Winter

Winter

Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Hen House Story


This summer had been a summer of fighting broody hens.
Hens that just wanted to give up and die. Hens that molt
two feathers a week so there are feathers all of the time.
I did find out what works for broody hens. I took my two hens
that I just couldn't break and I put them in the coop with the
bantams for 3 days and they never sat again. It must be as long
as a chicken can remember. I would find them standing staring at the
nest boxes but always with a lost expression on their faces.


Now to my story. On Sunday night, I was a bit late getting my eggs.
The sun was still up a bit so it wasn't dark. The sun in fact was shining
straight into my coop where my nest boxes are I had really cleaned my coop
on Saturday so I knew it would be so nice to open the door and look inside.


I opened the door and this big thing went running away from the nest boxes to the
the place where the perches are located. I stood there watching thinking," Wow,
that is a big mouse, that is a very big mouse, You know that is the biggest mouse
I have ever seen before." Then it dawned on me that isn't a mouse, that is a RAT!!!

He must have been able to read minds because as soon as I thought the word RAT the
evil thing turned and looked at me standing like a idiot in the doorway. He started running
straight at me full speed. I was frozen in place. I was standing in the doorway, my thought was, " No, that rat will stop, that rat
will not try and run up my leg," Then it became perfectly clear, that rat was going to climb up
my leg!! My next thought was, " "That rat is going to climb up to my shorts!!!"


I screamed of course, soon as his little hands started up my leg. As soon as I screamed Sasha was at the other side of my leg. The rat saw her
and ran back in the hen house. Sasha took off after it so I shut the door, praying that Sasha
would catch him. Dust was coming at the door and squeaks lots of squeaks. I opened the door
very slowly and Sasha was staring up at the ceiling. There braced against the wall and the ceiling
was the rat. I went and got a stick to knock him down but when I got back he
was going into a place in the roof I couldn't get too. Sasha has never killed anything
in her life she isn't that kind of dog. She will herd things but she has never killed.
My Sheltie was the varmint killer. I wished I had her back just because she would have
made short work of it.
I have never seen a rat the whole time I have lived here. Mice but never a rat.
Now I have to find him before he moves the whole family in for the winter.
Now going out to the chicken coop is one I do ever so slowly. I am still a bit afraid.
I let Sasha go first.

My husband was working in his trees. Later I asked him, " Did you hear screams
coming from the chicken house?" He looked at me sideways, and said, " I did
hear lots of noise but I thought it was far off." Then I told him. He just laughed.


I hope you have a great Thursday. I just thought you might enjoy my rat story.

~Kim~


26 comments:

Patrice said...

Yikes! I'd have freaked out. I hope you can get rid of the thing. Be careful.

TexWisGirl said...

always an adventure with you! i need to lend you my little louise. she'd make short work of that rat for you (of course, probably your chickens too!)

Kim said...

Kim.....I am almost fainting just reading this. Yuck, I think if a rat tried o run up my leg, I'm pretty sure I would need to change my pants. Lol. My advice - get a big trap (with a big snapping jaw) and make Ron visit the coop until the deed is done.

camp and cottage living said...

Kim
Please be careful!!! I watched my cousin get bit by a rat when we were kids and she had to have 16 rabies shots in her stomach. I know they don't do that anymore but they ar e still nothing to mess with.
Take care!

Debbie said...

Oh my goodness!! I honestly have no idea what I would have done had a rat begun to run up my leg. Fainting dead away is a definite possibility....It would have really freaked me out for some reason. I'd want him taken care of immediately!! Good thing for your dog. I will be waiting to hear you got it....HUGS, Debbie

Jacque. said...

ohman...you have the most interesting stories! I think I would have peed my pants had I even been that close to a rat, let alone have it start to climb my leg! ewww.

Maryann said...

That was a bold rat, I would have totally freaked out if that had happened to me. Years ago I saw one in our garage, scared me so bad that for days afterward I would knock on the garage door before I would open it to give the rat a chance to know I was coming...ridiculois when I think about it now :)

Kessie said...

Well, those live traps work wonders. Remember how many rats we caught back at our old house? Just bait 'em up with peanut butter and off you go. I imagine you could bait this one with an egg.

Miss Debbie said...

Hey Kim, I have been absent lately for several reasons. I'll have to send you a note to explain. The rat story made me smile and I needed that today...haven't felt well and work was a little frustrating. So, thanks for sharing it! In answer to your story about the movie...yes, I think it is worth your time. Everyone that I know who has been to see it has been glad they did. Hope you have a lovely Thursday!

Dawn said...

OH MY GOODNESS!!!! That's HORRIFYING!
You are brave even to go near there again!!!!
Eeeek!

Sue said...

OH! Kim reading this brings back memories of a similar attack many many years ago, and I am still very careful when I go into the hen house. The rat was as big as a small cat, and had a long tail,and wasn't afraid of me like mice are. Just brings shivers thinking about it.
So cute about your dh going about his job,... be thankful he didn't have a camera. ~smiling~
Enjoy your day, always enjoy visiting,
Sue

Cathy Kennedy said...

I don't like mice, but holy cow, rats? We've been blessed to not have any around here. Well...I take that back. One time and it really escapes my mind to understanding how this could even be possible, but I found a dead, decomposed rat behind my washer...in the kitchen once. I was so ecked out about that for days! By the way, I believe I would have used that stick or broom or whatever you had to whack the rat on your husband for laughing. lol.

Janettessage.blogspot.com said...

Oh my...you are more woman that I. I was just dreaming about a house in the country, now this makes me think about it in another way! And your husband...too funny..that is what my boys would do.
Brave,brave woman!

Empty Nester said...

My hand flew to my mouth to cover my own screams so that Tucker wouldn't think I had totally lost it! O.M.G.! I would have fainted dead away! Ewwwww!!!!!! That's one chicken house I'd never venture near again. EVER!

no spring chicken said...

What good is a husband that doesn't come running to save his damsel in distress? Sheesh! Kim, you really need to start swooning and batting more, I'm tellin' ya! ;)

That is a horrific story, though I am always amazed at your fortitude. You seem to be able to handle way more than I.

I appreciated the tip about the broody hens. I have one that has done this twice now and it is frustrating!!

Blessings, Debbie

Meg said...

Ok that story still grosses me out. I have the creepy crawlies just thinking about it.

Jennifer said...

That sounds like a Disney movie! Glad you escaped with your life. I love reading about your days on the farm!

Samantha said...

I have a Jack Russell mix you can borrow..he's a fantastic ratter!

Paula said...

First, I would have screamed bloody murder, second, I would have to change my underwear.

From Beyond My Kitchen Window said...

That incident is enough to give me the willies. Oh Kim, the thought of a rat climbing on my leg is so creepy. At least you know you can scream when you need to. Today was my first day back to school. I'm exhausted!!!!

Will and Tracy said...

Kim!!! Mama told me when I was a little girl that they would run up your leg. I had discovered her up on a chair with a broom in her kitchen staring at a dead mouse under that cupboard. It has been the absolute fear of all fears for me and now it's happened to you! Will would have to pack my stuff for me and come find me because I would never and I mean never be able to go back in there again. I have found and killed snakes but anything that runs up my legs makes me all in and all done. Wow, I'm going to have nightmares.

scrambledhenfruit said...

Came over from "From Beyond My Kitchen Window" when I saw you had a chicken story today. :) I think I would have screamed too, if I saw a rat about to run up my leg. EEWWWWW! I don't have dogs, but I have cats and they'd better be earning their keep so I don't see any ratty varmints in my chicken coop! I sure hope you never see that one again- hopefully your dog scared it away.

Julia said...

Oh Kim, you must be a brave woman. This calls for the rat expert. They multiply fast and I bet that he was eating your eggs too. Not to mention that they are carrier of disease. I'm glad that he didn't climbed up your leg. A rat that feels trapped will attack. Good luck in catching it while keeping the hen girls out of harms way. JB

Pom Pom said...

Yikes! It's Templeton!

Mom of 12 said...

We had chickens when I was a kid. One of them was so mean, we just tried to stay away from it. If it saw you with bare feet, it was after your toes.
Sandy

Sassafras and Winterberry said...

I would have gone out of my mind. I don't like a rodent all that much. You are very brave indeed! I have seen rats on the street in Boston, but never one up close and personal. Yikes! My cat might have had a go at it, but Gus would have been lost! I hope you can get rid of it soon!
Hugs!!