Homesteading can be a real kick in the nuts sometimes and today was one of those days.
Every morning I have to harvest the summer squash from the different gardens and this morning I had finished the main garden and was on my way to the other squash garden when I saw chickens out of the yard and feathers on the ground in the chicken's yard. After chasing all the escapees back in I went into the yard and found these piles of hen feathers, but no bodies.
I knew some shit had gone down and then I found the turkeys. The 3 of them were within 10 feet of each other. Each had been killed in a different area of its body with one having only the neck ripped out. My stomach was in knots and I was looking for the other 2 turkeys.
As I searched around the yard I found this, the spot the villain entered the yard. It had dug under the log until it could pull the log back as it fell into the hole. This is the only spot under the fence I could find. I checked the soil both inside and out but the foot prints were very indistinct and dusted over so I couldn't tell what it is.
I turned uphill and saw feathers leading up the trail. I followed the trail to the fence line finding more feathers along the way and then another entry point under the fence.
I checked the ground all around the entry point but found no discernible tracks, so I continued hiking up the hillside. Nearing the top of the hill and still in the animal pen I came upon the 4th turkey, or what was left of it.
Right near the pieces of the 4th turkey was this entry point which is quite near the top of the hill. I checked the soil and still could not find any quality tracks to determine the predator.
At this point I went the short distance to the base of the tree of the Bald Eagle's nest to check for pieces or parts of the chickens and turkeys. Not a single thing was anywhere under their nest and nearby trees, other than older bones (that will be another post). This allayed my rising fears that the Bald Eagle's had decided to take my birds.
I hiked down the hill and put the turkey carcasses into the wheel barrow to haul them off to my dump spot.
I had put the turkeys in the wheel barrow when I finally noticed that the 2 chicks that a hen had hatched were floating with no mom around. THAT was the white hen that got eaten..... DAMN IT!!!!
So that meant I needed to first catch them, which was not super hard, but trying not to step on them while trying to catch them IS the hard part. I caught them both, set them in the bottom of an empty 55 gallon drum and got their hut prepared. I laid down fresh bedding, filled the water, and filled the feeder with crumble. They are now in the hut and get to interact with the other chickens through the plastic fencing on the front.
Once I had finished taking care of my new charges I took the carcasses and dumped them off the edge for the animals to have at.
SUCH A DAMNED WASTE!!!!!!!! ARGH!!!
So now I had to set my trap for whatever this thing is. I have a Hava-hart trap and it actually worked out to place it. I set 4 eggs in the very back corner and have the trap locked in place side to side. It has a slight drop off on the back side so that if the thing enters the trap, if it walks to the back, it will tip the cage back slightly and trip the door. These 2 things I hope will ensure the damn varmint is caught. I want to know what has done this, and a little retribution could be possible.
After setting the trap I went to pick beans in the garden, that's when I found the carcass of the fifth turkey, in the chicken yard, along a fence line. So yeah, tomorrow will tell if I can catch anything.
And so goes a day in my life of homesteading. I started out the day in a good mood and upbeat after having my post featured in Weekly Homesteading Newsletter (WHN) - Issue #6 and was off harvesting, then this chasm opened up. I am not sure if it is a good thing or not, but I feel like I am getting desensitized to the loss. It seems to be perpetual and constant. I go through periods with healthy and live animals, then some shit happens and I lose one or some.
I have been at the breaking point on a few occasions, literally verging on just getting rid of all of them, but then I calm down and just continue on. Maybe I am pig headed, ignorant, or just determined, but I keep going and trying, and failing. But I do succeed some and those successes seem to be enough to keep the drive going and keep me working.
Check out my blog @flemingfarm
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You can read my blog series here:
| Time | #1.0 - Back Pain |
| Expectations | #2.0 - Weeds |
| Patience | #3.0 - Pests - Gophers |
Fleming Family Farm
FLEMING FAMILY FARM, LLC
Sustainable & Organic Methods | Heirloom Produce
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