NH Homesteader's journal

[NH Homesteader]

Like when the fox killed my hens and left the jerk rooster to attack another day? Yeah, not fair! I have a soft spot for the gentle chickens, right now it's the Dorkings ans Orpingtons and both have been beat up by some of the others. When they are full grown they'll go in with my Dominiques. Also gentle chickens. As much as my roo is bad with humans, he is so good with his hens.

My NH's (aka stew pot) roost outside half the time and nothing's eaten them yet either!

 

[NH Homesteader]

9:30 this morning my husband is outside with the dogs (I was grocery shopping). A red fox came in the yard and tried to get our turkey poults. Right in front of him! The dogs chased it but DH was able to get his shotgun and call the dogs off (they actually listened, weird). He got one shot at it but he missed.

A guy we know is a trapper and we had just given him permission to trap on our land. Well I hope he does it soon!

Funny it was a red fox, the other one was a gray. Oh, and DH said the way the turkeys flipped out he is pretty sure our tom died of a heart attack in a failed fox attack. Now he's super mad at them!

 

[frustratedearthmother]

Wow - that's just way too bold! Hope the shot scares him away permanently.

 

[NH Homesteader]

It did not. I just saw him. One of my dogs was running to the windows flipping out... She can be weird so I kind of ignored her but she got more and more freaked out, and finally I saw it run across the backyard and into the woods. I had no hope of getting to the shotgun before it was gone, but it didn't seem to like the dogs barking. It's mouth was empty, well unless he had something little. DH just stopped in because he forgot some tools and he's on the hunt! Then I'm going to do a chicken count.

 

[tortoise]

We had a red fox problem last year. They are crazy bold like that. The one we had would go right into the barn - while DH was out there! We had a heck of a time catching it. DH finally got it into a live trap with a live chick [in a cage] as bait.

 

[NH Homesteader]

Sheesh! We've never had fox issues. We had a fisher issue once... Fox is a new one. Gotta go find our trapper friend and have him not-so-live trap it. Chickens might get an involuntary break from free ranging too.

I love wild animals. But come on fox, you're making it hard here!

 

[frustratedearthmother]

I thought foxes were smart, lol. Stupid fox should NOT have come back!

 

[NH Homesteader]

Chickens all accounted for.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

Whew...that's a relief!

 

[NH Homesteader]

Yes it is!

I believe our non-keeper turkeys are finally going away today. One of DH's friends is taking them. So we'll just have chocolates now. And that means we can get their side of the coop cleaned out and move in a batch of chickens that are outgrowing their temporary homes.

STILL trying to sort out when these pigs are going in the freezer, but DH has been so busy trying to get the building torn apart for our future barn. So I'll try to give him a break, lol.