Because I'm a slow learner, or I was a bit put off balance by not being able to upload a TON of pictures as usual, I forgot to try using the ones from my photo library.
(What a slow top you are these days.)
Don't I know it.
Though I shouldn't be frivolous at the moment, because I have some sad news to give over.
Two days ago I went out to the chicken coop to close them in for the night. When I opened the door to check on them and gather eggs, there right in the middle of the coop laying peacefully on the straw was Lady Gray, expired from this world. She's the red and gray one in this picture from last fall.
To say I was stunned would be a gross understatement. I mean, she had laid an egg just the day before, showed no signs of illness whatsoever, and was happily pecking away with her sisters just hours before.
I have no idea what happened. I called S. later in the evening and she told me that when she had a flock that it happened several times with her chickens too. Once in a while they would just up and die. She said she would find them in their dust bath... which means they were in the middle of a normal activity when they died. Suddenly.
I haven't had the heart to look up possible causes just yet. On some level, for once in my very curious life, I think I would rather mope in ignorance.
So now we are down to two hens, and that feels just wrong to me. As long as nothing drastic happens in the coming weeks with the other two, I will be looking for one more hen.
Of course now I am watching Esmerelda and Miss Lucy rather nervously during the day. And when I open the door to the coop I brace myself just in case ....
Anyway. Farm life. Some days it's just a ding dang downer.
And the value of my eggs just went up. The supply has been cut by a third. Sort of goes along with the theme of the world today.
More on that tomorrow. I finally have a little something to say about it. Still working out a few details, from a formerly three hen perspective, to a two hen one. Adjustments must be made.
