hump day nuggets: little bits of the season in photos and words about the last week
Some bigger, stronger, smarter creature busted his way into the chicken coop last weekend and killed our hens. Four of the five, that is. Paige is totally unscathed.
It devastated me. Our girls, who, as chicks, lived in our guest bathroom shower. Who laid eggs that fed our family. Who sunbathed with our cats, jogged with our kid and loved to have their butts scratched. Our pets.
They definitely died a terrible death and I feel guilt that our bomb-proof run wasn’t so bomb-proof. Most likely a raccoon or several. We were out of town and our Durango friends arrived to a stressed chicken, body parts and one carcass, Ida. Oh it is just awful. It sucks to think about it, explain it to Margot, eat the last of their eggs. All of it.
Today we drove north into the Missions to visit “Rowan. Like a boat.” And, we returned with four new little hen pals for Paige. The process of me tidying the coop, discovering stray feathers all over the yard, introducing the hens to each other and their new home was hard. And ceremonial in a good, closure kinda way. And then, one by one the other three dead hens revealed themselves to me. We have a big backyard but not acres or anything so it was strange that we hadn’t found the girls. We had looked everywhere, even in trees and then, when I was ready or they were ready or something, I saw all three within 10 minutes. Each tucked in a corner, wet with rain water and blood.
Paige The Survivor and her new pals: two Rhode Island Reds, a Silver Wyandotte and a Barred Rocks. Name ideas?
Part of me wanted to wait for Andy to get home from work to scoop them up but the bigger part of me decided this is part of having chickens and something I needed to do because they deserved to not be just laying there any longer. I thanked each hen for the food she had provided. I took deep breaths and scooped up my crushed birds. And, I collected a few feathers from each girl to place under the wild roses they loved to scratch around, despite my best efforts to dissuade them.
It’s tough, in that ache-in-the-belly way. But here we are moving on, moving through.
And, among all that sadness and unfairness, there’s a whole lot of beauty too.
:: There’s the journey there
with spring green new life,
pit stops,
and stormy weather.
:: There’s the destination
with friends and family,
loving life,
sharing history,
exploring.
:: There’s the journey home
with one-way streets,
big obstacles,
and love.
:: And, there’s HOME. Where little yellow flowers bloom in epic numbers and are both a thankful little bright spot amid monotony and an invasive pest. Depending on one’s mood.
Aren’t most things that way?
44 Comments
Oh man, I am so sorry. That is so devastating. And I can’t believe that I was the only survivor.
Poor Paige needs to go to a trauma counselor to relieve some of the stress she witnessed.
I hope the new chickens settle safely in. And the murderer finds a new place to hunt.
xo
I heard about the new pink shades. That makes me smile.
It turned into a great weekend though dampened a bit by bad news. I’m really glad you found the three others. It does matter.
Nice not to dither about getting new chickens to buddy (or should I say “biddy”) up to Paige.
LIfe really is like that isn’t it? Beautiful even when it’s awful.
Love you.
So sad about your chickens. I hope the new ones settle in well.
Great nuggets on your roadtrip.
Aww, so sorry to hear about your hens. UGH. I would be so devastated as well. Reminds me of when I was in Kindergarten and some dog killed our white bunny. I still have that image of the white tail that we found in our yard and how sad my mom was.
Glad that you got right back in the saddle tho. Raccoons are super feisty tho…they can get through anything, I’ve heard.
LOVE the green hat with the ant!
Oh, I know you asked about my hubbies art websites so I will email you separately.
In the meantime, hope Paige will lay a ton of eggies!
– iColossus
Aww, so sorry to hear about your hens. UGH. I would be so devastated as well. Reminds me of when I was in Kindergarten and some dog killed our white bunny. I still have that image of the white tail that we found in our yard and how sad my mom was.
Glad that you got right back in the saddle tho. Raccoons are super feisty tho…they can get through anything, I’ve heard.
LOVE the green hat with the ant!
Oh, I know you asked about my hubbies art websites so I will email you separately.
In the meantime, hope Paige will lay a ton of eggies!
– iColossus
Aww, so sorry to hear about your hens. UGH. I would be so devastated as well. Reminds me of when I was in Kindergarten and some dog killed our white bunny. I still have that image of the white tail that we found in our yard and how sad my mom was.
Glad that you got right back in the saddle tho. Raccoons are super feisty tho…they can get through anything, I’ve heard.
LOVE the green hat with the ant!
Oh, I know you asked about my hubbies art websites so I will email you separately.
In the meantime, hope Paige will lay a ton of eggies!
– iColossus
Aww, so sorry to hear about your hens. UGH. I would be so devastated as well. Reminds me of when I was in Kindergarten and some dog killed our white bunny. I still have that image of the white tail that we found in our yard and how sad my mom was.
Glad that you got right back in the saddle tho. Raccoons are super feisty tho…they can get through anything, I’ve heard.
LOVE the green hat with the ant!
Oh, I know you asked about my hubbies art websites so I will email you separately.
In the meantime, hope Paige will lay a ton of eggies!
– iColossus
Aww, so sorry to hear about your hens. UGH. I would be so devastated as well. Reminds me of when I was in Kindergarten and some dog killed our white bunny. I still have that image of the white tail that we found in our yard and how sad my mom was.
Glad that you got right back in the saddle tho. Raccoons are super feisty tho…they can get through anything, I’ve heard.
LOVE the green hat with the ant!
Oh, I know you asked about my hubbies art websites so I will email you separately.
In the meantime, hope Paige will lay a ton of eggies!
– iColossus
Oh, shit, I am so sorry to hear about your poor chickens. Raccoons are RELENTLESS. They were probably casing out your place forever waiting for their chance. We lost three to them last year and almost lost another one a few weeks ago, but we got outside just in time! She’s still in the house healing.
Funny, this is not the first time I’ve heard of Buff Orpingtons surviving attacks the rest of the chickens didn’t…. Ari Levaux wrote about it recently on his blog I think.
Glad poor Paige wasn’t alone for long! She’s a tough chick!
I am so sad for you and your family:( THAT’S why I haven’t gotten chickens yet…I worry about the animals getting them.
I’m impressed with your amazing outlook, and I hope that your new friends all get along together, and bring you great joy.
Paige will need therapy.
Oh my, now I have read the article. Normally, I would praise you, Nici, for writing so well and making me feel like I was there and knew the girls or any character of which you write. Yet, this time, I am awash with sadness and quickly plotting a revenge on the killer.
Thanks for making me feel. The girls are just so beautiful and with personality. Everything is, isn’t it?
From this sad event, I will give more things voice, draw my surroundings closer and appreciate the miracle….and to really enjoy knowing my food source!
I am so sorry…but love your outlook on all of it. thanks for sharing!
Poor chickens. 🙁
They were lucky to be part of your family, though, and had good chicken-y lives.
Also, we can’t name the newbies before we see them. Need pics!
Oh Nici, so sorry for you and the family (including Paige!). That is awful, but I believe that you celebrate and mourn in equal amounts, from the story you told.
Another beautiful trip with family unfolds too. Thank you!
That is awful. Very sorry to hear the news! Hopefully whatever they were won’t come back anytime soon. Your family trip looks amazing and the girls look like they really enjoyed themselves.
Oh, Diggy…so sorry about the girls. What an awful day. But you picked up nicely. I always love your Montana landscape pics. And feet on the back of car seat is always a fave. Lainey does it too! xoxo
So sorry. This is the tough part of taking a role in producing some of your own food. At least you know that you hens had a wonderful life at the dig cottage while they were alive, much better than the ones at the CAFO’s. They were allowed to be chickens, and sadly sometimes that includes being sought by predators.
I admire how much you loved your chickens….they were lucky to have you, and it is so sad to read your words about it. I am an animal lover and would have been devastated too! Hope the new hens blend in nicely, and you guys can find peace with it all. Love all your pictures, they are gorgeous!
Kara
So sorry about the ladies. We’ve had a fair bit of chicken devastation the past few years. Never feels good.
sorry! love chickens. cash is screaming to look at your pics.
Again, my condolences on the girls. I think it was that effing raccoon that attacked Gandy. On a lighter note (an A major, perhaps) love Bug’s new giant pink shades and Joan, I think I see a new desktop background for you – gramma plus 2 munchkins in matching jammies – darling!
Of course the killers knew to strike when you were out of town. So sorry to hear about your girls, I know you loved them. Hope Paige is liking her new coop-mates.
How awful. I’m impressed by your strength to clean up, remember, and then move forward. Amazing how these little animals impact our lives!
Oh damn, damn, damn. I have been there and it yanks on your heart so hard. It’s a different kind of being a moma, but some kind of it, and it just sucks to realize that your protection wasn’t good enough. Our neighbors just lost two more, to a fox they think…
Big henny hug,
Heather
So sorry to hear about the chicks, Nici. I think it’s a good idea that you got new ones quickly–
And I gotta say, those pictures of Montana just make me ache inside with longing and nostalgia. Last time I visited was two summers ago, and I cannot wait to revisit and, some day, I hope, live there. My heart leaps at the thought of driving on a big empty highway with snow-capped mountains as my only guide. Your girls are beautiful and oh so lucky.
sad that the chicken named after me is dead but actually super proud of paige. she is resilient and strong and a fighter and will not succumb to even the most dangerous and crafty of foes. way to survive paige!
Lindsay
Here are 4 great chicken names from children’s literature: Harriet and Winnie from the wonderful James Marshall’s WINGS: A TALE OF TWO CHICKENS and Zinnia and Dot from Lisa Campbell Ernst’s ZINNIA AND DOT. If you haven’t run across these books in your library, check them out for your daughters. They’re funny and even have nice little life lessons (great illustrations too)!
Barbara (a librarian and faithful reader of your blog)
sorry about your hens, sad 🙁
Beautiful mountains!!!!! It’s so flat here (IL), blah…
We just lost four as well. One at my own hands in an assisted death due to circumstance. It was absolutely awful. You just helped me realize I do need the new chicks I’ve been lamenting about. Thanks.
*heartbroken*
Good job soldiering on, even though I’m sure you wanted to lie down and cry. At least I did when I read the story.
*Sigh*
Hopefully Paige’s new roomies will be fun and won’t eat all the food in the fridge.
I’m sorry about your chickens Nici… and I hope Margot is coping with it okay.
What about the name Ida for a chicken?
Those coons are such inventive bullies! (or really just doing their coon job). Be careful because they will likely come back. So sorry to hear of the carnage.
Your photos are dynamic! They really touch me everytime I view them.
This comment is for those of you have not had the pleasure to visit the Utopian chicken back yard that Nici created for her girls….I often have people tell me that if they were dogs they would want to be one of mine….well, if I were a chicken I would like to be one of Nici’s…. the Holt-Cline hens had it made….they defiantly stepped in a pot of jam when she chose them as part of her family.
Their deaths saddens me, but OH what a life they had!!!…..I can see them now following my mom around right now….and they are still getting their butts scratched!
Okay Paige, train them well!
xoxo to all
,,,so sorry to hear about the hens, indeed it appears they lived a very good life at the cline household,,,triple love margot’s orange/white skirt and her green froggy wellies compliment her look quite well,,,your daughters are simply ADORABLE!
So sorry about the death of your chickies. It’s hard to let pets go, because they always become a part of the family.
On a lighter note, it looks like you guys had a great trip to Red Lodge! 🙂 And as always, your girls are super cute.
I’m so sorry to hear about the chicks, we lost 5 birds last fall to coyote’s. Such a gruesome end. I’m sure your rituals will help both you and Margot recover.
On a lighter note I was looking at all the dandelion’s in your yard, did you know you can eat them…better yet they are delicious. Pick some young blooms, dip in a little egg and flour and cook bloom down in a lightly oiled frying pan until very lightly browned. Absolutely scrumptious, and local, and lots of vitamin c. Give it a try!
Hello! I just found your blog and LOVE it! You have a beautiful family.
So sorry to hear about your chickens. They really do become a part of the family, don’t they?!! Poor things.
I can relate all to well with getting utterly attached to chickens. So sorry!!!
sorry to hear about the girls. so sad. but what a beautiful thing for your family, still, the life cycle . . .
and your photos are insanely gorgeous. xo
I’m so sorry to hear about your chickens. It’s sounds as though they were truely a part of your family.
I LOVE that you took a picture of the Crazy Mountains on the highway outside Big Timber! I grew up in Big Timber and that picture between “Big Obstacles” and “and love,” is the epitome of home for me! It’s so nice to know that others take pleasure in the views that I treasure too!
sos sorry about your chickens. incredible photos, as always.
I feel sick reading this. Goodness, how sad. I just lost a chicken who was sick and I was heartbroken. I’m feeling your pain. Hugs, Kyndale
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