Well, I have been waiting and waiting for the temperature here in North Jersey to get warmer so I can introduce my babies to the great outdoors. Today, the temps finally reached 70 and I couldnt wait to get home and take the "kids" out to play.
Ran in the house, set up a "bottomless" box, brought it outside, went in and grabbed our brooder box and started bringing the whole thing out. I couldnt carry all the chicks out at the same time and I didnt want to chance leaving anyone out there unsupervised to make trips.
Struggle to get the box out the storm door, set it at my feet, look up..........
BEAR!!!
Ahh yes a lovely black bear seemed to have just arose from winter hibernation and was looking for something to eat. They don't scare me and I think they are beautiful, we have seem them around quite a few times, but my little chicks I was all I could think about. I yelled and banged and clapped my hands but he didnt seem to care. Quickly squeeze the brooder back through the storm door, run and get my dogs inside, go back out to look.....
Now he's next door ripping a branch off the neighbors tree to get at the bird feeder.
I yelled and clapped and banged some more and I guess he got sick of me and casually walked off to find dinner in a less noisy location.
I waited a half hour more just in case and then brought the chicks out and kept a constant eye on them and kept looking all around for any signs of predators. I kept hearing an owl off somewhere, a hawk squacking somewhere in the sky......you should have seen me out there on guard for anything that might approach lol. I don't even live in the "country" per sey but I do live near a mountain reserve so there are wildlife encounters.
Anyway, chickies had a great time and I managed to relax a little after a while and I enjoyed the sun with them.
Ran in the house, set up a "bottomless" box, brought it outside, went in and grabbed our brooder box and started bringing the whole thing out. I couldnt carry all the chicks out at the same time and I didnt want to chance leaving anyone out there unsupervised to make trips.
Struggle to get the box out the storm door, set it at my feet, look up..........
BEAR!!!
Ahh yes a lovely black bear seemed to have just arose from winter hibernation and was looking for something to eat. They don't scare me and I think they are beautiful, we have seem them around quite a few times, but my little chicks I was all I could think about. I yelled and banged and clapped my hands but he didnt seem to care. Quickly squeeze the brooder back through the storm door, run and get my dogs inside, go back out to look.....
Now he's next door ripping a branch off the neighbors tree to get at the bird feeder.
I yelled and clapped and banged some more and I guess he got sick of me and casually walked off to find dinner in a less noisy location.
I waited a half hour more just in case and then brought the chicks out and kept a constant eye on them and kept looking all around for any signs of predators. I kept hearing an owl off somewhere, a hawk squacking somewhere in the sky......you should have seen me out there on guard for anything that might approach lol. I don't even live in the "country" per sey but I do live near a mountain reserve so there are wildlife encounters.
Anyway, chickies had a great time and I managed to relax a little after a while and I enjoyed the sun with them.