P.S. I always said you were a regular Annie Oakley! Alex is a good aim too . . . so it’s not just a birthday that you share with her. I knew you used the shotgun a few times, but I never knew it was you who shot the bishop’s dog!

Unfortunately, you need a broody hen to perpetuate your flock naturally, but that trait has been vigorously bred out of most varieties of chickens so it is more rare to find a hen that has that mothering instinct.

No one who “manufactures” chickens wants agressive hens defending their eggs and chicks from predators, in this case, man. In today’s market, chicks are hatched in incubators and never see their mommies, so they never learn how to be a family, er, flock.

Our mean rooster was actually a bantam rooster. He was small and agressive. This breed is often used in cock fights. He was blind in one eye, so he was even more defensive than he might have been. He was beautiful, multi-colored with iridescent tail feathers…I would post a picture if I could. (Don’t you hate having your mother correct you on your blog? Don’t worry, I will probably be senile after a few more years and you can say whatever you like without repercussion…at least, until I die, then I will just haunt you!)

We got Rhode Island Red chickens because we not only wanted eggs, they make a good meat chicken as well. We butchered all the young cocks that fall. We bought 25 the first year and it was such a successful venture and they were so delicious that the next year we bought 100 chicks. That was when we learned some hard lessons.

The Pecking Order
Never house so many chickens together that the chicken at the bottom of the pecking order gets pecked by so many chickens that she gets cannibalized. If a chicken gets pecked often enough, it may get a blood spot. As soon as this happens, the other chickens peck at that blood spot until that chicken is dead.

Predators
There are several predators of chickens. One morning we went out to the coop and found at least a dozen of our chickens dead. We went right out and got wire and a charger and put up an electric fence. We installed the wire around the top of the fence but the next morning we were horrified to come out to survey an equally gruesome scene of chicken mayhem. On closer inspection, we found that some creature had dug under the fence, so we put another wire at the bottom of the fence and this proved to be an effective remedy for the problem and we never had a repeat scenario.

This type of predator is usually a ferret or weasle. These animals kill for the thrill, and not necessarily for survival.

Skunks, dogs,owls and hawks are other predators that chickens need protection from.

Skunks love eggs, and once a family of skunks set up residence under our coop. As you might imagine, these animals are not easily shooed. Sometimes I would see the skunk walking across the driveway, so I got prepared for a confrontation.

One evening after coming home from shopping, I saw the skunk walking across my driveway and parked the car with my headlights beaming at the creature and got out and with great trepidition took aim with our shotgun. I was never sure that I had hit that stinker because it sauntered off, but I never saw him again.

Owls aren’t likely to get chickens because they are nocturnal and chickens roost early, but there is a slight chance of something happening if an owl is in residence near your chickenyard. Hawks are a more likely threat, and I had a hawk attack one of my chickens once. I scared it off and chased after it (unsuccessfully) with a shotgun, but you can’t do that anymore because they are a protected species. But you will be surprised at how protective you become of your little flock of chickens if you have one.

Another time, I found a dog killing one of my chickens, and out came the 22! I was so mad! Turned out, that dog belonged to our Bishop, and I was mortified. But he assured me that he bore me no ill feelings.