Later, I will post pictures of the raccoon proofing. Even with a few generous donations, I am still suffering from what I had to spend out of pocket and what I owe Charlie.
Mark came Monday and Tuesday to finish what he and Charlie did not finish on Saturday. sigh...but the hog wired laid on the ground and slipped under the sides of the pen have not yet been tied to the pen's bottom rail. Mark will return on Thursday to finish the job. I certainly hope raccoons do not breach the bottom. I have landscaping pins to hold the four-foot wire down so I won't trip on it and so the lawnmower will not suck it up or get tangled in it.
I was getting so tired of chicken gas or poop late at night, filling the air...lol. I am not missing that. Sometimes, one of the hens squawked in her sleep, a dream I guess. Hens snore! You did not know that? LOL I could barely get in the back door with them in the cage, behind the door. I struggled. They hated music I played, especially the them to Little House on the Prairie. They hear me get up and called to me to take them out. The cage was so heavy I felt I hurt myself, shoulder, knee, and back, anew each morning and night. But, I miss them. Maybe someday I will have a house with a chicken room attached so they will be close but I won't feel like I am living with livestock.
This afternoon, about 4:15, I found all three hens sitting on the green, fake-grass doormat in front of the side door, the door I carry them through each morning and night. I loaded them into their house cage, put the cage in my wagon, and took them to the fortified pen. Mark put the cageful of hens into the wagon for me. They jumped right into the pen when we put the wagon in front of the pen door and opened the cage. They just hung out as I twisted wire to keep the raccoons from flipping up the bar.
As we walked away, all three ran to the door, fussing to get out and come with us. Fancy was the most vocal. It made me sad. I had pretty hens who wanted/needed to come with me. They were very vocal, bukking to me. As we stood at the side door, all the way on the other side of the house from them, I could hear them sort of wailing, not a usual chicken noise at all, just begging for me to come back. As I tuned and watched them at the door, I thought they looked dejected. It broke my heart. What did they think?
Surgery for Thursday has been postponed because I cannot afford the lift chair I need to help me get up with only one arm and walking where I need to go after surgery, mainly, the bathroom. No, I cannot afford a used chair. Right now, I am just wanting a Christmas tree and cannot afford one. I think I need hen ornaments.
Maybe my Fancy, Thelma, and Louise will be alive tomorrow.
If not, I trap raccoons!
Your turn
These are my pets. Do any of you have hens that you are missing for any reason? I am not talking about missing your layers. I am talking about missing sweet little hens. Do you have hens you are attached to that you would miss?
