About 2 weeks ago, we added 4 more hens* (*all are "unsexed", meaning we don't know if they are male or female, but are imposing our positive thinking on them in hopes we get no roosters) to our little chicken brood. That brings us to total of 8 hens and 1 rooster. Prior to today, these chickens had kept to themselves in the chicken run (with the exception of Mystery Chick, an unknown breed with feathery legs who was small enough to squeeze through the fencing out to the pasture). Unfortunately, as I was talking on the phone to my parents explaining how our Australian Shepherd puppy never does anything to harm the chickens, I stumbled across a clump of feathers. With part of a body attached to it. We then noticed one of the chicks was missing…we spent the next half hour searching for it, finally resigning ourselves to the fact that Milo had made a hasty meal out of it. Apparently they have started flying up and over an open area of the chicken run (since closed).

A little later, Zoe, Phoebe and I trekked back to our newly tilled 30’x100' garden area to plant some corn, tomatoes, basil and beans. Suddenly the missing chick sprung out from behind some weeds, apparently unharmed. After catching her we realized if she is unharmed, where did the clump of feathers come from? Ah, on closer inspection one of the other chicks inside the run was indeed injured and at this point the lovely chicken tradition of pecking to death a sick chicken had begun. She had apparently had a close encounter with Milo that left her with a large gaping wound on her side. After separating her out from the group, we decided we’d try some minor wound cleaning and see what happens. So she’s resting comfortably in the dog crate in our garage, Neosporin + bandaged; we’re guessing she has slim odds to recuperate, but I did have to try.

We learned 2 things today: apparently Milo cannot be trusted with the chicks (although he has cornered one of our adults on several occasions and leaves it unharmed) and Zoe thinks we only name chickens when they die. It seem she does recall our visit to the vet last fall with Cathy, the chicken who died of unknown causes. As soon as we told her we thought Milo had killed a chick, she responded, “what should we name her?!”.

p.s. What? I know this post is light on kid info and that I haven’t posted for 6 weeks. Work busy, kids good, trying to potty train Phoebe, Zoe graduated preschool, we have done *a lot* of work getting our little farm ready for growing season, Milo is getting big. There, you’re all caught up!