5.07.2008

Make that 47

Another Araucana was killed sometime in the last couple of days, presumably by the beautiful red fox that took Spot, though her body was abandoned, rather than taken away and eaten. John saw the fox in the fields beyond the coop the night before; maybe he was scared off somehow? Or maybe we also have a weasel, known for bloody and showy killings.

By the way, on a less gruesome but related subject, I learned recently that my lovely, blue-egg laying hens are not true Araucanas, but rather a sort of mutt-chicken that still carries the colored egg gene. No matter; I love them. They are the calmest and seemingly most intelligent of my birds, and I am so sad to have now lost two of them. It's time to get to work on repairing the mysteriously non-functioning electric fence; even though all the birds have been killed outside the fenced area, I cannot help but think the fence would be a help. Sigh.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

I have wanted chickens forever...and now you know why I never got them. I have such a hard time with losses like this, and am not so great at gruesome in general.
I am so sorry for your loss, as the saying goes.
M.

Paige said...

Well...I think I understand your feelings, because that's how I used to be...before I got chickens. Having seen the beautiful, predatory fox--somehow the whole thing is less upsetting, and more (I know you understand) a woo woo, circle of life thing. It's still awful, but I actually have learned that I can deal with it--that I can handle the sight of death, and in fact, handle that much better than I do the mysterious disappearance (which has also happened, mostly to the dumb-as-posts guinea hens.) So I actually encourage you to think about chickens. Come meet mine, and see what you think!