Day 19 - Counting Chickens...

We bought our home in the Spring of 2011,

and it wasn't until later that summer that we got

our first chickens to put into the existing chicken coop...

A bantam rooster and two hens.

The rooster and one hen were promptly eaten by a bobcat.

I then started collecting more bantams

which we called the "mutant chickens."

We added some guinea fowl,

six of them...

two females and 4 males.

Two males went back to the breeder and

the two females

were killed by a bobcat.

I detailed most of this in a post

which was prompted by a massacre weekend

involving goats and a bear.

At that time I tallied up all the new chickens and fowl.

Somewhere in here we got two dogs,

and there have been no more bears or bobcats;

 that we've seen close to the property, at least.

Then this February we got turkeys...

six of them,

of which two made it to adulthood...

Unfortunately, both males.

Then we had the chick explosion a couple of weeks ago,

adding 22 new chicks to the group,

of which 1 mysteriously disappeared.

I hope another bobcat isn't around,

but maybe another hawk..?

So, we have a LOT of chickens...

but we thinned the herd down a bit 

voluntarily over the last couple of days.

Yesterday, 5 of the pullets and 3 of the younger chicks

went to a new home.

Today, a turkey and the remaining 4 "mutant" bantams

went to a new home.

The remaining turkey will be gone next week...

a friend has bought him.

So, as of today, we have

one remaining male guinea fowl

the "fluffy chicken" - one of the original "big chickens" we got

the "chicklets" - Hawkeye, Muffin Top and Madge (they're our best layers)

Roosters - big white Frederico & the "pocket rooster" Ollie

Hawkeye's Twins - two cockerels that just crowed for the first time this week

the pullets - of which 5 remain

the new chicks - of which 8 remain including

Sunshine (who will remain on the farm)

We'll have to see how many of the pullets and chicks

turn into hens and roosters...

If anything we'll get some more of these....

Birthday Shuffle a Deux #26

I'm cheating again...

Amy Grant - I Will Remember You

We had another death at the farm.  So let's review the body count shall we...?  A bit morbid I know, but seriously, this has been the worst weekend/week ever...

Arrived on the property almost a year ago.  July 31st I officially was able to take possession of my new home.  Toward the end of August, I was allowed by my husband to get three chickens, and I added 6 guinea fowl.

Then we moved up here officially around the end of November.  But, it was in the beginning of November that we started to have a bear problem.  Then about a week or two later, having been informed that we needed to "take care of our own problems," DH did shoot at the bear one night, and we hadn't seen it since.

So, officially as of December 1st, we had 3 bantams, 6 guineas, 3 cats and 2 humans living up on the property.

In January, we added Dixie.

And, if you haven't read her blog, you should.  She writes very well.

So now it's 3 bantams, 6 guineas, 3 cats and 2 humans.

We then traded 2 male guineas for 2 new hens.

So in March we had:

4 guineas, 3 bantams, 2 Sumatran mix hens, 1 dog, 3 cats, 2 humans

April 3rd we got 2 goats:  Josie and Betty

2 goats, 4 guineas, 3 bantams, 2 Sumatran mix hens, 1 dog, 3 cats, 2 humans

Then, in mid-April, the rooster and a bantam hen disappeared, and while I was out of town my DH took care of the "problem" when it went after the guineas.

2 goats, 4 guineas, 1 bantam, 2 Sumatran mix hens, 1 dog, 3 cats, 2 humans

We added the "mutant chickens" in May bringing the new total to:

2 goats, 4 guineas, 7 bantams, 2 Sumatran mix hens, 1 dog, 3 cats, 2 humans

Then, one by one, the bantams started to disappear.  DH missed the new "problem" when it came stalking around, but not before it killed one of the female guineas.  So, new count:

2 goats, 3 guineas, 4 bantams, 2 Sumatran mix hens, 1 dog, 3 cats, 2 humans

On May 15th, Boots was born.

 May 29th, we added the "chicklets": Mavis, Hawkeye and Muffin Top

 June 11th, we added Jazz to the Mix

So, as of July 1st, with almost a month to go before the anniversary of getting our property we had:

4 goats, 3 guineas, 4 bantams, 5 Sumatran mix hens, 1 dog, 3 cats, 2 humans

Around this time we added Benny to the mix:

Then this Massacre Week happened... and last night while I was at work a new "problem" came around and killed the final female guinea.  DH was surprised by the noise in the barn and didn't carry his firearm with him (which, by the way he's been keeping close given recent events) and the feline predator escaped, but not before we'd had another loss.

Our count as of today:

2 male guineas, 4 bantams, 5 Sumatran mix hens, 1 sumatran rooster, 1 dog, 3 cats, 2 humans  

We're not sure if we'll get goats again, but I think perhaps during the next several months we'll reinforce and redo all of the fences, bring Boots back along with a new companion, maybe having one or both bred and start over.  Maybe a llama?  

Hopefully Benny will do his part and add to the population.  We may need to reconsider what to do with the guineas since there's two males and at least the female one laid eggs.

And, I think I mentioned that we were looking at a new canine member to the family... now if we can only decide which one...

Life ends, life begins anew... 

it's all a part of this new experience which I think is only just beginning...

but for all those that have been lost, you won't be forgotten

I will remember every one of you...

Bear Necessities

So we have a bear problem.  It started about a week ago when the contractor staying at our house told us he'd seen a bear in the "front acre" on the side of the house.  Then, a couple of days later I went up to the house to find this...

My wonderful, nee expensive, feed container was completely destroyed.  Since then we've been finding bear tracks close to the house and scat behind the barn.  So, we spent all of today "bear proofing" the hen house.  We closed off the barn, nailed hog wire all over, and made a door to help further secure our small flock of chickens.  I think the next step will be getting shot for our 12 gauge, but we're attempting non-violent means to start.

My guineas just turned 6 weeks old and our little bantams laid their first eggs today, and I think a bear skin rug might become de rigueur if anything happened to them.