Gwen Beats the Odds!

One week after being attacked and dragged around by a fox, Gwen is nearly 100% better. She had her stitches out thtis morning and took her last dose of antibiotics. She seems to have energy and to be pretty healthy and happy. She is no longer woozy or ataxic, she doesn't spend long periods resting as though in a daze, and she does show strong and normal interest in food and water. She has even laid two eggs this week, though perhaps those were in the queue and it will be awhile before she lays more, I don't know. She has been hanging out all week in a special run I built her with her best friend, Athena. This weekend I started putting her back with Sarah and Samantha under supervision to see how she does and if they'd pick on her. IT went really well and the whole flock is back together again.

I'm working up plans for a new coop in an old dog kennel with a concrete foundation. That would give the four chickens a run of about 6' x 22' plus a coop and they could come and go from the coop and run as desired except for being shut in at night. I'll make a door in the run into the pasture so they can free range too, assuming I am around. I also decided to plant some trees and bushes in the pasture to provide better coverage from hawks and to give the goats more variety in what to eat.

I'm very happy Gwen has pulled through! Twice this week I saw the fox that attacked her, coming by early in the morning. This morning I saw what I believe to be a different fox (see photo). I watched this one hunt gophers and cruise the canal for over an hour. I learned the chicken alarm call for the fox and watched the girls go on alert, Sarah in charge but everyone on alert.