Shadrach's Ex Battery and Rescued chickens thread.

[BDutch]

Sorry for your loss @HiEverybirdy
When did this happen?

 

[Molpet]

Sorry for your loss

Since I seem to have the staying power to sit and write today, I will add one more post, about Starla, our first predator loss

She flew out of the electric perimeter (a habit Peck taught her) on a day I had a migraine and wasn't being as vigilant.

Based on the scene in the orchard, I think the bobcat finally got lucky, but will be unlucky if we catch it near the chickens again.

We only found Starla's tail and butt feathers. No blood. I called neighbors and searched the forest for hours over the next few days, even tracking her with the hound dog, but we found no trace.

We don't take this loss lightly. I moved items around in the orchard and added another camera and a motion-triggered siren to decrease predators' sense of familiarity and comfort. Ranging is currently fully supervised. Peck fortunately stopped flying out a few days after Starla was taken; I had been planning to clip her wings.

Starla is very missed. She was an intrepid adventurer and a delight. She was a natural head hen – a patient, confident, thinking bird who fell in love with rooster Andre the moment she saw him. She stood up to the scary older birds who picked on her friends Peck and Nugs, and she let Peck and Nugs snuggle under her to roost at night. They are slightly lost without her.

Starla Long Toe:
View attachment 3973557

 

[HiEverybirdy]

Sorry for your loss @HiEverybirdy
When did this happen?

On Sept 12. Relevant to this thread, it happened between 11:30 a.m. and 3 p.m. on a hot, sunny, dry day.

We almost never see predators out during this hour, especially when it's warm because they like a nap in the sun like everyone else.

If you remember, I told a story about chickens charging a bear with cubs back in May. She was one of the 3, so I imagine her first reaction to a predator could've been curiosity instead of using her excellent flying skills to get back to safety.

 

[Shadrach]

I was up all night (shingles) Finally felt like sleeping at 6.30am and slept through, on and off until 2pm which of course made me late getting to the field. We got an hour out.

 

[BDutch]

If you remember, I told a story about chickens charging a bear with cubs back in May. She was one of the 3,

Yes. I do now you bring this to our attention. I remember your heroic intervention too.

I was up all night (shingles) Finally felt like sleeping at 6.30am and slept through, on and off until 2pm which of course made me late getting to the field. We got an hour out.

(Nothing more to say).

 

[Perris]

Starla is very missed

I'm so sorry;

If it's any consolation, the rest will have learned from it to temper curiosity with more caution.