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“If people let government decide what foods they eat and what medicines they take, their bodies will soon be in as sorry a state as are the souls of those who live under tyranny.” Thomas Jefferson

Tuesday, May 19, 2009

Carnage on the Farm

Yesterday was a sad morning for us here at Whisper Wind. We had a bit of carnage happen sometime in the night or early morning hours before the chickens were let out of the chicken house. We have 4 adult hens and an adult rooster, along with 8 pullets. The pullets were just beginning to be identifiable as to whether they were roosters or hens. While most people are not usually excited to see roosters, we were excited to see a couple of them as they were destined for the freezer. We knew that it was getting close to time of separating these little guys from the general population because our adult rooster was beginning to show some signs of aggression towards them. However, we did think that we still had some time since they were still little guys and just beginning to be recognizable as "guys". Our rooster didn't agree and sometime during the night dispatched all the little roosters but one. The one little rooster that survived the carnage does not seem to draw aggression from our big boy. I wonder if he is ok with him being a subordinate "roo in training". All the girls were very upset over the whole matter and would not go back to the chicken house to lay. In fact, only one hen laid yesterday. My chickens, being free range, only get fed in the evening when they return to the henhouse. Last night they did not want to go back. So I feel very sorry for them, it must have been an awful sight to witness. I am hoping the girls have settled down today and are willing to return to their normal routine today. Yesterday evening was exhausting trying to catch (yes physically catch) every single hen but one to put them in the henhouse for the night. They absolutely must be shut up at night because of the wild dog pack that lives across the road. The pack hunts at night and no ones property is safe from their hunt. The guineas are smart enough to roost on top of the house at night, so I don't worry about them. However, my hens will find any spot within easy chomping distance of the wild pack. They also are not very afraid of dogs since our dogs tuck tail and run at the first sign of a hen flapping her wings at them. Unfortunately, this is all part of farming and homesteading as sometimes animals die and there really isn't much one can do about it. Even though they aren't pets, they still have a special place with us. Even though we had every intention of eating the little roosters eventually, I enjoyed watching them grow. They were quite funny as they took on their little rooster roles. Well, unfortunately that is all part of life on the farm.

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