I've been holding out on you. I haven't told you that my chickens are failures. They have not been providing me with my eggs, and since that's the only function of a chicken as far as I can see (it's not like they're stimulating conversationalists or anything), they are failures if they do not lay the eggs.
It started over a month ago. At first I just assumed they were taking a break, maybe getting ready to molt (they don't lay when they're molting, apparently). And then I saw unmistakable evidence of an animal burrowing into the coop. The obvious conclusion was that there was a rat. Where there is animal feed, there are rats. The dogs usually exterminate rats for us, so we've never had a real problem with them (THANK GOD, because EW). But apparently, one rat was hiding out under the barn next to the coop and sneaking into the coop through the ram pasture, which is fenced off so the dogs can't get in. I can only assume the nasty rat was attracted by the chicken food, and then decided to make the eggs his second course. Thankfully, I never saw the creature, although every night I expected it to launch itself out of the coop and attach itself to my face when I went to close up the little chicken hatch.
An unlikely scenario, but horrifying in my imagination nonetheless.
Unluckily for the rat, he was greedy enough to make the poison we put out for him his third course, or perhaps his appetizer. Whatever, I am now assuming the rat is dead, because yesterday I found an egg in the coop.
About damn time.
Due to the shortening daylight , chickens also slow down egg production. We always put a light in and had it set on a timer so they had 12 hours of light. We always got an egg from each girl that way. And so they had thawed water we had an electric galvanized heater for under the waterer. Worked like a charm. And if you don't have electricity to the henhouse....now's the time.
ReplyDeleteGAH! RATS! Or I guess just ONE rat, but still. I love animals, but I just can't do rats. And this is coming from a woman who loves pigeons.
ReplyDelete(Side question: how do freshly laid [hee] eggs differ taste-wise from store-bought?)
J.T.: No comparison. Store-bought eggs taste absolutely gross to me now--sort of a sulfur aftertaste that makes me gag. That probably has a lot to do with how old the eggs are when you buy them, and they're often pretty old. In comparison, my eggs are never more than a few days old when I eat them. Which means if I don't have my own eggs, or can't get any from a local farm, I just can't eat eggs. Bummer.
ReplyDeleteKeep putting the bait out for awhile. There is most likely more than one rat.
ReplyDeleteMan, life is rough for a rat. One minute you're feasting on an abundance of fresh eggs, the next you're kaputo.
ReplyDeleteThe harsh reality of farm life is . . . harsh.
Ewwwww rats. Nothing around here phases me, not the camel poop, not the dirty diapers, not the slug, the snakes but please, please...no rats.
ReplyDeleteMy chickens are done for the year...lazy biddys
The chickens at the farm were on strike as well (they just started laying again). Their striked lasted for 6 weeks.
ReplyDeleteI'm sure they want better working conditions, better health care and higher wages. Eventually you'll have to cave if you want eggs.
Yek. Another reason for me to not be heart-broken about not having chickens.
ReplyDeleteGlad you're getting your eggs now!
From the Great Basin to the Town of Ledyard, Happy Thanksgiving to all! L&A&A Railroad.....
ReplyDeleteOne rat is enough. Glad you got it!
ReplyDelete