update on the hens

Well 8 hens and a rooster survived the first great dog attack. We have not had any eggs since that date and it’s been 2 weeks now. Three of the hens were laying before the attack and should have recovered from the shock - everyone looks fine- but no eggs. Hopefully the 6 hens who weren’t laying will begin soon - at least.

Then there was the second attack. My husband let Ginger - one of the terrible terriers get by him as he went out the door. She was a participant in the last attack and must have been remembering the fun. She hasn’t done that in a long while. Anyway I was at work and the turkeys and their frizzle escort rooster just happened to be walking by the back door as she darted out. The fun began.

As my husband hurried to get his wheelchair down the ramp he hit one of my plant stands filled with a large geranium at the bottom of the ramp. It caught in his wheels. As this was going on Ginger nailed Frizzle in the driveway. My husband thought he was dead. Then she took off after one of the turkeys, chasing her down the dirt road. The other turkey flew up to the roof of the house.

When Steve got the bent wire stand out of the wheel chair he decided he better get to the barn before Ginger came back and got into the coop again. He waited for about 15 minutes before she showed up hot and tired and he was able to corner her in the barn. The hens had no trauma this time. After Steve got Ginger locked inside the house he went out to see if he could find the remains of the one hen turkey and Frizzle.

Much to his surprise Frizzle was gone. He followed the trail of turkey feathers down the road but didn’t find a body. With his chair he couldn’t go into the high weeds and he could only hope the turkey had escaped into them. He couldn’t find Frizzle either. He then called me at work to get me all upset.

When I came home for work I looked for Frizzle then followed the trail of turkey feathers down the road. They crossed the road and I could see piles of them in the neighbors horse pasture. She had to pass several nice trees that she could have flown up into, but once under the fence, which was 3 straps of electric webbing, she had only a well grazed pasture in front of her. I didn’t think it was worthwhile to roll under the fence to look for her. There were big clumps of feathers everywhere and the dog had been gone for a good while. I couldn’t see a body but I assumed it was there somewhere.

At sundown the other hen turkey came down off the roof and took her regular perch on the fence rail by the barn. And lo and behold Frizzle appeared out of the butterfly garden, looking none the worse for wear. He must have played dead. But no dark turkey hen.

The next day I listened for turkey calls as the girls are usually very vocal when separated. But there were none. It was very quiet and Frizzle decided not to leave the barn where he roosts each night. But when I went out to our horse Lilies stall in the evening there stood the dark turkey hen. She had survived. She walked a little stiffly but surprisingly it seemed like most of her feathers were there- despite the large amounts by the road. Even her tail was intact.

She went over to the outside gate of the chicken run and made it obvious she wanted to be let inside. Normally she would have flown right over so she was hurt in some way. The hens have not been let out into the run yet this year, because I always wait until they are laying well in nest boxes before giving them outside space. I gave her some food and water in the run and the lighter colored hen jumped up on the rail to talk to her.

She has stayed in the run the last few days; I guess it makes her feel safe. The lighter hen visits from time to time and stays close by. Neither the turkeys or Frizzle have strayed far from the barn area. It’s a miracle she survived. I think the big brown mare that resides in the pasture the dog chased her into may have chased the dog away. I have seen the horses over there chase dogs a few times. I hope she gave Ginger a good scare.

Everything was quiet until Saturday when Lily, ( our horse), decided to bust the latch off her stall door and get into the front part of the barn. She was eating dry cat food when I found her. She has never done that before- what is going on here? But fortunately she didn’t founder from her food indiscretion and seems fine.

Well life is fun here.