Anyone else had a bad chicken year??

[snugglebird]

Terrible year! We lost 2 roosters early on in the year from raccoons. Had to beef up security because more and more coons are scoping us out. We got 12 chicks at the end of March bringing our flock total to 17. Lost one of the Brahma chicks at about 7 weeks because of another raccoon. Beefed up security again.
Last Sunday after church I went to check on my girls and my favorite girl Penny, a buff leghorn, was lethargic and still in the coop (not like her at all). There were no previous symptoms or anything strange to indicate she was ill. She lasted about 30 minutes after I found her. Then one of my golden comets began to mope around. I tried everything this week..worming, warm baths, massage (thought she may have been eggbound but never felt an egg). She passed on Saturday. Those were 2 of my original girls that we've had probably close to 3 1/2 years now.

I also usually let my girls out in the yard for a little each day. Can't do that now because we have a hawk who is trying to get them. I watched him dive through our woods just a few feet away from me a few days ago trying to get one of the neighbor's chickens.
Yeah, it's been a bad chicken year here. I'm still thankful for the rest of my little cluckers though.

 

[sumi]

Quote:
Sorry to hear about your Penny and the other girl

Hope you get the coons sorted. Our predator problem got so bad that we ended up setting a trap, not nice, but it took care of it...

 

[ODS-n-ENS FARM]

I had an awful chicken year..... lost all my chickens(70+) in a barn fire. I had my incubators at my house but screwed up dates and only had 4 out of 36 hatch . So I am also starting over.

 

[mamawolf544]

Yes here too. Terrible year hatching. I have been working on Ameraucanas for the past 12 months, $100.s on eggs, a pair here and a pair there.

The heat has been awful, I have mainly kept everyone alive, but I have lost some including 13 Silkies in 2 hours. That does not compare to a barn fire though. I am really sorry about that.

And right now I have about 60 BLRW's in the bator, 2 different breeders and it looks like I have 4 chicks.

 

[zazouse]

I kept all of my end of the year hatch for replacement layers and 200 out of 250 were roos

 

[snugglebird]

Quote:
Sorry to hear about your Penny and the other girl

Hope you get the coons sorted. Our predator problem got so bad that we ended up setting a trap, not nice, but it took care of it...

Thanks sumi. It can be tough when you get attached to them but I have to remind myself that anytime you have animals something can happen even if we try to prevent it. Some things just come out of the blue. It stinks because it's hard on the kids too.
This year has been so weird. We have never had any problems with coons until January. That's when they started coming out of the woodwork. We now have electric fencing and traps around what I call the "Chicken Compound". We've disposed of 6 coons so far this year.

 

[mulewagon]

Yes, this has been my worst year. Lost 18 chicks and innumerable hatching eggs to snakes. Then spent weeks putting new chicks and mamas into snake-proof cages every night.

Chicks were flourishing, but a giant tree fell on the coop last night and killed a whole clutch and mama. Chickens are in a makeshift pen - and the dog is dragging dead chicks from the wreckage and finding out how good chicken tastes. Hurray.