Friday, October 28, 2011
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
New Critters!
OK - OK - They're not ours. Just yesterday's 3PM pig race at the North Carolina State Fair.
Sunday, October 16, 2011
TV Star Critter
Our domesticated foster critter had his television debut Saturday morning.
Here's a picture of him on the TV monitor in front of the green screen at WRAL.
Here he is anxiously awaiting his debut.
And here he is on TV. Apologies to the cameraman and anchorwoman who got a little taste of his some times overly zealous protective nature.
He's already been contacted by Dancing with the Stars for next season!
Here's a picture of him on the TV monitor in front of the green screen at WRAL.
Here he is anxiously awaiting his debut.
And here he is on TV. Apologies to the cameraman and anchorwoman who got a little taste of his some times overly zealous protective nature.
He's already been contacted by Dancing with the Stars for next season!
Ruckus in the Hen House!! Part 2
STOP - READ RUCKUS IN THE HEN HOUSE FIRST!
This morning, we were again awakened by the chickens squawking. We jumped out of bed and let one of our dogs out, while we struggled to find the flashlight and put on our shoes. Our dog raced back to the coop, and soon we were right behind her. The motion light was on and the chickens were squawking LOUDLY, while huddling nervously in the corner of the coop. I ran inside with the flashlight and looked around but didn't see anything. I did notice that a log I had put in a small indentation between the ground and the bottom of our chicken coop kennel fencing had been moved aside. "Aha!" I thought, "There was something in here and this is the way it came in." I told M to get me a couple of bricks to block up the hole until morning, when I could do something more permanent.
Meanwhile, I looked in the the egg box to make sure all was safe and noticed a big feather hanging down from the top. I was wondering how it got up there and started to pull it down when, my eyes becoming more adjusted to the dim light, I noticed it was in fact the striped tail of a raccoon! I went to the front of the coop and peeked in and I could see the tail and back end of the coon sitting on top of the egg box.
We immediately shooed the chickens out of the coop and I got my trusty Daisy pump pellet gun. I closed the door to the kennel so the coon was trapped and fired once from outside, hitting him on his back end. He immediately scampered down to the ground, headed for the hole where he came in, but found it blocked by a brick and the log I had originally placed there. Then he made his way to the roof of the coop and, when we looked up there, lo and behold we found a second raccoon! Two varmints in our hen house!
I shan't go into the details of how I dispatched the critters, but we eventually shut the chickens back into the coop, came inside, cleaned up a bit, and got back into bed.
ZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz - SQUAWK SQUAWK SQUAWK!!! CLUCK CLUCK CLUCK!!!
We were up again with a repeat performance of our first awakening to find the chickens in a similar state. We looked all around again and there, on the roof, was a THIRD RACCOON. The only thing I can figure was that this rascal was laying low on the roof or behind a wood panel on top of the egg box. But there he was, peering at me with those beady eyes in the middle of that sinister black mask!
Dispatch time and clean up time again and then a VERY thorough examination of the coop. While doing so, we heard a noise high above us. We aimed the flash light beam high above our heads and far up in a tree, probably 30 feet high, sat our fourth raccoon of the night. I placed bricks all around the original hole and then we came back in to try to sleep again. We were awakened once more, but the racket was a false alarm. Nonetheless, as it was by now 5:15, we let one of our dogs remain in the yard until we got up at 8.
Chicken keeping is a fun and enjoyable hobby. But one must be prepared to come face to face with unpleasant things from time to time, like dealing with sick chickens that are suffering (think axe and stump) or protecting them from predators. I have never hunted and never will. Yet last night I had to take three of nature's lives to protect my four chickens. It was a sad ending for three Crabtree Creek Critters and a disturbing night for several more.
Sorry - no pictures this time, but this should lighten the mood.
This morning, we were again awakened by the chickens squawking. We jumped out of bed and let one of our dogs out, while we struggled to find the flashlight and put on our shoes. Our dog raced back to the coop, and soon we were right behind her. The motion light was on and the chickens were squawking LOUDLY, while huddling nervously in the corner of the coop. I ran inside with the flashlight and looked around but didn't see anything. I did notice that a log I had put in a small indentation between the ground and the bottom of our chicken coop kennel fencing had been moved aside. "Aha!" I thought, "There was something in here and this is the way it came in." I told M to get me a couple of bricks to block up the hole until morning, when I could do something more permanent.
Meanwhile, I looked in the the egg box to make sure all was safe and noticed a big feather hanging down from the top. I was wondering how it got up there and started to pull it down when, my eyes becoming more adjusted to the dim light, I noticed it was in fact the striped tail of a raccoon! I went to the front of the coop and peeked in and I could see the tail and back end of the coon sitting on top of the egg box.
We immediately shooed the chickens out of the coop and I got my trusty Daisy pump pellet gun. I closed the door to the kennel so the coon was trapped and fired once from outside, hitting him on his back end. He immediately scampered down to the ground, headed for the hole where he came in, but found it blocked by a brick and the log I had originally placed there. Then he made his way to the roof of the coop and, when we looked up there, lo and behold we found a second raccoon! Two varmints in our hen house!
I shan't go into the details of how I dispatched the critters, but we eventually shut the chickens back into the coop, came inside, cleaned up a bit, and got back into bed.
ZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz - SQUAWK SQUAWK SQUAWK!!! CLUCK CLUCK CLUCK!!!
We were up again with a repeat performance of our first awakening to find the chickens in a similar state. We looked all around again and there, on the roof, was a THIRD RACCOON. The only thing I can figure was that this rascal was laying low on the roof or behind a wood panel on top of the egg box. But there he was, peering at me with those beady eyes in the middle of that sinister black mask!
Dispatch time and clean up time again and then a VERY thorough examination of the coop. While doing so, we heard a noise high above us. We aimed the flash light beam high above our heads and far up in a tree, probably 30 feet high, sat our fourth raccoon of the night. I placed bricks all around the original hole and then we came back in to try to sleep again. We were awakened once more, but the racket was a false alarm. Nonetheless, as it was by now 5:15, we let one of our dogs remain in the yard until we got up at 8.
Chicken keeping is a fun and enjoyable hobby. But one must be prepared to come face to face with unpleasant things from time to time, like dealing with sick chickens that are suffering (think axe and stump) or protecting them from predators. I have never hunted and never will. Yet last night I had to take three of nature's lives to protect my four chickens. It was a sad ending for three Crabtree Creek Critters and a disturbing night for several more.
Sorry - no pictures this time, but this should lighten the mood.
Saturday, October 15, 2011
Ruckus in the Hen House!
This morning we were awakened at 5:00 by loud squawking and squealing coming from our chicken coop. I jumped out of bed, turned the dog out, and ran out behind her. After looking all around, we couldn't find any evidence of any intruder and concluded that the chickens were just squabbling with each other because they are molting and grouchy.
Here's our Buff Orpington. Look how disheveled she is.
Squawking, squealing, and squabbling! Brings to mind this old ditty.
There's always something going on with the Crabtree Creek Critters!
Here's our Buff Orpington. Look how disheveled she is.
Squawking, squealing, and squabbling! Brings to mind this old ditty.
There's always something going on with the Crabtree Creek Critters!
UPDATE!!!
It appears there may have been an intruder in the coop. Our Rhode Island Red has a very small wound on one of her wings!UPDATE!!!
Now scroll up or CLICK HERE to read part 2.
Friday, October 14, 2011
Old but...
A few weeks ago we opened our doors to a surprise: an orb weaver had spun her web right in front of our door to catch the moths that fly around our back light. The next night, we opened the door and recorded her hard at work.
I hate spiders, but this was pretty cool.
I hate spiders, but this was pretty cool.
Thursday, October 13, 2011
Froggie!
Humidity has returned with all the rain; so have some more critters...this little guy was sitting on the back steps. The dogs jumped over him several times going in and out and he didn't move. Guess he was more interested in catching mosquitoes.
This shows the frog's size in relation to the step - he wasn't that big, but the next photo makes him look huge!
Look at the menacing shadow he casts...I think he was befuddled by that flash.
I just looked out there a little bit ago and he was gone, off to a froggie hidey-hole.
I just looked out there a little bit ago and he was gone, off to a froggie hidey-hole.
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
Monday, October 10, 2011
Returning to Life
We get really tired of the hot weather of summer, so with the return of fall, we're now alot more active and interested in the outdoors, although last night we did notice house-size mosquitos trying to suck us dry.
We took some photos of the butterfly bush in its last fling of late summer - a monarch butterfly was eagerly searching out the last blossoms and competed with a busy bumblebee.
Rain is forecast for the next few days, but this weekend we plan a full day of yardwork - moving plants, spreading mulch, trimming bushes. We'll post pics when we're through.
We took some photos of the butterfly bush in its last fling of late summer - a monarch butterfly was eagerly searching out the last blossoms and competed with a busy bumblebee.
Rain is forecast for the next few days, but this weekend we plan a full day of yardwork - moving plants, spreading mulch, trimming bushes. We'll post pics when we're through.
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