At a loss for words....

What an awful and devastating day yesterday was. My boys and I took off for a couple of hours yesterday afternoon to help out a family member to return to a dog in my chicken yard, with dead chickens around. The shock when I found her out there with feathers from my ladies everywhere including in her mouth. I literally screamed when I saw her, I grabbed her by the collar and drug her out of my chicken yard onto the back lawn, sat on her and gave her a good slap and shake because she kept turning and biting my hand and kept trying to wiggle out of her collar to get back at the few remaining birds. I must admit, at that moment I wanted to kill her, seeing my girls feathers and bodies around me, I drug her into the garage after many stops to pin her and regrip my hands to try and keep her from biting me. Once in the garage she coward like a little pup getting scolded for peeing on the rug. I went out to my totally empty chicken yard except for a handful of dead and dying chickens, and I almost sobbed. My boys were crying at the sight and we were wondering where all the rest of the hens were. A neighbour from across the road came over to state that I scared the crap out of his kids because when they were watching from well over a 1000 feet away it looked like I was choking the dog, he wasn't pleased with me at all, especially after hearing me call the dog pound and tell them that they had till today at noon to get the dog or I was going to kill it. I tried to explain that the dog was fine and that they couldn't see all that was happening from so far away and that the dog had just killed a bunch of my birds, he didn't care was only concerned about how I treated the dog, by dragging it by the collar. Shameful I must say the way he treated us, more concerned for a killer dog than the peace and sanity of my boys.

I grabbed my phone and called the police, because I didn't want that dog on my property for the night and I knew that they would take it away and I could at least have a report made up. When the officer came, who I must add was very friendly and sympathetic to my kids who were quite shook up still, seeing the birds dead and dying of fatal wounds. He took my statement and got all the details of the dog and what happened to the best of my knowledge. Suddenly from way out in the bush comes 2 of my hens, picking their way back, a little scared and nervous, but oh, the relief I felt when I saw them two. I explained to the officer that they will most likely be hiding all over and those that are physically able will return home in the next day or two. I was told to call him with the final count of dead birds in 3 days. The dog owner would be traced by her rabies tag, and hopefully found and then we will see what happens from there. It certainly would be nice if the owners were to show up in a few days and apologize and offer to pay for my losses.

So this is who made it and who didn't. 7 red hens returned to the coop last night to sleep, there are enough feathers around my yard and my neighbours to account for at least 2 of the missing 4. "Big Red" our biggest layer, and "Goldie" both thankfully returned. My female guinea hen was in the hen house when the dog was here and stayed in during the whole ordeal, her mate, unfortunately never returned and she is pacing around outside calling him constantly. Guinea's unlike chickens mate for life, so she is really missing him. I am hoping that with all her calling that he just might show up today. Out of my 9 meat hens I had left, 3 were dead, and 1 is in pretty rough shape, but is walking, eating and drinking, so I will give her a fighting chance and if she lives we will name her Tracy and she will become a permanent resident not destined for the dinner plate because of a chance of disease, and due to the fact that she survived. I had 4 black layer chicks that were set to start laying in about 6 more weeks, 3 of them returned to the coop last night, the remainder was found with her best buddy a meat hen, both dead. My two bantam hens were both found, "Cluck Cluck" returned late, and the one with the chicks didn't live in the coop and was able to hide during the ordeal and protected all 4 of her little ones from danger, (thank goodness). "Foghorn" our beautiful and protective rooster was nowhere to be seen and a bunch of his feathers were found beside the pond. No sign of him though at bedtime last night when I locked up the rest of my ladies, but then I was awoke this morning to a big "COCKA-DOODLE-DOO" I ran out of bed and ran into my youngest bedroom and told him I heard the rooster, he was pretty shook up about loosing our beautiful rooster. We tossed on our shoes and ran out to the coop, and there he was underneath, crowing his head off, unable to figure out how to get to his hens. When we got him out he looked awful, his beautiful plumage of tail feathers was gone, just a little stump like a chick, his talon on his right leg is broke off almost at the leg, it looks a little bloody but he can walk, with a limp mind you. He looks, well he looks awful, but he is here and is pretty proud to say he fought off that beastly critter and saved his own life, and I could bet that possibly a few of his hens too.

So when I look out today to my flock, and see that half of them are still here, that I lost 9 birds in a quick afternoon, birds that were healthy, and some that had names and were good layers I feel a little sad, but relieved that most were fighters and made it back home safely. My boys both had a hard time sleeping last night, me too actually, and now I am don't feel safe leaving my house, Will I be constantly worrying about the ladies, and what if that dog returns again? Then what?? I must be grateful for natures instincts that saved the ladies, I am going to have to go and get a few more guineas because my lady keeps calling for her mate, again and again. I wonder how long it will take till their nerves settle down, how about mine, sheesh. Chicken farming.....

Not too punctual.

So apparently I am not so good at keeping this up. Wishing that I had more energy or more time or both would be even better. Time just really gets away on me lately. Running the farm, working all the time and taking care of my hounds and boys seem to often get the best of me.
The bassets are doing really well, Pebbles too, she turned 9 this spring. Time goes too fast, it seems as though it was only a year ago that we got her as a little fluff ball and she was getting pushed around the yard in the back of a Tonka truck. Her health is well, she is beginning to have troubles with her knees, and a few problems with her teeth, so most likely she will be going in for dental work this fall.

Hoover is still silly, and rather bad.... Just never a dull moment with that hound around. He will still sneak and steal a roll of toilet paper if given the opportunity. Will still let out a little pee on my floors here and there too. Not very impressive at all I must add. Odie though has fit in really well. He is still a clown and still likes to bark. I think that he has put on even more weight, so he is currently on a little bit of a diet to thin him out a little. It is raining here at the moment, and the smell of wet dog surrounds me. Nice, Welcome spring!

The farm has expanded, we still have 3 ducks, all males. Dang, not impressed at that at all. We will hopefully be able to get a female this summer and possibly set a few eggs. We have 11 nice big laying hens, a few that have been named, 3 bantams (one of which is our rooster who goes by the name of "Foghorn"), and 2 guinea fowl. Also have 4 black layer chicks, all due to begin laying around the beginning of September. We are getting a dozen eggs a day and even managing to sell a couple dozen a week. I can't even begin to explain how nice it is knowing that we are eating farm fresh, with no chemicals. Let alone how the hens, have became such pets. We also ordered 20 meat chickens, they arrived on April 13th as little tiny things, about as big as a bunch of golf balls. They have now grown into relatively large white chickens, nearly 4 lbs each already.

My garden did surprisingly well last fall. We got tons of fresh veggies out of there. Made plenty of zucchini recipes from breads to casseroles. Did canning after work for a good month straight. Almost to the point of having too many veggies to handle. Due to the fact that I changed jobs as well, there just wasn't enough time to get everything done. So the blog suffered. Then once a habit it becomes difficult to get back into. So here's to hoping I can get it made back into a habit once again. Well thats about it for today, will post again really soon...