Those Pesky Varmints...

Tuesday morning we awoke to find our pregnant ewe was missing.  The entire back wall of my chicken coop/sheep pen was down, the posts that held it together broken in two.  We couldn't figure out WHAT had gotten to her and was strong enough to tear the wall down like that.  The search began, as we thought maybe she was so spooked she ran to protect herself.  She did run and my daughter found her in the pasture next to us.  Not 30 feet away from our back door.  The verdict, she was attacked and her/lamb did not make it.  Grave disappointment set in and I couldn't figure out WHY whatever it was would go after the ewe in the pen when we had forgotten to lock the other sheep up and he was out in the opening.  Nevertheless, my son carted the mama off to the back of the property to let the vultures have there way...it's way too dry to burn the carcass as I normally would.  We secured the pen as best we could and made sure the other sheep and the chickens would be safe.
Tuesday night all seemed well and we thought we had things in order.  I had come to accept that our Spring meat would not be and I would have to hunt for another ewe in the new year.  We went about our day Wednesday and all seemed well.  We headed to church, making sure the animals were secure, as we wouldn't get home until late.  As we arrived home, I felt the urge to go check on them.  Pushing back the idea that I just might need the gun.  All seemed well, it was pretty quiet.  Then suddenly the hair on my neck began to rise and I began to creep backwards.  There was something in the pen and it was running frantically as though it wasn't sure what to do.  I knew instantly that something was in there that shouldn't be.  As my son came with the gun, loaded and aimed, I realized what was looking me in my eyes.  It was a coyote.  My daughter drove the van around to that area so I could have better light, but by this time it had escaped.  I was unable to get a shot off and there before me lay my lamb that was scheduled for the butcher next month.
I couldn't tell if he had gotten to my chickens, they seemed to be scattered and rightly so.
This morning as I awoke before dawn to investigate, I discovered the coyotes entryway, he had gotten one of my hens (our favorite one at that), and as I began to piece some things together, I realized he has been prowling around for at least 3 weeks from the evidence of things.  I couldn't figure out Tuesday why a coyote would kill the ewe and leave her.  He didn't even attempt to eat it.  So I assumed a dog got to her.  Now that I think about it, it was so near the road, maybe the coyote got spooked before he could devour her.  The lamb he got to last night, he took a chunk out of him so that concluded it was NOT a dog, but a coyote.  Finally, the ewe carcass that was discarded on Tuesday, it's gone.  From the top of the steps we could see where she lay, and the last time we saw her was yesterday as we left for church.  This morning...gone.  Thus my conclusion it's a pack of coyotes.  Now my concern is were they only hungry or are they rabid???
Today we have secured the remaining 6 chickens in the coop.  I've secured it to the point if something gets in it's gonna have a heck of a time getting out and thus I can put it down!!!!!
Now to find a lamb for sale that I can take to the butcher by Oct. 31 so we can have meat in the freezer this winter.  Maybe someone will go hunting and share a deer with us.  Then in the new year I'll be on the hunt for at least 3 ewes so I can get a good supply of meat in the freezer.
Right now I'm totally numb and not sure what to think...other than, I think I'll be casing out the coop for a few nights on a hunt for some coyotes.  I'm determined to put 'em down and out of MY misery!!!!

Wednesday Ramblings...

My girls and I attended our bi-weekly Bible study that we have been participating in. Quieting a Noisy Soul...It has been an awesome study thus far and I can see where we are each growing from it. Last night we discussed being content. Here I was thinking I am a pretty content person, minus the few areas I already knew about and am working on. Then the guy on the video starts giving greater detail about a discontented heart. Guess what? That's me. I'm learning/noticing when I am discontent, I'm really saying God is NOT enough for me, He can't meet my needs, I need something more. When in reality, God is MORE than enough for me, HE is ALL I need! I don't know about many of you, but I'm having to daily learn to say that to myself when I start thinking about the "what if's" and the "if only's".
I've also learned that it's ok to desire more in life, but if HE never gives me that more I can be content and know that He's enough. In fact, He's already done enough (Calvary)!

In just a few days we should have baby guineas and chicks. We had a thunderstorm in the wee hours of the morning and the power went out. The incubator doesn't have a back up battery or anything, so that means the temperature dropped for a few hours. I'm praying that this didn't effect the eggs and that they will hatch as they should.
We will turn the automatic turner off tonight in preparation for the hatchlings, we don't want them getting crushed by shifting shelves. I've made a homemade brooder and am ready for them whenever they are ready. Once hatched, they will stay in the incubator for 24-48 hours after hatching and then I will transfer them to the brooder, where they will stay for the next 6 weeks and then begin the move outdoors. I'm anxious, excited, thrilled, and praying the vast majority of them hatch and survive.
I'm thinking I will put another 15-30 more eggs in the incubator in a few weeks. I really want to have plenty of meat in the freezer, as well as to have eggs to eat and sell. You'd be amazed at how many people want free-ranged, fresh eggs. I have several co-workers waiting for my younger hens to get bigger and increase our supply.
We now get 2 eggs a day (did I mention that a dog got one of my hens while the dogs were watching the other 4?). So I need to be able to get at least 1/2 dozen to a dozen a day for us to have enough for our consumption and to sell.

Its SLAUGHTER Time!!!!

Not for my birds (yet), but a friends. I'm finally going to learn how to do it (weather permitting) this weekend. She has about 28 hens/roosters that need to be processed and she's going to allow me and the kidlets (well, minus Ari) to help and learn.
As mentioned in a previous post, we have guinea eggs in her incubator now and next week I'll add as many chicken eggs as she can give me to that bunch. I'm trying to build up my flock so that I too can process them and add them to the freezer.
Well, that means between now and fall I've got to get a new freezer because that chest freezer I have is entirely too small for the chicken and lamb we'll be butchering at that time.
YUMMY, home grown meat for our consumption without any chemicals! HOORAY!!! I can't wait.
We'll take lots of pictures...ok, well Ari will. She'll be in charge of the little children and the camera! HA HA

The Rooster is GONE!!!!

Yep, that's right, he is gone. Well not far but still gone. A neighbor gave me a rooster yesterday afternoon and he was struttin' his stuff with all those ladies to himself. He was really proud and cocky and crowing like a champ. He was the king of the roost and there was nothing no one was going to do about it.

Until evening came...

I guess he started missing home and I KNEW I was supposed to put him in a cage for a couple of days. But did I do that? NOPE. Did I even think about it? Absolutely not. Then we go out to make sure everyone is locked up as they should be and...

WHAT? Wait a minute. There's something wrong, something missing. Where is he? Where did he go with all his uppity-ness (is that even a word? LOL)
It was dark, he was NOT about to crow, but we searched anyway. Heck he didn't even really know us, yet I fully expected him to jump out of the dark at some point and say here I am, save me from this big land out here and put me back in the pen where it's safe.

YEAH, not a chance. Well, wake up this morning and what do my ears hear? The crow of a rooster not far away. UGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH, I'm already late for work so really no time to go hunting for him. But I walk into the direction I hear the crowing coming from and I can hear him, but I still can't see him. Good grief, are you serious? That close and I still can't get him?

So I had to leave him and just hope and pray he'll get hungry. Yeah right, he's in the woods with LOTS of bugs. He's got plenty to graze on. Maybe he'll miss his new lady friends. Ummmmmmmmmm, it's after 4 and the children say they still hear him but haven't seen one feather of him.

Will he ever come back? Stay tuned, I'll keep you posted!!!