It has been another busy week with lots of heat and rain, and some plants have really leapt forward in growth with the warm, wet and sunny weather. Unfortunately, we have been having some pest problems, and not the small insect kind that we are used to working with. Over the last few weeks we have been seeing an increase in frequency and brazenness of coyote attacks on the laying chickens. They are now coming right up into the barn yard (which is right next to the house) and picking off chickens. At first, we left the birds in the coop until lunch time, thinking the coyotes would only attack in the morning, but on Friday we lost our big handsome rooster in the afternoon, and Cory chased a coyote away at two in the afternoon on Saturday.
While coyote attacks hurt my feelings, and make me nervous for the three kids I always have wondering around, I also realize they are here to stay, we are in their space, and we must learn to live together.
This predation isn't even the worst kind that happened this week. On my lazy Sunday, I wondered down to the garden to find devastation. Our neighbours' cows decided to come visit/dine on/trample a full bed of ready for market head lettuce, as well as future heads, two beds of onions, sunflowers, sweet corn, carrots, beans, etc. Unfortunately, this isn't the first time , and I doubt will be the last. There are a lot of pests that we prepare for, deal with and reduce through different practices, (row cover, cats, guard dog, weeding, squishing ect) including the coyotes. But act of cow is a hard one to prepare for.
