February 15, 2019 @goldenoakfarm
We lost a hen, a Buckeye, awhile back so we are down to 17 birds. On the 13th they sent up 17 eggs, 100% ROL (Rate of Lay). We’ve been between 14 – 16 most days, with the occasional sloughing off at 8 – 9.
This month only 2 medium eggs so far, and most days we get at least 1 XLarge, and about once a week we get one that bottoms out the scale. Mostly all good size large eggs.
Of that 17, 6 were too dirty to sell. Those girls had been out playing in the wet leaves and snow! Usually I only get a dirty egg every 2 -3 days. Someone doesn’t like the memo saying “lay in nest boxes” and lays one on the coop floor.
The fox we see daily, sometimes multiple times. It’s almost always the female. I don’t think my husband has spotted the male in a while. He was talking to the neighbor across the street (where we lease a 2 acre piece for the cows) and she said she went out to fill her bird feeder on the back porch.
She noticed 2 squirrels laying flat as pancakes along the railing, not moving. So she went over to see what was up, and the fox was sitting underneath them on the ground. It had not seen them. They never moved when she went over, either.
My husband tends to leave the main people door to the barn open after he goes up in the morning. When he went up one day awhile back in the afternoon for chores, the mangy coyote came out of the barn. There’s nothing of food in there for it, except 2 barn cats.
The cats were pretty terrified, but had gone up into the loft where the coyote can’t get. I told my husband to keep that door shut, because while the coyote can’t climb, the fox can!
Turns out I have pneumonia and I started antibiotics Wednesday evening. This morning I can breathe again! Still coughing a bit, but seem a good deal better.
Mostly my helper friend, and I to a much smaller extent, has been spring cleaning the living room. I’m hoping today I can be more help, and we’ll get a good bit more done. Right now, the living room is pretty much of a disaster.
I didn’t get any work done on the house plans, etc yesterday. Today I’m hoping my husband and I can sit down, select the window models for all the house and have that piece done. Also update the doors, etc as we go.
Source: squirrel: https://goo.gl/images/JTRLhh
ǝɹǝɥ sɐʍ ɹoʇɐɹnƆ pɐW ǝɥ┴
Glad something is finally working to help you feel better.
Didn't know foxes could climb! Is there a reason y'all don't shoot predators when they're a threat?
Because we need them to keep the rodents under control. Because of predator hunting over the last 10 years, we are majorly overrun with rats, squirrels and chipmunks. Also rabbits. better to know the predator you have, than to have a new one move in you don't know.