Murder in the Chicken Coop

You may recall from prior posts that I get my eggs from a local dealer (read: friend). The conditions that commercial chickens are kept in are terrible, so I do my best to avoid buying eggs from a grocery store. Even if they say "cage free," you just can't be sure what that means. Luckily, I have several local friends that raise free-roaming, sun-loving, spoiled chickens and I get my eggs from them.

Unfortunately, my main hookup called to tell me that it looked like a cat or coyote had gotten into her coop. Chickens started disappearing until there was only one left. Poor chicken. Can you imagine watching your friends disappear night after night until it's just you? Then you hear a rustling in the shadows... it comes closer... closer...

My friend tried to barricade the coop but wasn't sure how the whatever it was was getting in. She thinks she's got it figured out now. Unfortunately, it was too late for the last chicken. 

My friend ordered new chickens and they came in the mail last week. (How wild is that?) It will take a few months before they're grown enough to start producing so I guess I'm off of eggs for awhile. 

Who knew life in the great Madison wilderness was so fraught with danger? 

Cheers,

Dena