We love chickens. We keep them for their eggs, which the children collect every day. The gals are very tame — they likely sense a soup pot is not in their future.
They roam about the yard, digging in the dirt, exploring the beetles and bugs, taking dust baths, much like N&L.
We like the heritage varieties. This means the birds are smaller, tamer and weirder. This charming pair is a breed called white-crested black Polish.
This fellow was about the size of a crow but still boss of the barn-, er, chicken-yard.
In the fall and spring we travel to a little event called the Mount Forest Fur and Feather Fair.
Farmers travel from around Ontario to sell and trade their chickens, ducks, turkeys, pigeons and pheasants. We’ve also seen puppies, kittens, llamas, alpacas and donkeys. Something for everyone.
And we always depart the fair with a stash of peepers in the back of our vehicle.
Twice a year we travel to that fair. Twice a year we haul back a new batch of chicks and ducklings, sometimes a guinea- or a pea-hen. Twice a year we arrive back home hopeful and full of promise.
Something in the farmer’s spirit, even ersatz farmers like us, says never to give up.
Because the word in out there — we hear them howling our address every night — that there’s one great line-up of fresh, organic, free-range chickens available for the taking. The wily coyote need only jump a fence in broad daylight and leave with a few tasty morsels in its muscled jaws. It happens every time I go away. Good Neighbour Bill waters and feeds and checks on the gals daily. Gord takes care of them similarly when I head off on my various journeys. The birds stay put when I’m home but when I leave… something goes amiss.
Neighbour Bill let us know while we were overseas that Mr. Coyote savaged our chicken population. There’s still a couple of gals and one duck remaining but we’ll be heading back to the Fur and Feather Fair in October for a new cluster of chicks and whatever strikes our fancy.
Because hope springs eternal.
We have heard, additionally, that donkeys are especially good at keeping away the coyotes. Anyone for a barn-raising?
The Country Mice 
I love these Pics, lb. As for the barn raising, what’s your area’s Amish population looking like these days?
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Oh Lois
I am soooo in love with your chickens. I( mean really. Royalty. Of this there is no doubt.
On the subject of Donkeys. They are mighty fine animals. Our dear Eadt Coast friends had such a beastie named Brighty. Much beloved.
In regard to the barn raising. I do know someone, who while currently most occupied, will find himself with relentless amounts of free time in the Spring. When were you thinking of the barn raising?
Mary
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Maybe its time for a guard dog!
Sorry that you once again, came home to nearly empty hen house.
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can’t you put a cover over the chicken area? some sort of chickenwire top perhaps, to keep out the marauders?
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Yes, a cover on the top would certainly seem to make the most sense.
You know, I grew up with chickens, year after year. We’d get about 45 in the late spring, lose one or two to weak genetics, and that was it. Never lost a single one to marauders, other than to an occasionally poorly trained dog of ours.
So over the years here, I’ve penned and repaired and spent way too much on chicken wire etc., trying to keep out the varmints.
Had I known life for the chickens would be this stressful I’d have gone with heavy duty chain-link fencing in the first place. I just never expected the fresh-chicken-sushi-bar experience.
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