Chicken stress

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Another chicken stress-filled night, complete with yet another intruder! Apparently, everything loves eating chicken. This time, it was Mr. Opossum who decided to pay a visit to the coop, sending the chickens into a flutter of panic and stirring Tim from his sleep to investigate.

Apparently, the commotion was happening right outside my bedroom window, where Tim was hollering my name, calling for help. Now, to be clear, there are plenty of noises that will wake me immediately: babies crying, someone throwing up, or any other household emergency that requires instant attention. But apparently, Tim yelling my name for help right outside my window does not make that list. He did say he stirred the neighbors, who looked out the window and were chatting... I'm still wondering why they didn't call 911 with someone standing outside in the dark screaming for help?! 

After several unsuccessful attempts to rouse me, he finally ran upstairs and shook me awake. Not ideal for someone in a deep sleep, but I sprang to life, dazed and confused, and headed outside to help. Although, truthfully, I wasn't entirely sure what I was going to do once I got there.

By the time I arrived, Tim had already opened the coop door, and a couple of frantic chickens had fled in distress. He had managed to scare the opossum out, but now we had a new problem: finding the chickens. I was able to get one of the hens safely back inside, while the other had run down toward the river to hide. As of this writing, we're still not entirely sure if she made it through the night. Fingers crossed she's tucked away somewhere safe and will make her grand reappearance soon.

We have no idea how the opossum managed to get inside. Once again, we'll need to scour the coop and run for any weaknesses in our so-called fortress. These critters are persistent little opportunists, and if there's even the tiniest opening, they'll find it. Foxes, raccoons, opossums, minks, skunks... and let's not forget the coyotes and neighborhood dogs. It's a wonder chickens ever made it out into the world at all, considering the challenges we face just trying to keep them safe inside a hen house & fenced-in run!

Raising chickens is certainly not for the faint of heart. Between the daily chores, the nighttime rescues, and the endless parade of predators, there's always something to worry about. Just when you think you've finally secured the coop, some clever little creature comes along to prove you wrong.

So, fingers crossed we find the flaw in our fortress, our missing hen survived the night, and we can enjoy a few peaceful evenings without another wildlife emergency. And the next time you crack open an egg for breakfast, take a moment to appreciate the miracle behind it. That little egg represents a lot of hard work, dedication, and, apparently, a full-blown battle for survival!

“There is no harm in hoping for the best as long as you’re prepared for the worst.” ~ Stephen King