We finally let the chickens out of the barn last week. Since there's nothing to ruin in the fields or gardens yet, we let them free-range. First day, a red fox came over by our house around noon and grabbed one. Luckily, it was too big for the fox. We ran outside and chased it away. One chicken lost half its feathers, but was otherwise OK.
So, we then put them in our little outdoor "chicken tractor" mobile coop. Then? Last night, something spent a lot of time trying to break the door open, and also reached in through the chicken-wire and pulled off half the feathers on all the birds. Coon maybe?
Then this morning, the red fox came by our house again snooping around and I managed to get a few photos. It caught a mouse and left.
We just put all our half-bald chickens back in the winter-barn. Things are a little too wild here right now for outdoor chicken survival.
<a href="http://s104.photobucket.com/albums/m162/jdemaris/?action=view¤t=100_5673distant.jpg" target="_blank">
</a>
<a href="http://s104.photobucket.com/albums/m162/jdemaris/?action=view¤t=100_5673.jpg" target="_blank">
</a>
<a href="http://s104.photobucket.com/albums/m162/jdemaris/?action=view¤t=100_5672.jpg" target="_blank">
</a>
So, we then put them in our little outdoor "chicken tractor" mobile coop. Then? Last night, something spent a lot of time trying to break the door open, and also reached in through the chicken-wire and pulled off half the feathers on all the birds. Coon maybe?
Then this morning, the red fox came by our house again snooping around and I managed to get a few photos. It caught a mouse and left.
We just put all our half-bald chickens back in the winter-barn. Things are a little too wild here right now for outdoor chicken survival.
<a href="http://s104.photobucket.com/albums/m162/jdemaris/?action=view¤t=100_5673distant.jpg" target="_blank">
<a href="http://s104.photobucket.com/albums/m162/jdemaris/?action=view¤t=100_5673.jpg" target="_blank">
<a href="http://s104.photobucket.com/albums/m162/jdemaris/?action=view¤t=100_5672.jpg" target="_blank">