Penny, in memoriam
Penny the hen is no longer with us. She has stayed safe and warm in the garage all winter, but took to sleeping in the pine tree in the front yard again, since the temps have been very warm at night. She slept there all last summer and fall without a problem. She would fly up to the lowest branch about six feet off the ground, then hop to the next and the next, until she was about fifteen to twenty feet up in the tree. We felt she was very safe. Tuesday night, though, I heard her let out a couple of loud squawks. I looked at my watch--11:30 pm. I was concerned, but thought maybe something had just frightened her, like a snake or an owl. The coyotes were howling quite a bit just before that, and so the animals in the neighborhood were restless.
The next morning, Penny didn't come to the bedroom window to tell us good morning. This was not a good sign, but it was very dark and rainy, so we thought maybe she was sleeping in or staying dry somewhere. Yesterday evening when I came home from work--no egg in the basket, and no Penny. Andy went out to mow and finally found the pile of feathers where she had obviously met her demise. And a raccoon print.
We are pretty upset. The bf is very upset. He went out and collected three of her orange feathers to keep. Penny is the first pet he's had and cared for since he was a young kid. I think her end could not have been pleasant. I can only assume that a raccoon surrounded by plentiful food resources at ground level could only have been intent on random murder in climbing all the way up in that tree to get Penny. (Then again, I have been reading "In Cold Blood", and could be assigning to much blame to the coon.) I know it was only doing what coons do, but I can't help but despise the murderous little creature.
We will miss her. She made us laugh every day. She entertained us. She brought us joy. She always came running over to coo and cluck at us, welcome us home, have a chat,"help" me with the gardening. I'll never forget seeing Lee in the driveway working on his motorcycle, head down into the machine with a little flashlight to see some small part, and Penny's head right in there with his. She loved coming into the house or onto the back porch to hang out with us. Just last week one of us left the screen door unlatched and it blew open while I was out working in the garden. When I saw Penny, a bit later, she was back out in the yard as if nothing had happened, but when I went in, I realized she'd taken a little tour of the house, leaving some poops here and there. I had to laugh, in spite of having to clean up chicken poop.
Anyway, she was four years old, and a good and smart chicken.
The next morning, Penny didn't come to the bedroom window to tell us good morning. This was not a good sign, but it was very dark and rainy, so we thought maybe she was sleeping in or staying dry somewhere. Yesterday evening when I came home from work--no egg in the basket, and no Penny. Andy went out to mow and finally found the pile of feathers where she had obviously met her demise. And a raccoon print.
We are pretty upset. The bf is very upset. He went out and collected three of her orange feathers to keep. Penny is the first pet he's had and cared for since he was a young kid. I think her end could not have been pleasant. I can only assume that a raccoon surrounded by plentiful food resources at ground level could only have been intent on random murder in climbing all the way up in that tree to get Penny. (Then again, I have been reading "In Cold Blood", and could be assigning to much blame to the coon.) I know it was only doing what coons do, but I can't help but despise the murderous little creature.
We will miss her. She made us laugh every day. She entertained us. She brought us joy. She always came running over to coo and cluck at us, welcome us home, have a chat,"help" me with the gardening. I'll never forget seeing Lee in the driveway working on his motorcycle, head down into the machine with a little flashlight to see some small part, and Penny's head right in there with his. She loved coming into the house or onto the back porch to hang out with us. Just last week one of us left the screen door unlatched and it blew open while I was out working in the garden. When I saw Penny, a bit later, she was back out in the yard as if nothing had happened, but when I went in, I realized she'd taken a little tour of the house, leaving some poops here and there. I had to laugh, in spite of having to clean up chicken poop.
Anyway, she was four years old, and a good and smart chicken.
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jw
Kevin