Animal keepers in blogland will understand the phenomenon that I term "Belle Rosen;s law"This law seems to enforce itself when you personally leave your animals, critters, call them what you will......alone or unsupervised for any length of time.
Put simply....the law states:-
When you are away.....even if it is just for a minute......some shitty thing will happen to one of your animals
So being away for the entirety of yesterday I was not surprised to see that Belle Rosen law had been evoked and at roll call this morning , I found that a pretty grey hen was missing from my newest hen house.
Obviously she had been taken by a predator sometime on Monday
Belle Rosen Law is a shitty rule.
Hummmm anyhow.....speaking of shitty rules... I had to pay my membership to the NMC today.(The NMC is the Uk Nursing & Midwifery Council)....without paying for our registration, nurses here are unable to practice, so I have to pay 76 soddin quid a year to have the pleasure of slogging my guts out, (albeit for only one shift a week).
76 quid would pay for alot of chicken feed,,,,,,,then again....it could also pay for a small second hand gun
I am beginning to hate foxes
So sorry about the grey hen John. Damn those foxes!
ReplyDeleteI would imagine John that you would lose a lot more if you didn't have them so well protected in the first place. Only so much we can control I guess.
ReplyDeleteJim
Oh dear. How did it get in?
ReplyDeletean unlucky snatch me thinks....some of the hens wander down iside a hawthorn hedge, an ideal ambush place me thinks.....
ReplyDeleteSIGH...............!
ReplyDeleteSorry about the hen, John.
XXX
Drat John, I feel for ya. I guess by our Creator's design even foxes have to eat. It's a shame though predators go for our critters.
ReplyDeleteSorry for your loss,
Mal
John, in Australia nurses now have to take out their own public risk insurance, over and above any coverage their employer may give them. The Associations are negotiating with insurers to see if they can get a 'bulk rate' deal! The NRB's (same as your NMA)have also agreed to a C.o.P. on "behaviour" that forbids flirtatious or evocative behaviours. !
ReplyDeleteSometimes it this kind of life is so frustrating. I do believe predators have to eat too BUT they have a whole world of things to eat on and when they make my farm their fast food restaurant their next meal will be lead!
ReplyDeleteI definitely know about that rule! When nothing happens I am always astounded. Sorry about your hen. I have one that is wandering pretty far, and I fear she will go through the fence one day and not come back.
ReplyDeleteTammy
john
ReplyDeletetell me more about
"C.o.P. on "behaviour" that forbids flirtatious or evocative behaviours." !
what does that actually mean?
Well crud John,I am sorry about the hen...
ReplyDeleteHey we Texans are quite proud of our guns ya know LOL... where I know predators are just trying to eat and I can't actually do the deed myself...I will have/agree for honeyman do it...hows that for passing the buck! Sometimes its the only way.
Something has been trying to get in our girls pen lately. We set a trap and we have been watching them very close! I only have three girls! I have actually been thinking of adding two more girls...
So how much is 76 quid in U.S. Dollars?
$121.00
ReplyDeleteOur cat always seems to surprise us with a bit of "lunch" that didn't sit well whenever we return home.
ReplyDeleteI'd like to know how you limit your fox to one hen, it's horrible I know, but I could kind of deal with the odd loss, but when a fox gets in here it kills everything. Have you thought about one of those live capture cages I've seen advertised? Bit expensive, but it might do the job.
ReplyDeletekathy
ReplyDeleteI couldnt afford a cage....
the hen that dissapeared was a wanderer too!!!
x
I'm no expert, but I really believe that no blame can be attached here (and that's speaking as a Countryside Alliance member). Like Cottage Garden Farmer, I am surprised that the fox (if it was Reynard) limited himself to one hen - normally they would be programmed to silence every flapping creature within sight.
ReplyDeleteJust imagine how the profits in Sainsbury's would drop, if everyone who - when confronted with the frozen chicken department - went mad, and destroyed every chicken they could before being escorted off the premises!
So sorry John! Nothing worse than that darn law. I didn't know it by name but I've known it in practice. I also know what you mean about that darn fee to do your job--ridiculous!
ReplyDeleteAmy
Shoot! I mean it...shoot that predator. Sounds like you have a mess of foxes just waiting for you to leave the hed house. I didn't realize nurses had to renew a license each year. I'm not sure they need to do that here. Sorry about that...it seems it's always something.
ReplyDeleteI sympathise with you.
ReplyDeleteSue
Tom,
ReplyDeleteif I could shoot the fox I would do....(if indeed it was a fox!)
(see my latest blogon what I really think!!!)