Unexpected Tuesday

I intended that yesterday would be a day to get ready for the trip to Kansas. That is not what happened. 

When I went out to move the chicks's pen to a new spot on the lawn, I found that a raccoon had attacked overnight and killed one of the chicks through the wire mesh of the pen. I had been putting a large plastic bin on its side in the pen and they gathered in there for the night, but Monday night was warm and I decided not to put the bin in. Mistake, as the chicks settled in right up against the outside wire of the pen. 

I thought about putting the chicks' pen inside the area where the hens are, which is well sealed off, but the 8' by 4' pen was too large. The pen that Roy's family helped build last spring however, at 6' by 3', would fit. Only one problem - it was housing two of the roosters down in the field. 

To swap the pens, one group of chickens - either the chicks or the roosters - had to be free for a while. We opted to release the roosters, who could roam within a fenced area that they can fly out of if they really want to, which both did at different times during the day. We likely wouldn't be able to get them into the new pen until near dark, when they go into roosting mode. 

We moved the smaller pen up to the hen enclosure, then caught the 13 chicks and put them in the transport tub, carried them to their new home, and released them. Then we carried the larger pen down to the field and propped it up so they could get under the edge and access food and water.

Then I set about doing the next thing on my list, which was to plant some radish, kale and fennel seeds into the big garden. This is in the same field that houses the roosters, and there is a 5' tall electric mesh fence around the perimeter. I also had a little work (I thought) to do before leaving on the trip, to hook up the electric fence energizer again. It had been serving temporary duty for sheep at the farm. But as the garden gets greener, I was more concerned about deer getting in - with good reason, as it turns out. 

I planted the radish and kale seeds, then set to work on the fennel. I had both seeds, and some small transplants. As I neared the end of a row, I heard a rustling sound behind me and turned to find a full grown deer about 20' away, inside the fence. I thought she might have come in through the opening in the corner where I entered, but when I walked toward her to move her out of the area - slowly, so as not to make her run - she went over to the fence and jumped easily and cleanly through one of the panels in the mesh, which I later measured as 12" high and 20" wide. I don't think she even touched the sides. Head went through and the rest followed as she gracefully tucked her front legs under her belly and the back legs extended behind. Hmm. Even electrifying the fence might not stop that, as it can only shock them if they touch the fence while at least one foot is on the ground. A flying leap through (or over) the fence would avoid the deterrence of electricity. 

I had a plan to address this, but had thought I'd complete it after the Kansas trip, as it involved setting up another set of posts and a single highly visible electric wire about 3' outside of the mesh. I had read that these double fences are very effective, as the deer would have to jump a larger horizontal distance, and they don't like to to that. I had all the materials, so decided to go ahead and set it up. 

I did get it completed in the afternoon, but before I did, something else came up. Our neighbors' neighbor on the other side, Dan, came over and said "One of Sarah's bee hives swarmed, and they're high up in the pine tree." We knew that Sarah wanted to catch a swarm to put in an empty hive, but she teaches First grade and was not home. Ryan works from home normally, but didn't respond to a knock, so Dan called Sarah, who was near a lunch break and could get away - school is 5 min down the road. Turns out that Ryan was on a work trip for the week. 

Sarah and I looked at the swarm, set up a couple of ladders, and figured out a plan that MIGHT work to put a box up under the swarm, cut off the branch they were on and drop the whole thing into the box. But that would have to wait until after school, if the swarm was still there. Sarah went back to school and I finished the fencing project and found a large box we could attach a rope to and use for catching the bees. 

I then had time to do some watering in the back garden and moving potted plants to shadier spots so they'll be happier during this hot weather. When Sarah got off school the swarm was still there, so we suited up. She climbed up into the tree near the trunk, and I was on an orchard ladder to position the box under the swarm. Things worked about as planned, but everything was at the absolute edge of what we could do. I was as high on the ladder as I thought it was safe to go and was able to get the box positioned and supported by a couple of lower branches, but could barely reach to hold onto the edge of one flap to keep it there. 

As Sarah cut off some of the smaller branches that were in the way, some of the swarm dropped into the box, but when she cut the larger branch it fell onto the edge of the box and toppled outside, but lodged atop another branch. I was barely able to reach it and flop it over into the box, and then Sarah helped control the boxes descent as I came down the ladder with it. Then we moved the bees from the cardboard box into the hive she had set up. This all took about an hour, and then Sarah went off to an appointment and I went inside to cool off. Soon it was dinner time. 

I'm hoping that today doesn't bring more such surprises. I need to get ready for the trip tomorrow.