Some mornings, it is great to wake up, until you realize what happened the night before.
Today was one of those days. I had woken up early to get some T-shirts made and some fence put in before the heat of the day. I made my morning post and enjoyed a cup of coffee. When I started to make my rounds though, my heart sank.
The back door of one of our chicken tractors was open. Such things should not be. This was the first clue that I was not going to have a good morning.
Inside, I could already see that there was a whole mess of feathers. Since we had not fed our chickens Alka-Seltzer tablets as an after dinner snack, the cause of this was limited.
Sure enough, broken eggs and feathers were all over outside of the chicken tractor too. Someone had enjoyed a feast last night, at the cost of our animals. When it comes to chickens, we still previously had nine hens, and two roosters. Additionally, one of our Muscovy duck mamas had taken to laying her eggs in the chicken coop. Since they were all getting along, we just let her make her nest there. Thankfully, I did not see any duck feathers, so that gave me hope. Soon I was searching the woods around the pen, looking for that lost duck.
As heartache would have it, I soon came upon the cold corpse of what had once been our duck. It is a tragic sight to behold. The duck wasn’t really even eaten, and was mostly intact. It had just been killed, and its neck had been nibbled on.
Most likely, one of these guys came over to see if it could get an easy meal last night. Unfortunately, it did. This Raccoon was one that we had recently trapped, and the photo is from another post that I had made. We enjoyed catching some fish as a family and used some the extra ones to bait traps with, since some of the neighbors had been having trouble with them lately too. It looks like I'll have to set some more traps. Tonight, I'll chop up the duck carcass and bait some traps. Hopefully, I can catch some more raccoons before they continue to feast on my flock.
Upon further investigation, I found the root of the problem. When the @little-peppers locked up the animals last night, they did not really lock them all up. This chicken tractor can be closed without locking it, as the door fits inside the metal roofing and pops shut.
This lock is supposed shut at night, but, unfortunately, it wasn't. If it had been done properly, it would have looked the photo above...
But, it looked like this instead. Lessons like this are tough ones to learn. Obviously my @little-peppers could have done a better job, but then again, @papa-pepper could have done a better job training them, or at least double-checking their work.
Since we have been hatching out a few ducklings, we were excited that our second mother duck was laying and sitting on the eggs. This could have meant a lot more free ducks for us. Thankfully, our first mama duck is hard at work raising the two she hatched first.
Additionally, one of the other babies that hatched later is still doing well, though we had to separate it from the others. For some reason, it's mother is very aggressive towards it, so we are having to raise it separately, which is fine. We would rather put forth the effort of raising it ourselves than have it end up dead.
In the end, at least we got the three original ducks that we had for free. Now, one of them is dead, but the other mother has blessed us with three new ducklings, so we are still up five ducks. Interestingly enough, one of our chicken hens has actually taken sitting over on our dead ducks nest. She has been there all morning. We are really hoping that she will hatch out the eggs that our dead mama left behind. I'll keep you posted.
Also, for those of you who were wondering, yes, "Heartache on the Homestead" is a variation on the series that @bluerthangreen has been posting, called "Hardships on the Homestead." You should check out some of those posts from @bluerthangreen. Hopefully, he will get past his hardships and I can get over my heartache.
As always, I'm @papa-pepper and here's the proof:
proof-of-heartbreaking-morning
Until next time…
Don’t waste your time online, invest it with steemit.com
You really look like a wild person, do you manage to make steemit your primary income source ? this is so amazing. I wonder when I'll be able to do the same!!
Downvoting a post can decrease pending rewards and make it less visible. Common reasons:
Submit
This post received a 2.4% upvote from @randowhale thanks to @andyluy! For more information, click here!
Downvoting a post can decrease pending rewards and make it less visible. Common reasons:
Submit
Raccoons can be some pretty vicious creatures. They are very smart as well which enables them to find their way into everything. Haven't had them get any chickens yet, but have heard some bad stories. Thanks for the post! Steem on!
Downvoting a post can decrease pending rewards and make it less visible. Common reasons:
Submit
Yeah, they are crafty and cunning.
Downvoting a post can decrease pending rewards and make it less visible. Common reasons:
Submit
Good post, thanks for sharing
Downvoting a post can decrease pending rewards and make it less visible. Common reasons:
Submit
This comment has received a 0.10 % upvote from @booster thanks to: @hamzaoui.
Downvoting a post can decrease pending rewards and make it less visible. Common reasons:
Submit
I am sorry for the loss of your family. Yup I understand that they are family. I once raised a duck for two years. She would follow me everywhere. She was even house trained.. Mostly. She loved it when I showered but sadly one day while I was at work the neighbours dog jumped my fence and killed her.
Downvoting a post can decrease pending rewards and make it less visible. Common reasons:
Submit
Dogs, another potential menace. At least you had some great times first.
Downvoting a post can decrease pending rewards and make it less visible. Common reasons:
Submit
It does not matter if it was locked as raccons easily figure out locks especially latches. Probable woukd have unkatchec them. If you had guinnees they woukd have had such a loud noise you woukd gave known.
Downvoting a post can decrease pending rewards and make it less visible. Common reasons:
Submit
The loss is hard ,but even harder when they are left nearly intact,and not eaten.
I understand nature and have respect for the wild things that we have displaced for our comfort and civilization. But I also recognize the need to establish these process's ,and to try and find harmony. Glad to see use of live trap,rather than poisons,or other deadly means.
Amazing how fast animals will foster an others young so easy!,even across species lines. ... love the animals ,be wary of the humans... :-)
Hope you have a good day!... "life is to short for bad day's!"
namaste!
Downvoting a post can decrease pending rewards and make it less visible. Common reasons:
Submit
Thank you, life needs more good days. Mine are all pretty excellent overall. Thanks.
Downvoting a post can decrease pending rewards and make it less visible. Common reasons:
Submit
Aww, wow. Sorry for such a sad morning. I do feel bad for the little pepper who's responsibility this fell too, but what a visceral lesson! Not one that will be easily forgotten.
It's lessons like these that are impossible to learn without tactile experience. I think life on a homestead is powerful, particularly for young kids (this is one of the primary reasons we moved our family out to the Ozarks, too!) I used to work at a school that "padded" everything for the children. Nothing too upsetting, controversial, or difficult--and as a result, I don't think that those kids were experiencing reality, or being prepared for the real world. The real world can be hard, cruel, and it makes you tough if you're willing to learn. The real world is also beautiful at times, and the grace of having another bird take on the dead duck's brood is a gentle reminder of that as well.
Hope that the littles on the homestead recover, a little wiser, a little more tough, and a little more grateful. Thanks for a great article!
Downvoting a post can decrease pending rewards and make it less visible. Common reasons:
Submit
In my neck of the Caribbean Rain Forest, I have a problem with Jaguarundi, a smaller version of Jaguar who are being forced out of their natural habitat due to rain forests destruction and development and into my cacao farm. Last week, one literally jumped my into my fenced yard around my house, even though the dogs where nearby and grabbed the chicken who it had missed a few weeks earlier. I was shocked that he would be so bold with dogs and all, but gosh, they are hungry. A few weeks earlier he took 2 hens. I didn't feel so bad about it, as I know that they have to eat too. He missed the 3rd hen, as she was in the house "setting" at the time. But since she lost her tribe, she has been sleeping near our house, which I have a fence around for my dogs and puppies. I never thought the cat would jump the fence, for fear of the dogs. Poor thing, he must be extremely hungry.
I thought that he got the 3rd hen as I did not see her for several days. I must have scared the cat when I started screaming when I heard the scandal; when I investigated I saw a slew of feathers and no chicken, so of course I thought the worst. She appeared back but she has a broken wing and a loss of feathers. I am considering giving her away. Poor thing.
I know how you feel, @papa-pepper!
Downvoting a post can decrease pending rewards and make it less visible. Common reasons:
Submit
Man that sucks. Well it could have been worse though, and that means today is a good day to teach your little peppers a lesson and help them grow! Glad that your looking at the postive parts. Hope the chicken hatches your duck eggs too!!
Downvoting a post can decrease pending rewards and make it less visible. Common reasons:
Submit
If that hen hatches those eggs, it will receive a place of honor among my people.
Downvoting a post can decrease pending rewards and make it less visible. Common reasons:
Submit
Then I'm your people because I will honor him too haha
Downvoting a post can decrease pending rewards and make it less visible. Common reasons:
Submit
when I was homesteading on the Llano back in the eighties
I slept lite..and had a shotgun beside my bed.
If I heard a racket...I grabbed my gun and run
a LOT of coyotes, coons and stray dogs.
BOOM!
din't run fast enough.
another one bit the dust.
Downvoting a post can decrease pending rewards and make it less visible. Common reasons:
Submit
We got all three of them out here too.
Downvoting a post can decrease pending rewards and make it less visible. Common reasons:
Submit
Sorry to hear about the loss of the chickens and the duck. I have 8 chickens and would be upset if anything got them. I know nature will find a weak spot and exploit it, but it still stings🐓
Downvoting a post can decrease pending rewards and make it less visible. Common reasons:
Submit
It does still sting.
Downvoting a post can decrease pending rewards and make it less visible. Common reasons:
Submit
That's a bummer
Downvoting a post can decrease pending rewards and make it less visible. Common reasons:
Submit
What a disappointment. I hope you manage to catch the critter. Good luck with the survivors.
Downvoting a post can decrease pending rewards and make it less visible. Common reasons:
Submit
I'll let you know if I catch the culprit.
Downvoting a post can decrease pending rewards and make it less visible. Common reasons:
Submit
Sorry for the ducks :( But I think it is not necessary to destroy raccoons. Suffice it to securely lock the duck house.
Downvoting a post can decrease pending rewards and make it less visible. Common reasons:
Submit
Mostly I relocate.
Downvoting a post can decrease pending rewards and make it less visible. Common reasons:
Submit
Looks like you've had some trouble today! I'm sorry to hear!
Downvoting a post can decrease pending rewards and make it less visible. Common reasons:
Submit
Moving past it, but a rough start, to be sure.
Downvoting a post can decrease pending rewards and make it less visible. Common reasons:
Submit
@Papa-Pepper...Really like how You use many photos to document & explain what happened.
Here in southern Florida the Muscovy ducks usually have between 10 to 16 ducklings... is there a reason why they have so many ducklings here vs where You live ? Just curious.
Thanks @Papa-Pepper
Downvoting a post can decrease pending rewards and make it less visible. Common reasons:
Submit
First time mother, still figuring things out. Did you ever get me a shipping address for your tee shirt?
Downvoting a post can decrease pending rewards and make it less visible. Common reasons:
Submit
Not yet... You have a Very Good memory...haven't seen You in SteemChat.
Will go there now and see if there is a way to private message.
Ah...I found You, am still learning how things work. Just left my address.
Thank You Again Papa-Pepper... Have a Great Weekend !!
Downvoting a post can decrease pending rewards and make it less visible. Common reasons:
Submit
so sorry about your racoon problem, we do not have them here in Alaska but foxes get our ducks..... very sad
Downvoting a post can decrease pending rewards and make it less visible. Common reasons:
Submit
Depending on where you're at in AK, marten, mink, or various other voracious mustelids are every bit as hungry as 'possums and 'coons. I don't ever remember seeing a skunk when I was there, but wolverines could open a pickup truck like a canopener if it was full of juicy ducks.
Good thing they're kinda scarce where people are.
Downvoting a post can decrease pending rewards and make it less visible. Common reasons:
Submit
Yes you are right no skunks. Wolverines are something trappers worry about not so much around people. That would be my worse nightmare meeting a wolverine in my animal pen..... I would rather meet a bear!
Downvoting a post can decrease pending rewards and make it less visible. Common reasons:
Submit
One of the many perils of homesteading. Hope your little ones are ok and understand.
Downvoting a post can decrease pending rewards and make it less visible. Common reasons:
Submit
sorry to hear about your chickens at least you still have a pretty good sense of humor with the Alka-Seltzer joke I wish you the best in recouping your coop
Downvoting a post can decrease pending rewards and make it less visible. Common reasons:
Submit
Lol, thanks for reading. Alka-seltzer...
Downvoting a post can decrease pending rewards and make it less visible. Common reasons:
Submit
damn that's sad!
cyber hugs sent!
Downvoting a post can decrease pending rewards and make it less visible. Common reasons:
Submit
i lol'ed
Downvoting a post can decrease pending rewards and make it less visible. Common reasons:
Submit
O no! Sorry for your loss ☹️
Downvoting a post can decrease pending rewards and make it less visible. Common reasons:
Submit
So sad. Nature can be cruel but then there are always the ones like the mother hen trying to sit on the dead duck's eggs and hatch them.
Downvoting a post can decrease pending rewards and make it less visible. Common reasons:
Submit
I'm sorry, that really sucks.
Downvoting a post can decrease pending rewards and make it less visible. Common reasons:
Submit
Sorry to see this. I know it is discouraging when you put so much care into your animals.
Downvoting a post can decrease pending rewards and make it less visible. Common reasons:
Submit
I am sorry for your loss sir @papa-pepper - you are correct that some things should not be. I hope your flock comes back ten times stronger and the coons are able to be shuttled far far away.
Downvoting a post can decrease pending rewards and make it less visible. Common reasons:
Submit
Great articel
Downvoting a post can decrease pending rewards and make it less visible. Common reasons:
Submit
That's really sad. Even chickens can be cute. Ducks for sure. We had to evacuate recently for a wildfire and opened the gate to the chicken coop so they at least had a chance if the fire made it our way. Lost two birds when we were able to come back the next day and check the property. It is sad, they have personality.
Downvoting a post can decrease pending rewards and make it less visible. Common reasons:
Submit
It's always sad to lose your duck friends. My dad lost his goose to some neighbor's dogs that were roaming the block.
Downvoting a post can decrease pending rewards and make it less visible. Common reasons:
Submit
Hey @papa-pepper
I have never kept ducks BEFORE ,only pegions and guinea pigs.I should try Ducks will they do well in hot climate?
Downvoting a post can decrease pending rewards and make it less visible. Common reasons:
Submit
There are ducks that can do well in hot climates. It's pretty hot here and lots of folks have them.
Downvoting a post can decrease pending rewards and make it less visible. Common reasons:
Submit
Ok thank you .
Downvoting a post can decrease pending rewards and make it less visible. Common reasons:
Submit
It's a tough lesson -- for kids and adults -- but a good one to learn. One of the benefits to raising kids on a homestead or farm is that they get to experience and appreciate the full cycle of life, as well as the very real consequences of our actions and inactions.
I hope your hen hatches out the duck eggs for you. It would be a silver lining to a sad tale.
Downvoting a post can decrease pending rewards and make it less visible. Common reasons:
Submit
oh you should get them inside maybe, i had bunnies one time and the same thing happend to them!
Downvoting a post can decrease pending rewards and make it less visible. Common reasons:
Submit
Oh no, baby bunnies!
Downvoting a post can decrease pending rewards and make it less visible. Common reasons:
Submit
Yes! 2 baby bunnies man :(
Downvoting a post can decrease pending rewards and make it less visible. Common reasons:
Submit
sad to hear that man....
Downvoting a post can decrease pending rewards and make it less visible. Common reasons:
Submit
Sorry to hear about your chickens and your duck buddy. We lost a hen to a dog earlier and it's terrible. I can't imagine losing so many. Trap those raccoons up.
Downvoting a post can decrease pending rewards and make it less visible. Common reasons:
Submit
Sorry to hear that. We had a whole duck nest destroyed by a raccoon a few years back too. They're crafty little fuckers.
Downvoting a post can decrease pending rewards and make it less visible. Common reasons:
Submit
Some of 'em ain't so little. Raccoons can reach 60 lbs. That's the size of a Doberman.
Downvoting a post can decrease pending rewards and make it less visible. Common reasons:
Submit
Sorry for your loss brother. Hope you catch the offender.
Downvoting a post can decrease pending rewards and make it less visible. Common reasons:
Submit
Oh my goodness, I'm in tears. How tragic. Yes, hard lessons. Hugs and wishing you the best.
Downvoting a post can decrease pending rewards and make it less visible. Common reasons:
Submit
Could the raccoon have shaken the clasp open? The little peppers must feel real bad, so maybe not their fault.
Downvoting a post can decrease pending rewards and make it less visible. Common reasons:
Submit
I like the way the article flow, when do ducks usually start producing?
Downvoting a post can decrease pending rewards and make it less visible. Common reasons:
Submit
Once they do lay, Muscovy Ducks take 35 days to incubate. Not sure how old before laying though, but I could ask.
Downvoting a post can decrease pending rewards and make it less visible. Common reasons:
Submit
So sorry about your chickens and duck. I bet the little preppers feel terrible about it. It's a hard thing for children to learn that animals will pray on other animals.
Downvoting a post can decrease pending rewards and make it less visible. Common reasons:
Submit
Sorry to hear that! This truly is a wilder land down here. I sometimes forget that critters are always out hunting for these livestock, and probably are doing their rounds once a night to check.
Downvoting a post can decrease pending rewards and make it less visible. Common reasons:
Submit
Oh sorry to hear that @papa-pepper ! @little-peppers must have been very heart broken!
That would really be very great and interesting if she manages to hatch out the eggs!
Downvoting a post can decrease pending rewards and make it less visible. Common reasons:
Submit
I'm so sorry to hear that! It is a tough lesson to learn, and it's also part of the reality of how the animal world works. At the risk of offending someone, I have never liked raccoons. It annoys me when people call them "cute." To me they have always been trouble, maybe because they burrowed in our attic when I was a kid and would come out and knock the garbage cans over and would sometimes appear out of nowhere in our driveway, hissing at me. But of course raccoons are just doing what their nature tells them to, so I can't blame them either.
Hope your week gets better!
Downvoting a post can decrease pending rewards and make it less visible. Common reasons:
Submit
I did not realize that raccoons would kill chickens. :(
Downvoting a post can decrease pending rewards and make it less visible. Common reasons:
Submit
Hey buddy, be strong!
I have had this happen to me numerous times, mongooses always found a way to eat my chickens.
Downvoting a post can decrease pending rewards and make it less visible. Common reasons:
Submit
Those mongooses!
Downvoting a post can decrease pending rewards and make it less visible. Common reasons:
Submit
They suck, but this is nature, need to dig the fence deeper. good luck :)
Downvoting a post can decrease pending rewards and make it less visible. Common reasons:
Submit
Aww I'm so sorry! Poor chickens and ducks... it seems homesteading without some heartache and hardships is impossible. I think it would be good for people to recognize that homesteads are not all sunshine and rainbows, may I link this article in the next Weekly Homesteading Newsletter? Also, can we donate any SBD to help if you want to get new additions for the flock or are you waiting to see if the eggs hatch successfully?? I'm always willing to pitch in what I can to help a fellow homesteader :)
Downvoting a post can decrease pending rewards and make it less visible. Common reasons:
Submit
Hmmm, you should release the hounds to patrol at night!
Downvoting a post can decrease pending rewards and make it less visible. Common reasons:
Submit
That usually works really well. However, someone took my Rottweiler mix (she was so friendly, I am sure she just followed someone into their car, and broke their heart lol), and that's the night the 'coons ate all my pheasant brains. Apparently brains are the part they will focus on when food is plentiful.
Bear eat the brains and eggs of salmon when the fishing is good, and leave the rest for the birds. Birds don't mind the free fish, so nothing gets wasted on the spawning grounds, like it does when you end up with 40 headless pheasants of a morning.
You can only eat so many pheasants, and if you don't have a freezer (a homestead essential, but we were just starting out in an old school bus) there's not much you can do.
Downvoting a post can decrease pending rewards and make it less visible. Common reasons:
Submit
Perhaps it's time to build an electric fence to protect your animals.
Downvoting a post can decrease pending rewards and make it less visible. Common reasons:
Submit
What animals? Coons ate their brains, ending my exotic pheasant enterprise.
Downvoting a post can decrease pending rewards and make it less visible. Common reasons:
Submit
Oh no. this is a terrible find @papa-pepper!
I'm so sorry that you lost those hens. The little peppers must be devastated and will probably be ever more mindful the next time.
Downvoting a post can decrease pending rewards and make it less visible. Common reasons:
Submit
Well that sucks.
Don't be too hard on the @little-peppers. Not all lessons learned are easy ones of pleasant ones.
I'm sure whoever it was that was supposed to look the door feels really bad today. And I have no doubt that they loved the chickens and the duck just as much as you did.
All you can do is take the hit, learn from it, and move on and make sure it doesn't happen again.
Can you spring load all the doors you have, to make them stay shut tight in case someone forgets again?
You might want to look at getting some geese. They are really good at guarding a property, and very few animals will take them on.
I hope your day improves. ;-)
Downvoting a post can decrease pending rewards and make it less visible. Common reasons:
Submit
Geese would be no challenge for a big raccoon. They'd be helpful for most normal raccoons though, I think, especially if you had a half dozen. Geese will gang up on enemies.
Downvoting a post can decrease pending rewards and make it less visible. Common reasons:
Submit
They also make a bunch of noise when they feel threatened, which can be good for alerting the homeowners to trouble.
Downvoting a post can decrease pending rewards and make it less visible. Common reasons:
Submit
Boy do they! Not many will sleep through it, that's for sure.
Downvoting a post can decrease pending rewards and make it less visible. Common reasons:
Submit
Sorry @papa-pepper for your loss and heartache. Homesteading and trying to living self sufficiently is not only hard work but you have to have mental & emotional toughness. We also have had a really hard spring-summer on the ranch to date. We lost one batch of our fryer chicks due to contaminated chick food. Next all our fryer chicks were killed by a critter just like your homestead. Here is my blog post of the critter who did the bad deed:
https://steemit.com/nature/@suzique/look-what-we-caught-in-our-strawberry-patch
Downvoting a post can decrease pending rewards and make it less visible. Common reasons:
Submit
sorry to see such carnage, Pepper family. Lots of lessons learned this morning. Makes me want to go double check my coop today and repair any holes. Hope the rest of your day is a little more happy. Much love guys.
Downvoting a post can decrease pending rewards and make it less visible. Common reasons:
Submit
Thanks. So far so good since then.
Downvoting a post can decrease pending rewards and make it less visible. Common reasons:
Submit
:) Great news!
Downvoting a post can decrease pending rewards and make it less visible. Common reasons:
Submit
This totally sucks PP. Hope you are feeling a little better now at least.
We house sit all over the world. A few years back, we house sat for a woman at a villa in Bali who had 35 chooks. One night a spitting cobra wormed under the chicken house, somehow, and tagged 2 chicks and the mama hen. All died within minutes. Not nearly as grisly as your duck's death but it does break your heart to see life, then, a minute later, death, as the mama hen died right before our eyes.
Those raccoons are darn aggressive predators. Doing what they do, as it is nature, but hopefully they get the hint soon and look for a different meal.
Downvoting a post can decrease pending rewards and make it less visible. Common reasons:
Submit
The sad reality of farm life. There's always some animal out there looking for a meal and all it takes is one mistake for them to get it. Whether or not you punish the kids for not doing the job properly, it's a lesson I'm sure they won't ever forget. Best of luck on the hen hatching your ducks.
Downvoting a post can decrease pending rewards and make it less visible. Common reasons:
Submit
I used to keep several kinds of exotic pheasant and peacocks. Seeing a peacock display is a reminder that God really does love us!
Racoons got into their pens one night and killed the all. The nibbled a few of them, but ate the brains of them all. Guess they were zombie coons...
Makes for a sad day, especially cuz all you can do is regret not making their pens better, or in your case, institutional safeguards, as you say.
I bet your hen will hatch the ducklings. That will make for an awesome post soon, when they hatch and start following mama hen around =)
Downvoting a post can decrease pending rewards and make it less visible. Common reasons:
Submit
You said that you chopped up the duck carcass. Forgive my city-slicker ignorance, but does that mean you were able to eat some of that meat?
Downvoting a post can decrease pending rewards and make it less visible. Common reasons:
Submit
No, I can just bait multiple traps that wsy. Good question!
Downvoting a post can decrease pending rewards and make it less visible. Common reasons:
Submit
wow...no bueno 😥 a bobcat just got a bunch of my friends chickens, turkeys and geese last week
Downvoting a post can decrease pending rewards and make it less visible. Common reasons:
Submit
Congratulations @papa-pepper! You have completed some achievement on Steemit and have been rewarded with new badge(s) :
Click on any badge to view your own Board of Honor on SteemitBoard.
For more information about SteemitBoard, click here
If you no longer want to receive notifications, reply to this comment with the word
STOPDownvoting a post can decrease pending rewards and make it less visible. Common reasons:
Submit
This post has been ranked within the top 10 most undervalued posts in the second half of Jul 08. We estimate that this post is undervalued by $79.03 as compared to a scenario in which every voter had an equal say.
See the full rankings and details in The Daily Tribune: Jul 08 - Part II. You can also read about some of our methodology, data analysis and technical details in our initial post.
If you are the author and would prefer not to receive these comments, simply reply "Stop" to this comment.
Downvoting a post can decrease pending rewards and make it less visible. Common reasons:
Submit
Just looking at those feathers makes me sad. I lost a couple of dogs myself and I can imagine how you must feel. I'm sorry for your loss.
Downvoting a post can decrease pending rewards and make it less visible. Common reasons:
Submit
Nobody ever likes to see the "proof of death" shot at the end...but it's part of living on the farm, unfortunately. Coons can wreak havoc, and with fur prices non-existent, they really don't have anything to keep them in check anymore. Good luck to you @papa-pepper
Downvoting a post can decrease pending rewards and make it less visible. Common reasons:
Submit
Thanks. I will be fighting the good fight!
Downvoting a post can decrease pending rewards and make it less visible. Common reasons:
Submit
They still make good hats.
Downvoting a post can decrease pending rewards and make it less visible. Common reasons:
Submit
That they do lol!
Downvoting a post can decrease pending rewards and make it less visible. Common reasons:
Submit
this kind of thing is definitely sad and hard to witness, I'm so sorry. Successful raccoon attacks have happened twice to our neighbor's chickens and once in broad daylight!
Downvoting a post can decrease pending rewards and make it less visible. Common reasons:
Submit
Last year we had a small family of coons get into our coop and take 3 hens. Only ate their breasts and left the rest to rot away. Took about 2 weeks but we caught 5 coons and fixed the problem where they were coming in. We haven't had a problem since :)
Downvoting a post can decrease pending rewards and make it less visible. Common reasons:
Submit
What a horrible thing to wake to. Listen, I'm hugely sorry I can't read all the comments to be sure I'm not repeating anyone but track down the youtube that @mericanhomestead made on building the chicken coop. His father in law built Ft. Clucks! It was an early video.
I'm 99% sure that racoon opened that latch. Ok let's say, I am 100% sure they can open those latches.
Our day involved involuntary groundhog extermination. Jack Russells and their half-breeds have my full respect!
Hugs to all!
Downvoting a post can decrease pending rewards and make it less visible. Common reasons:
Submit
Aw I'm so sorry about your flock. It's always tough to lose animals! We've come close - a possum apparently tried to get in our coop one night. Our hen house is metal, and the chicken run is double layered with pig fencing and chicken wire. Possum managed to chew a hole through the chicken wire and find a spot where it could separate the chicken wire from the hog fencing. Also shredded part of the heavy-duty tarp covering the top to neat strips.
Possum would have got in, too, if it hadn't been for the neighbor's coon hound (our doggies are spoiled and sleep inside). We woke up to the coon hound baying in the middle of the night and some huge commotion outside. In the morning, there's a dead possum next to the hen house. We got very lucky!
The duckies are adorable. Hope you're able to replenish your flock quickly!
Downvoting a post can decrease pending rewards and make it less visible. Common reasons:
Submit
Oh, my! May no raccoon ever come where he is not wanted again. This is very sad. Some consequences can be serious like this. It is part of the learning as we/our children grow up. I feel much better after hearing of the new ducks though. Take care.
Downvoting a post can decrease pending rewards and make it less visible. Common reasons:
Submit
oh no! So sorry this happened to your chickens. They become our family :(
Downvoting a post can decrease pending rewards and make it less visible. Common reasons:
Submit
Tough story, but I'm sure it will make a strong and meaningful memory for the @little-peppers.
Downvoting a post can decrease pending rewards and make it less visible. Common reasons:
Submit
Sorry to hear @papa-pepper never nice. Great philosophical views though. Hope you can rebuild quickly :)
Downvoting a post can decrease pending rewards and make it less visible. Common reasons:
Submit
Yep, raccoons. Nuke em from orbit. They will patiently wait for that one mistake....and then....
Downvoting a post can decrease pending rewards and make it less visible. Common reasons:
Submit
Poor chicky... sorry that happened man...
Downvoting a post can decrease pending rewards and make it less visible. Common reasons:
Submit
Although I didn't enjoy hearing about another raccoon gaining access to another chicken coop, I did like the post. I too have had trouble with these beautiful, but pesky creatures finding their way into our chicken coop and making a meal of the birds. I have since fortified the coop with 2x4 welded wire fencing and am now starting over with 16 baby chicks which seem to be doing great. Hope you can keep the coons away now....Glad to see the ducklings are doing good!
Always good to read posts from fellow homesteaders!
Downvoting a post can decrease pending rewards and make it less visible. Common reasons:
Submit
that really does bring sadness, I hope you get the bandit!
Downvoting a post can decrease pending rewards and make it less visible. Common reasons:
Submit
Not yet, but I'll try when i get back from Texas.
Downvoting a post can decrease pending rewards and make it less visible. Common reasons:
Submit
Man, that is tough. But it is a #hardlessonslearned (we should make this a tag) that happens in one way or another on every homestead at some point. I bet the kiddos wont let this happen again. I am sorry for your loss and I am sure feelings of guilt. I hope your hearts heal fast.
Downvoting a post can decrease pending rewards and make it less visible. Common reasons:
Submit
Homesteading and heartaches tend to go together. We al learn from these experiences and carry on because there is no better life IMO. We don't have many problems with the masked bandits but we have our share of problems with opossums and skunks! Don't know which is the worst...
Downvoting a post can decrease pending rewards and make it less visible. Common reasons:
Submit
Reading this made me throw up some. Can't handle dead animal pictures. My heart is absolutely broken for you.
I wish I could offer a nice big wall of supportive text, but it likely would just be useless rambling.
I'm so sorry for you guys.
Though I do have a question. Do you think it was really a raccoon? I know they can be vicious and everything, but the way the feathers were outside the coop reminded me much more of a coyote. I don't know much about Arkansas and their coyotes, but here in Missouri the coyote population is getting bigger and bigger and more invasive and more aggressive.
Can't say enough times how much my heart aches for the fallen members of your homestead pack.
Downvoting a post can decrease pending rewards and make it less visible. Common reasons:
Submit