is open all the way to the back of the van. I start to yell at the stupid chicken, when I notice a 2nd chicken in the van.

What in the heck is going on here? 2 stupid chickens in the van. Ben is shooing chickens one way, and I am shooing them the other. They run to the front door, and in jumps Otto the really bizarre weiner dog, and he proceeds to chase the chickens through the van.

I looked at my dear husband of 24 years, and I said , Honey, I don't think other peoples' lives are like this. Who else do you know would have to chase chickens, and a dog out of the van just to go to town? I don't know of anyone.

I was 20 minutes late to my appointment, and as I explained the circumstances, the receptionist looked at me as though she had never encountered chickens running through her van being chased by a weiner dog. Imagine that. Some peoples lives must be so boring.

Bye-Bye Billy

After the attack of Billy the goat, I am still recovering from all the bruises I received from the crazy, psycho goat. I asked my dear neighbor Rosemary, and her husband Tim if they would take Billy to the goat sale, eleminating the need to shoot the unrepentant goat.

Tim and Rosemary are always helping me with something. I can't count how many times Tim has pulled me out of ditches when I've slid off the road or something. When my husband worked nights, I always knew they were just a phone call away.

One night the burglar alarm went off , and I was home alone with 5 children and pregnant. The alarm company asked if I wanted to go outside and check it out. No I did not . I couldn't even out run the bad man at that point. While I waited for the sheriff to show up , Tim and Rosemary came down checked the yard and out buildings. They were at my house almost 30 minutes before the county sheriff even showed up. I know who to call first.

Tim and Rosemary came down and caught the goat. He is going to spend a week or 2 visiting their nannies, and then off to the goat sale. Connor is excited about getting the money for his goat. He's thinking about raising nannies to show for 4-H. Good riddance.

I love a parade

The weather has been so beautiful lately, with just a hint of fall in the air. I am so glad that double digit heat is over. This afternoon I decided to take sweet pea out for some fresh air. This is no easy feat as she now weighs 21lbs 7oz at only 9 months. We began our promenade down the sidewalk , and onto the circle drive, when we were joined by a screaming 2 year old who thought I was leaving him.

The next to join us was Otto the weiner dog, followed by Fifis' dog Tika. Our ranks were swelling. I looked back again, and we had been joined by 5 chickens, 3 kittens, Mr. Joshua the Turkey, and last but not least Billy the stinky goat.

I love a parade, but this was getting ridiculous. I turned back up the drive, and made the loop back to the house with the animals trailing all the way.

Someday, I'm going to shoot that goat

To be completely fair, I just don't like Billy the goat. He is now on my hit list. Connor & Nicole went out to put away the turkey, and hens. They were tossing some watermelon rinds, and chicken feed into their house in order to coax them in, when Billy the bully decided he wanted some.

I heard the commotion and went out to help. The ladies were in an uproar, the turkeys' feathers were ruffled, and the children were running in fear of their lives. I picked up the biggest stick I could find, and went to save my babies. I whacked that goat on the head , which really ticked him off. He began bucking and twisting , so I whacked him again. Connor ran in one direction,and Nicole hid behing her Mama.

Stupid Billy goat came after us again, and wielding my stick like a baseball bat , I was ready to hit a home run , all the while yelling at Connor go and get Daddy, and tell him to bring the gun!!!!

Daddy did come out, he didn't bring the gun, in fact he thought it was hysterical. I told him and his crazy goat to consider themselves warned. That thing looks at me or my babies sideways, and he's history.

I have a gun, and I'll shoot that smelly sucker right between the eyes, and toss him over the fence for the buzzards. I mean seriously, he can't smell any worse dead than alive.