She Only Wanted a Chicken Hammock

Sunday we did not let the chickens out.  While the ducks love the snow, the chickens would rather it go away.  Yesterday they were out for a short time.  This morning I let them out for the day.  A few stayed out and a couple went back into the much warmer coop.

Tonight I went out to lock up their coop.  We still have not managed to trap the possum, so I have to check the coop first to make sure it has not gotten back into the coop again.  No possum in the coop, but I was one hen short.  I could hear her, but could not find her.  Then I spotted her.

Our poultry pen is covered with poultry netting.  Somehow, she managed to get out of the pen (I suspect she followed me walking out this morning and I didn't notice).  She evidently tried to fly back into the pen, which she could not do, due to the netting on the top.   So, she was settled in on top the netting, with her legs through it, like it was a hammock.  I have no idea how long she has been there, but she wasn't there when I was last out around 3pm, so at the most she was up there less than 3 hours.  Needless to say, she was glad to see me.

I have been pleased with this net so far.  However, the hen, probably is not too pleased with it.  The snow did not weigh it down, the snow went right through it.  When the weather clears up some, I will need to tighten it up in the area where she came down.

Winter Storm

Sunday morning it starting raining.  Rain that quickly turned to sleet.  The sleet quickly turned to snow.  Schools canceled for Monday and today (Tuesday).  Some are already cancelling for tomorrow as well.  All day Sunday we had high winds.  Poles broke, power lines were down and roads drifted shut as soon as they were cleared.  Parts of Missouri and Kansas were closed.  I 70, I 29, 291...Kansas City alone had close to 400 accidents.  Many were stranded, trying to get home from Thanksgiving travels.

Here are a few pictures around the farm taken after it was safe to venture out.

Our newest little girl, born a couple of days before the storm.  Her name is Lucy.

Possum Wrangling.

Tonight, we went possum wrangling.  Something has gotten 5 of my chickens.  I could not figure out what is was, but was pretty sure it was either a racoon or a possum.  We have a large poultry pen, fully fenced with a 7 foot fence all the way around it, and covered in poultry netting.  So, I knew it wasn't a hawk or owl.  And, snakes are hibernating this time of year (are at least are supposed to be, but with the luck we have around here, who knows......)

Tonight, we found out what the predator is.

I have a hook I was needing the husband to hang for me in the chicken coop, so I could hang their feeder.  They kept spilling it where it was, or the ducks would come into the chicken coop and get into it.  As he was hanging the hook, I decided to count the chickens before I locked them in for the night.  I started counting, "1, 2, 3, 4"  then my counting changed to screaming, "that's not a chicken, that's not a chicken".  Husband looks over and gives a nice slow "nope".  Curled up in a nesting box, acting like he belonged there, between 2 hens, was a fat possum.

I went and got a pitch fork, and  got him out of the nesting box and he ran behind a bale of straw.  From there he ran out the people door of the coop and outside and under the duck house.  So, basically he got away.

But tomorrow, I will set traps and catch him.  I will win this battle.

I am sure there are most likely more than one.  And, I will need to figure out how to catch possums in the traps and not cats, chickens and ducks.  Most likely cat will have to sleep in the garage, and I will have to lock up the chickens first.  The ducks rarely use their house-they prefer to sleep in the pen, so hopefully no ducks will get trapped. If I can find where he got into the pen, I can set the trap on the outside and try there.