{"id":1370,"date":"2017-08-07T22:18:33","date_gmt":"2017-08-08T02:18:33","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/orionscoldfire.com\/?p=1370"},"modified":"2017-08-07T22:18:33","modified_gmt":"2017-08-08T02:18:33","slug":"quail-fail-a-cautionary-tale","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/orionscoldfire.com\/index.php\/2017\/08\/07\/quail-fail-a-cautionary-tale\/","title":{"rendered":"Quail Fail \u2013 A Cautionary Tale"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Bob, the Wayward Quail<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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About 10 minutes down the road from me is a field that is surrounded by corn fields, dairy farms and suburban neighborhoods.\u00a0 This sizable tract of land is covered by a patchwork of hayfields, grain patches, high grass and brush, small stands of trees, puddles and even a streamlet.\u00a0 The owner stocks this area with game birds.\u00a0 It provides hunters with access to pheasant, quail and partridge.\u00a0 Where I live there is an abundance of turkey and duck that move respectively through wood and pond at will. \u00a0With respect to other bird life, the air is full of hawks and even bald eagle.\u00a0 At night, a particularly annoying Barred Owl often serenades me and Camera Girl at about 1:45 a.m. from a perch seemingly right outside my bedroom window.\u00a0 Only state firearm ordinances and my inherent laziness has saved this avian jerk from reaping the large caliber comeuppance he so richly deserves.\u00a0 During the day the bird song is much more melodious.\u00a0 Finches, robins, sparrows, titmice, jays, catbirds, cardinals and orioles abound.\u00a0 And for viewing interest there are the fascinating hummingbirds.\u00a0 Basically we\u2019re flush with feathered friends.<\/p>\n

So why would I be looking to add to their numbers?\u00a0 The answer is ticks.\u00a0 Connecticut is the Lyme disease capitol of the Universe.\u00a0 Apparently scenic Lyme Connecticut was so inviting that even the lowly spirochete responsible for this malady heard how great it is there and decided to immigrate.\u00a0 Having been blessed once with the honor of sharing my bloodstream with these delightful one celled creatures I have made it a high priority to pass on a second such honor.\u00a0 To this end I have devoted a certain amount of thought to lowering the local tick population.\u00a0 One thing the long-time inhabitants of the area told me was that chickens eat ticks.\u00a0 That pecking action they\u2019re so famous for allows them to systematically ingest enormous numbers of small creatures including ticks.\u00a0 This seemed to me a great idea.\u00a0 Chickens!\u00a0 I mean, I like chicken.\u00a0 Fried, baked, souped, casseroled.\u00a0 I even like them before they are hatched.\u00a0 Why not bring them in and let them solve my problem.\u00a0 I did some research.<\/p>\n