HipMomSarah
Hatching
- Feb 28, 2016
- 1
- 1
- 9
So, I am a single working Mom who one day has goals of being a little farmer. I say little because I don't have illusions of grandiose just would like to grow most of what I eat, consume quality, and leave as little trash for the next generation as possible. Trash, btw, comes in many forms. My journey with chickens started when I was homeschooling my children and they were in elementary and junior high. I didn't homeschool high school years -- too tired, too many hours at work,etc. I did an experiment for teaching reproduction and life cycle. We used Chicks. It was entitled - Don't kill the Chicks. I thought as little as they were we would surely accidently kill like half or more. I mean,these things seemed so tiny and so fragile. But out of like a dozen, only two died. One from what appeared a general 'failure to thrive' and one from shear stupidity of animal. This one chick when it was like 3-4 months old continued to be so anti-social that it would sleep with the rest of the chicks under the light. It was mid spring so no frost and it died from being cold and anti-social, i think.
However, that was 5 or 6 years ago, now - I live in the country on 5 acres that I rent (will own soon, I hope) and I have tried for 2 years to raise chickens from chicks. The first year, like all the chicks disappeared from in the barn -- with like no evidence of them being in there...strange. Then last year, they were picked off by a slew of predators, some being predators I didn't even know existed. So, this year my trial will be called - "Don't let the chicks be killed" and I am joining here for advice and assistance because last year, I was really kinda close to my little chicks and was so sad each time one of them was lost and I don't want to keep doing that. I would like for them to be free range but I just don't think that in the country that is going to be possible, as last year we only have one survival hen left. So Sad. I have 4 chicks right now - LaQuiesha, Brandi, Lewis and Clark. The first two are the cutest little Easter Eggers and the second two are Dominique's if I remember right. And I already love them...so I don't want to let them get killed. They are in the den...inside...in a rabbit cage. But they will grow and they will want outside -- with the predators. So I need help.
Also, I have 2 full size horses and a miniature horse, 2 cute mostly grown children, 1 super handsome boyfriend and his adorable littles and I work as a neuro nurse. That sums me up.
However, that was 5 or 6 years ago, now - I live in the country on 5 acres that I rent (will own soon, I hope) and I have tried for 2 years to raise chickens from chicks. The first year, like all the chicks disappeared from in the barn -- with like no evidence of them being in there...strange. Then last year, they were picked off by a slew of predators, some being predators I didn't even know existed. So, this year my trial will be called - "Don't let the chicks be killed" and I am joining here for advice and assistance because last year, I was really kinda close to my little chicks and was so sad each time one of them was lost and I don't want to keep doing that. I would like for them to be free range but I just don't think that in the country that is going to be possible, as last year we only have one survival hen left. So Sad. I have 4 chicks right now - LaQuiesha, Brandi, Lewis and Clark. The first two are the cutest little Easter Eggers and the second two are Dominique's if I remember right. And I already love them...so I don't want to let them get killed. They are in the den...inside...in a rabbit cage. But they will grow and they will want outside -- with the predators. So I need help.
Also, I have 2 full size horses and a miniature horse, 2 cute mostly grown children, 1 super handsome boyfriend and his adorable littles and I work as a neuro nurse. That sums me up.
I'm sorry to hear you have had so many losses to predators 
My advice would be to build a secure predator proof run and coop for your birds. If you have a secure coop that you can lock up they should be much safer on a night. If they are picking your birds off during the day a secure run would be the way to go for me. Have a pop by the predators section, I'm sure there will be threads that can help you and members that can answer your questions. Here is the link ~ 
