We've had an unusually large number of opossums around the farm this year. They normally are ok to have around, killing ticks and being general scavengers, but started to get eggs from the nest boxes, and cross the line.
I killed two, and caught three, drove them to a far location, and we still have some hanging around. I'm much more careful now with getting the coop hatch closed early, but if the remaining ones learn how to get in the coop during the day, I might have to get rough again.
This little guy is cleaning up under the bird feeders. The juncos don't like the competition, but I don't mind as long as he stays away from the barn and chicken coop.
Well, I can't blame them for trying but I'd get rid of them too. We had to boot the cat out of the hen house because it started playing with the eggs and then realized that if it pushed one out of the nest box that it would get a nice snack and the hens helped eat it too. The cat is happy at my in-laws with other barn cats. I am disappointed, though, because I wanted a mouser.
ReplyDeleteThis is the year of the Sandhill Crane in IN. I've never seen so many groups flying north as I have this year. For a few weeks we would hear them over-head and see a long line of groups gracefully flying and making that gentle coo as they went.
We've lost 2 hens to old age this winter and 2 others are limping, with no apparent injury for us to treat. I'll be picking up more glass and trash that works it's way up constantly on our property because previous owners used it as a dump. I hate lazy people.
We've only heard a few sandhills so far. The first robin got here way toon early, I don't know how he survived with the deep snow, but now there are several hopping around the bare yard, listening for worms.
ReplyDeleteWe lost two roosters this winter, the second just this last week. That is actually a good thing, we had too many. We have two left, which is about right for our 24 hens.
our barn cats have shown no interest in the nest boxes. I actually saw one cat catch a squirrel! The critter was chowing down under the bird feeder, just got too preoccupied, and the cat nailed it.