Tuesday, January 11, 2022
(January’s “Wolf Moon” is Waxing Gibbous, will rise as month’s fullest moon on the 17th.)
The caption photo is of two young hen turkeys that will come to live with me.
First though, my place needs an appropriate shelter. The best options for installing a large coop are building from scratch or bringing in a prefabricated unit. Building is cheaper, but prefab is the quickest way of acquiring the turkeys (and three chickens living with them). There’s a rush to get the critters, before their current owner’s recently adopted dog does.
The dog, a rescue from Korea, was living on the streets and staying alive by killing and consuming domestic chickens. The dog’s new owner, Josh, likes him enough to re-home a remaining flock. The dog aggressively pursues chickens, has killed a couple of Josh’s.
So, we’re eager to move five birds here.
My kind friend, Dave, offered to help build a coop. He was here yesterday, seeing the available space and making good suggestions.
Meanwhile, my Rhode Island Red hen escaped the coop again. Yesterday morning, after managing to get her inside I saw how she escapes. Red hopped onto the back of one of my Dwarf Goats. From the upward boost she stretched to leap the fence.
I spent all afternoon heightening that fence, completing just one section where, seemingly most easily, she’d have hopped. This morning will be revealing. If she’s in the coop, maybe I fixed the worst section. Regardless, my next day off will be more heightening and patching.
It’s a bummer to spend days off chasing and patching, but a Country Gal with animals has no choice. Must do the cutting, sawing, and hammering, instead of the reading, thinking, and writing. However, there’s a fun component, the pitting of brain against brain.
My labor is to get me ahead of a too-smart chicken.
Dear Friends: Imagine, if Red’s escapes teach her flock-mates to escape! Diana
Diana's Morning Blog 