This morning when I went to check on the chicks, I took a watering can with me to refill the waterer, but then I decided to wait until I came home for lunch (and to check on my daily egg) to fool with the waterer. When I came home at lunch time, the watering can was knocked over and about 8 feet from where I left it. Gus, our neighbor's cat, has been interested in the chicks, although I've never seen him do anything to antagonize them. Still, he was my most likely culprit. I figured he stood on the can and knocked it over. I didn't have it all worked out--with water in the can it would have been fairly heavy for Gus.
When I was checking on the chicks this evening, the mystery was solved. I was in the enclosure with the chicks when my other neighbor's dogs came running up. They have been interested in the chicks as well, from the other side of the fence, but I've never seen them in my yard, let alone around the chicks. The dogs circled the coop, looking for a way in.
To my surprise and delight, the chicks marched quickly into the coop. Of course, they were safe in the enclosure, but I liked that they saw the coop as their safe zone.
I actually like these dogs. They're basically sweet and attention-starved. I don't think their intention was to kill the chicks, but they would have surely played with them to death. It's my fault they were in the backyard. As a rule, I haven't kept my gate closed securely. I never had to before now. I will now, of course. My poor chicks will have little heart attacks if they have any more visits from my sweet neighbors.
When I was checking on the chicks this evening, the mystery was solved. I was in the enclosure with the chicks when my other neighbor's dogs came running up. They have been interested in the chicks as well, from the other side of the fence, but I've never seen them in my yard, let alone around the chicks. The dogs circled the coop, looking for a way in.
To my surprise and delight, the chicks marched quickly into the coop. Of course, they were safe in the enclosure, but I liked that they saw the coop as their safe zone.
I actually like these dogs. They're basically sweet and attention-starved. I don't think their intention was to kill the chicks, but they would have surely played with them to death. It's my fault they were in the backyard. As a rule, I haven't kept my gate closed securely. I never had to before now. I will now, of course. My poor chicks will have little heart attacks if they have any more visits from my sweet neighbors.
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