Balancing
When you have birds, or any animal, it’s a balancing act. Finding the best way to keep them safe from predators while allowing them freedom to roam and be able to be what they want to be. The result is that my birds range fairly freely, but I lose some to predators on occasion. Yesterday was one of those occasions.
It’s always sad to lose a bird or two, but in the circle of life we can’t expect our animals to always win. Life just doesn’t work that way. My predator loses are very low, but that doesn’t make it any less heartbreaking to lose an animal you’ve been raising and caring for. We lost two of our young turkeys Sunday night or Monday morning. It was their fault for deciding to roost outside not safely in the coop like they should have, especially now that the electric fences are down for the winter. It did teach all the other birds a lesson, every single young turkey was in the coop early yesterday afternoon, safely locked away from whatever nabbed their two litter mates.
I understand your sadness over losing an animal to a predator. I only have two cats, but I love all animals. I know that some animals are food for other animals, but I still hate to see their lives snuffed out.
to Jeanette's comment
It is very sad to lose an animal you have cared for. We recently lost one of our chickens. She had gotten tangled in some poultry netting and was so frantic trying to get loose (as we tried to help her) that she broke her neck. She was still alive though, and my husband had to finish the process. It is one thing to raise animals for meat, and you feel bad for them, but when an animal dies in a helpless situation like that, it makes my heart sad. Sorry for your loss.
to Virginia's comment
I’m sorry you lost two of your turkeys…never easy, no matter what the animal or how the death occurred. Turkeys aren’t that particularily bright so I’m told and some have to be escorted into their roosts at night. Maybe you might have to check each night and make sure all are accounted for in their enclosure?
I have to do that with our goats every single night as we have predators around too and I can’t take that chance that they’ll be ok not locked up.
So sorry!
to Chris's comment
My turkeys have a great shelter but they insist on roosting on the top rail of the chain link pen. Why a Great Horned Owl hasn’t knocked them off or an agile Coyote I don’t know. No matter how ugly the weather is, they are roosting outside.
to Jennifer Fisk's comment