At least the yucky work is paying off.
We've caught 8 mongoose. Today the trap lays empty (so far!).
Luka and I went out to the chickens and there was a hen sitting on 4 eggs. It's been awhile since 4 eggs could sit there w/o being snatched. That, and the chickens look "happy" (yes, I am anthropomophizing them).
We've had no luck on finding the goats, but have found 3 who will come live with us at the end of April.
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Realities
It's not all fun and paradise here.
Last week we were saddened to find our 3 goaties missing. We searched high and low but have found no trace of them- no trail of eaten plants, no trail of poop.....
We're not sure if they got out on their own and then someone scooped them up.... or if they were stolen straight from their pasture.... or if they're wandering the neighborhood.
It's been over a week now and we're so sad :(((
And then our chickens have been terrorized by mongoose. We're lucky that the mongoose don't seem to be interested in the chickens themselves (they have been known to kill them ruthlessly), but are taking eggs AND chicken feed.
Each time a mongoose crawls under the fence into the chicken run, the poor birds scream and run and get all agitated. Not only is it heartwrenching to see, but stressed chickens don't lay so well.
When I cleared some brush near the chicken run, I found food scraps, and a ton of eggshells.
If you live in HI you know what a pest these animals are. They were introduced here in 1883 to control rats. Too bad people people didn't realize then that mongoose are diurnal where rats are nocturnal. The damage they've done here in the endangered species capital of the world is huge.
So the bottom line is that we bought a trap, and have been extinguishing them. So far in 1.5 days we've caught 6 of them. We'll see how many we catch today. It's not fun, but it's real.
Last week we were saddened to find our 3 goaties missing. We searched high and low but have found no trace of them- no trail of eaten plants, no trail of poop.....
We're not sure if they got out on their own and then someone scooped them up.... or if they were stolen straight from their pasture.... or if they're wandering the neighborhood.
It's been over a week now and we're so sad :(((
And then our chickens have been terrorized by mongoose. We're lucky that the mongoose don't seem to be interested in the chickens themselves (they have been known to kill them ruthlessly), but are taking eggs AND chicken feed.
Each time a mongoose crawls under the fence into the chicken run, the poor birds scream and run and get all agitated. Not only is it heartwrenching to see, but stressed chickens don't lay so well.
When I cleared some brush near the chicken run, I found food scraps, and a ton of eggshells.
If you live in HI you know what a pest these animals are. They were introduced here in 1883 to control rats. Too bad people people didn't realize then that mongoose are diurnal where rats are nocturnal. The damage they've done here in the endangered species capital of the world is huge.
So the bottom line is that we bought a trap, and have been extinguishing them. So far in 1.5 days we've caught 6 of them. We'll see how many we catch today. It's not fun, but it's real.
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