Meet Meeka (the gray) and Mahogany (the bay). They are the newest Stewart Creek Somethings.

May report:  I lost $13.06 for the month on an average 26 hens laying (I realize that last month I predicted no more chicken lose due to the Chicken Butler, but I had not counted on the predator ingenuity.  I lost 6 hens last month all in the last two weeks.).  My net income total is $193.53 for the year .  I had $44.28 in expenses for feed (200#) this month (this is probably going to go up in consumption since I have the chickens locked up due to predators).  For the year, my monthly expenses are $108.04 (a decrease of $0.50/month). We collected a total of 429 usable eggs averaging 13.8 eggs/day collected (for the year the average is 13.6 eggs/day).  My productivity for the month was 53% (decreased 13% from last month) (for the year it is 51%).  The chickens ate 0.47# food/egg (a raise from last month probably due to me having to lock the chickens up ) (for the year are averaging 0.56# food/egg).   It cost $0.10/egg or $1.20/doz for feed (my yearly average is $0.13/egg or $1.56/dozen).  My monthly net income is a loss of $38.71/month this year. 


I did make a move in the positive direction (I lost less than last month).  Of course since I just purchased more chicks this month it is going to go more negative again.  I just cannot seem to stay ahead.  I did have a $61.78 expense last month in live traps.  I bought two more and that was a single expense.  I have three live traps set out now all varying sizes from rat size up to raccoon.  My original raccoon size trap is taking a beating.  The predators have bitten holes in it, scratched it up and bent parts of it.  One would thing they don’t appreciate my hospitality or are suddenly blessed with an end of life vision.  So that may not last another couple of years.  


The wife and child are doing some serious horse seeking.  So soon we will have horses…

I went out to lock the sheep up last night at 2220 (normally I remember to remind the child to do this but I forgot, so I got to do it).  I took my Walther P-22 out with me as I am at war with the chicken predators.  Once our chocolate lab saw the gun (doesn’t matter what kind) she was pushing her way to the door so she did not get left behind.  We toured the chicken coop yard first to make sure all was quite then went to lock up the sheep.  Unfortunately, all my traps were empty at the chicken yard.

Once we crossed the creek and headed up to the barn the dog started throwing a hissy and whining and bugging something on the ground.  I flashed the light that way and spotted an adult sheep running away from the dog and the dog trying to lick and step on a new baby lamb!  I went over and picked the lamb up and told the dog to look for another one.  She ran around but did not find another baby.  The mother had ran into the barn with the rest of the sheep.  I stuck the baby in the barn and waited for momma to come claim it.  She did so I went back inside and informed Annmarie.  We decided that we had better start locking the sheep up right at darkness.  It had only been about 2.5 hours since the sun had gone down when she had her baby.

Baby boy 16 hours old

Baby boy

This morning Sarah went out to check the gender of the lamb just before school (soaked her shoes through) and came back in to tell me that it was another little boy!  He won’t be ready to go until Jan-Mar 2012.  I think we still have four more really pregnant moms.

Annmarie and I went and purchased a washer/dryer since ours went out over the holidays.  I can remember when they used to last 20 years!  Not anymore.  So I have to disconnect the old ones today and then make a trip to the laundromat to catch up on laundry (Annmarie is out of socks, again).  

I went out to the chicken coop at lunch today, patrolling for predators, and the back creek is running!  The rain is coming off the mountains in spades.  Of course when the clouds cleared and I got a look at the mountains they are totally white again.  So I spent an hour raising my fence out of the water so it doesn’t get ripped out by the flooding waters.  As usual I had wired the fence to a cross wire in the middle of the stream. I had to hang on to the top of the panel, crawl out on the panel over the water then lean back to reach down to the water level to unwrap the wire.  I am hanging backwards and facing the dark muddy water rushing underneath me.  It is very disorienting.  I had to concentrate on the wire and ignore the visual effects I was getting from the roaring water.  I trudged up the creek to the other fence crossing and had a log jammed into the fence.  I couldn’t pull it out due to the water volume/speed, so I had to trudge back to the shed and bring the ax back to the fence.  I chopped the tree loose and pulled it up onto the side of the hill well away from the water line.  At this rate my chicken yard might get flooded.  As long as it doesn’t rip out my chicken fence all will be well.

Back creek runoff has tripled in size in last 4 hours

Back creek running toward house.

Log stuck in the fence.  I got it out.

Coming up on my coop yard.

I lost another chicken on Monday or Tuesday.  I am at 21 laying hens now.  Sarah and I went out on Wednesday and worked on picking up (Sarah worked at the coop, I moved rocks on the hillside and supervised) inside the coop.  I provided motivation.  We have a deal where she can trade jobs with me at any time and moving rocks didn’t look appealing to her so she picked up dead chicken parts from all over the chicken yard and inside the coop.  As far as I know nothing is killing the chickens now that they are protected behind the electric wire laden yard fence.  I did have to move the rock pile back into place for my babies.  Whatever was crawling under the fence moved a few 15# rocks and tried to squeeze under the fence again.  Luckily, I drove a large wooden stake through the wire and planted the wire firmly into the ground.  The predator could not get inside!  I replaced the rocks and decided that it is not a cat, most likely a raccoon again. Not having any luck with the traps so far, still setting them but no takers since the possum.  Annmarie is going to get the camera setup on the computer this weekend so I can see what is eating the chickens.

I compensated for the loss by purchasing another 25 babies.  They should be here in a couple of weeks.  The first of June was the last day to order chicks from the feed store and not have to pay shipping charges.  I can order myself via the mail but shipping is around $35 on top of the chick cost.  So getting free shipping is a big deal.   I ordered 12 Buff Orpington and 13 Ameracanus (really Easter Eggers since I am getting them from a hatchery).  So I will need to kick the teenagers out in a week or so and let them assimilate with the main flock.  They are always scaredy cats at first and take a while to fit in.  Kinda surprising since they are in the same coop and only separated by wire.

Annmarie and I had discussed the need to cull the old chickens last year but I lose almost 35% of my chickens every year.  I have one or two chickens from my original batch that are almost three years old.  Everyone else has gotten eaten by predators.  That is a crazy predator kill loss ratio.  People wonder why old time farmers used to be so hard on predators.  It is pretty obvious to me.  I use technology and electricity to help me out but without those I would be even worse off.  The only good thing is the predators are killing my black and red sex link chickens.  I never really cared for them and see them as no great loss except for their ability to lay eggs.  No personality and very far ranging.