I believe I speak the truth when I say all Lucky Cluck members have an affinity for birds, both domestic and wild.  Okay it’s true that we don’t all share the same level of appreciation for birds.  Bird enthusiasm at Lucky Cluck ranges from curious interest to downright obsession.  One of our members even goes so far as to define his job title as “Professional Bird Enthusiast.”  I think we can all agree that he falls in the downright obsessed category.  Where am I going with this?  Well on the darkest and coldest days of December a feathered friend (or so we always thought) tested our fondness for wild birds.  This animal set up residence in the woods next to the Lucky Cluck chicken coop and proceeded to start eating our beloved hens.  And not just our beloved hens but the smallest and daintiest of our flock - the banties. 

The killer is a Cooper’s Hawk.  For those of you that may be unfamiliar with this bird of prey let me share with you that the Cooper’s Hawk is a medium-sized hawk of the forest, that specializes in eating birds.   That’s right, it specializes in killing and eating birds and small chickens are apparently quite the prize.  The first victim was Talla, our precious little princess.  Talla was lucky that day but her demise was imminent in the face of this specialized killer.  I came home on that first evening to find the hawk plucking little Talla.  I jumped from the car and the hawk tried to fly away with Talla but alas Talla was too fat and the hawk dropped her and flew away.  I thought she was a goner but when I ran up to her she popped up and ran into the brambles.  Thanks to the expert help of Linda, Talla was soon stitched up and recovering inside the house.  That was the end of blissful days for the hens at Lucky Cluck. 

The hawk proceeded to hit us in the heart by killing and eating Chickie Mama, Penny, Vibaby, Matilda and finally Talla.  It was almost unbearable.  No one knew what to do so I visited my favorite chicken forums (yes, its true I do spend my some of my free time reading about chickens on poultry forums) to see what others chicken owners have done to protect their flock.  It was soon apparent that just because someone loves chickens does NOT mean they love other birds and I saw some very unlawful suggestions.  Let me make it very clear that Lucky Cluck would never resort to harming a native bird of prey to save a chicken.  We may not feel a lot of love for this individual hawk but it would live to see another day.  We just had to outsmart the bird.  So we turned the chicken yard into a used car lot, or what looks like a used car lot replete with hanging cd’s and pie pans.  So far its worked and the hens are coming out of hiding to once again graze in the yard.  We have one little banty left, Biscuit, and she is very precious to me so every day that she lives she gets a few kisses and a little encouragement to “watch her feathers.”  For now the coop will remain Lucky Cluck car lot and provide a bit of entertainment for the passers-by.

Lucky Cluck has been living under a reign of terror from a couple aerial predators this winter. The losses have been significant. It is our hope that the horror show is over and now we can remember those who have been lost.

Penny: This round little “bird of curves” was Ram’s first chicken and maybe even his first pet.  Penny was the apple of his eye, the spring in his step and the egg in his French toast.  This tough, spunky yet sweet chicken survived serious injury from a stray cat and went on to raise a chick of her own.  A true charmer, her celebrity personality was Audry Hepburn.  She will be remembered for her beauty, toughness, and love of Tillamook Cheese.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chickie Mamma: The original chicken. The one that started it all. The founding chicken at Lucky Cluck Farms. This plucky matriarch was at the bottom in terms of stature, bit lived at the top of the pecking order. No one messed with Chickie Mamma.  Her diminutive frame was carried with a bright, alert and jaunty style.  She was a perfectly proportioned bird and though she was never judged in a show, she certainly matched our standard of perfection.

 

 

Vibaby: One of Miss Viola’s chicks.  She was one of the hens from the only Lucky Cluck clutch to produce laying hens.  She shared the looks of her daddy, Jimmy, and Miss Vi, Jimmy’s favorite mount.

Matilda: This bearded and muffed bantie was a partner in cuteness with Biscuit the Beloved. This independent-minded little bird marched to the beat of her own drummer.

Talla: Tiny Talla.  She will always be known as the liberal, left-leaning cutie.  Our favorite poultry judge, Beau, said her wry tail was a disqualifier, but that didn’t keep her from winning the hearts of every member of Lucky Cluck Farms.  She also caught the attention of many a farm visitor.

All of these wonderful birds will be missed at Lucky Cluck Farms.