(weaving the panels together with pretty blue baling twine)I went out to feed the chickens this morning and looked up to find a gaping hole in the chicken wire. After picking my jaw up off the ground, I looked down for tracks but found none. Except my own. And I know I didn't rip a hole in the chicken coop. I counted chickens, all there. No stray feathers to indicate a kill. So something tried to get in, and luckily didn't succeed. Probably a coyote.
(my fancy repair - no more escape hatch)
Let me explain that this is a maximum security chicken coop. The henhouse door is double locked. The yard walls are 8 feet high, surrounded by 2 foot steel panels around the bottom, as a result of dog attacks several years ago. The only thing missing is the poultry netting across the top, and now that an occasional hen flies the coop, that will be next. There are a few spots where the panels of netting were not wired together, but that is done now. Too bad, it was easy access for feeding. Now I'll have to actually open the door and fight back chickens waiting to get out.
(fat, happy chickens)So apparently a coyote took a running jump and hit the netting at about 6 feet up and ripped it open but didn't make it in. I've heard of such gymnastics, but never experienced it til now. Thanking God that that was the worst of it, and hoping it doesn't get to the point I have to camp out with the rifle to keep them away. Hope they don't start digging underground tunnels next.
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