Chicken thieves....

Between the local raccoons who come out after dark, and the hawks constantly flying around the skies all morning and afternoon, it's a wonder that there are any chickens at all in this county.

We just found out this afternoon that one of our other neighbor's chicken population has decreased from twelve to five. Every "lost" chicken of B & G's was the victim of a hawk. We see them flying over our neighbors' properties every day..... but we have yet to see a hawk flying off with its lunch or dinner clasped in its talons. The hawks here are larger than those we had seen in Clear Lake-- well, no wonder.... they have a steady diet of fresh chicken.

Late this afternoon, my husband attached yet another layer of steel wire to the bottom three feet of The Coopacabana. With all the money we have spent on chicken wire and quarter-inch wire since we started this coop, we could have eaten out in the best restaurants in Houston every night for a month. And we wouldn't have been ordering chicken.

I know that once we do get our chickens, I will not ever again be eating any other part of a chicken besides the eggs. I don't usually eat chicken anyway, unless we're at someone's home and I'm being polite by eating what is served. I will have to think of a way to get around that. I'm so sorry... did I not mention that I'm allergic to chicken? Not a problem at all.... please pass the salad. (The truth being that I will soon be allergic to the thought of someone cooking and eating what could have been my pet chicken.)

While my husband and I were attaching the quarter-inch wire, Gatsby was right there with us, alternately watching everything we were doing (Chickens? For me? You are too kind!) and rubbing his body against my leg, my hands, my shoes.... and purring like a furry motorboat. I don't usually hear Gatsby purring..... he has purred before, but it's been very low. Now his purr is loud enough to get your attention. I guess he has truly forgiven me for getting him "fixed."

We also have to figure out a way to attach a good lock to the gate of the coop... a lock that a raccoon won't be able to open. We have heard from the neighbors that raccoons are relentless in their pursuit of a living, breathing chicken. We have also heard from neighbors that cleaning up the mess of blood, bones and feathers from a chicken who was a raccoon's dinner isn't the most pleasant sight first thing in the morning when you open up the coop.

Just the thought....... I know right now that I will never again look at a package of Purdue's chicken without cringing.