When the weather was warmer and we were all enjoying it, Mom decided that the ‘girls’ could go outside and peck around for a while. They had been really restless, pecking on the run plastic, trying to flap out the door whenever Mom went in to do something for them-gather eggs, refresh their feed, or bring in clean water.

After a very beautiful day, in which Mom and Dad were going to be gone, Mom promised the ‘girls’ if the next day was nice they could get outside, once all their eggs were laid, and have a really good dust bath and peck around.

The next day came, it was beautiful…all four eggs were laid by 11:00 in the morning so the ‘girls’ got to go OUT!

There was much joy, running and flapping and cheerful squawking as they made their way into the mud and snow of the farm yard.

Fuzz and I just watched, and then we decided they were not very entertaining so we headed back with Mom to the house and begged to come in.

We should have stayed outside.

Fuzzy and I feel really super bad, because we didn’t stay outside and guard those hens.  Mom says she feels bad too.

But we didn’t.

So the deed was done.

(If you want to see a photo of the hurt, Mom would send it to you.  Maybe someone out there could tell her who tried to eat her chicken)

But by whom..?

That is the Million Dollar Question!

Mom, Dad, Fuzzy and I rounded up the hens and put them away.  They didn’t want to go.  They had run into the lilac bush and were standing in there frozen in terror.  Fuzz and I talked about whom or what could have done the deed.

So we sat out to find out…we sniffed here and there and everywhere.

While we were out looking for the culprit, Mom was doctoring the hen.  First she cleaned the neck and shoulder wounds up really good with warm water, gave the hen a few drops of liquid baby vitamins, and a mashed up half of a baby aspirin.

The hen let her, I guess she was in shock, then she covered everything in salve, after which she placed the hen in a dog crate in the hen house in a warm location.

That was three days ago and the hen is doing well.  The wounds are healing over and the stress is gone from the hen’s eyes.

She has even laid two eggs!

Fuzzy and I have been on the lookout, but we haven’t figured out what happened yet.  Since the dastardly deed happened in broad daylight who knows—-hawk/crow/raven maybe?

Mom sat a live trap out with really yummy smelling cat food (I kept trying to get at it, Mom was NOT happy me about it.  But GEEZ it smells GOOD) just in case it was a skunk.

Since all this happened our temperatures have dropped back down to typical January temps….the high is 22-29* and the lows -2-5* at night.  If it was a skunk he/she went back into hibernation.

If it was a hawk/crow/raven…he/she WILL be back!

In the meantime…Fuzzy and I will be on guard and ready to bark all predators away!

Very Serious,

Boomer