Arizona Chickens

[MagicChicken]

Celebration night turned tragic. I went outside to collect any late eggs before we had my son's birthday cake only to see two dogs running out of our garden. The garden has a fence around it and then the run and coop are inside of that! The 2 dogs had torn the hardware wire off the side of the run and gotten in. They killed our Turkey and a banty. One of the Americanas was limping and the rest were missing clumps of feathers and in shock. The Old English Game banty roo no longer had his long beautiful tail feathers. The worst part was that the banty was my daughters special chick. The turkey was my son's and today was my son's 12th birthday! The sweet turkey had gotten his Thanksgiving pardon since he was still on the too young side, only to be killed like that and the banty was a beautiful solid black with a black beak and comb... I hope we don't lose anymore tonight from shock, the fencing is fixed and the survivors are locked in the coop to get settled. We had just been looking to get more turkeys because this one had been so much fun to raise! The kids are heartbroken.

 

[MagicChicken]

I have six broody-raised chicks in the hoop coop along with several laying hens and a rooster. The chicks are about nine weeks old. Broody mom stopped sleeping with them a week or so ago. Tonight I went out to check on everyone and only found five of the chicks in the box they usually sleep in. Hmm. Looked a little closer at the roost. One of the chicks is sleeping with the big birds, tucked in next to the rooster.

 

[Timskins]

Celebration night turned tragic. I went outside to collect any late eggs before we had my son's birthday cake only to see two dogs running out of our garden. The garden has a fence around it and then the run and coop are inside of that! The 2 dogs had torn the hardware wire off the side of the run and gotten in. They killed our Turkey and a banty. One of the Americanas was limping and the rest were missing clumps of feathers and in shock. The Old English Game banty roo no longer had his long beautiful tail feathers. The worst part was that the banty was my daughters special chick. The turkey was my son's and today was my son's 12th birthday! The sweet turkey had gotten his Thanksgiving pardon since he was still on the too young side, only to be killed like that and the banty was a beautiful solid black with a black beak and comb... I hope we don't lose anymore tonight from shock, the fencing is fixed and the survivors are locked in the coop to get settled. We had just been looking to get more turkeys because this one had been so much fun to raise! The kids are heartbroken.

How did they get through the hardware cloth?

I have six broody-raised chicks in the hoop coop along with several laying hens and a rooster. The chicks are about nine weeks old. Broody mom stopped sleeping with them a week or so ago. Tonight I went out to check on everyone and only found five of the chicks in the box they usually sleep in. Hmm. Looked a little closer at the roost. One of the chicks is sleeping with the big birds, tucked in next to the rooster.

Now thats a cool dad, helping raise his kids.

 

[WestSideChicken]

The two dogs will not be getting my chickens again. I never worried much about wild predators except cats, but thought the coop and run were pretty secure especially since they were also inside a fenced garden as well. Never would have imagined that a dog could rip apart that thick of wire. We had originally started to just use chicken wire to build and went back and changed it to make it stronger. The kids were already asking about getting more chicks, just when I had finally gotten the brooder empty, so we might make a trip to go look while I am off work. I know that the Turkey could still fly but was just too big to escape, and the littlest banty didn't fly, The young roo was actually supposed to go to a new home, but thinking he won't be bought without a tail! Unfortunately my 7 yr old was with me when we found her chicken. They handle the whole processing idea fine, but not violence like this. We did have a talk about animals natural instinct, and not to be too angry at the dogs because they were following that instinct, and that is why we have wire and protection. The thing we can not understand is that there was no barking or noise that would have alerted us? If I hadn't gone out to do a night check, they would have taken out the whole flock. the chickens normally raise alarm if I have food 20 feet away. I wonder if they had gotten too used to our dogs who often stared at them or barked? The turkey had even started barking back.

 

[Phottoman]

CITY FARMER, I had great luck moving them on the 24that night. My first attempt failed. I was afraid the eggs chilled. One egg got broken when I checked in the morning after I put her back. When I moved her the second time she had hatched chicks, it was late at night, one eggs was zipping. You gave me 12 eggs, 1 broke, leaving 11, 6 eggs hatched and I removed 7 unhatched eggs. Do the math, 12-1=11, 6+7= 13, Very interesting. I think that some one got into her nest when she left to poop, eat, drink and get back. If you missed it, I am now posting or uploading videos on YouTub.
Here is a link Bhttp://youtu.be/mx_6x42Orbw The ones I down loaded were for privet viewing. The ones I post from now on I hope will be better. I am just learning and fingering out how to do it.

If you look at the bottom row (depending on the size of your screen) when you are posting, you will see what loos like a strip of film, it is two squares with sprockets on top and on the bottom. When you are ready to post a video from YouTube, click on the "SHARE" button,click the "EMBEDED button. copy the address of the youtube video, post your message and then click that icon of film, it will open a small window, paste the video address in that small window and make a clickable frame of your video.

It will look like this:

And by the way, you did GREAT.

Skip

 

[maryhysong]

The only thing that is totally dog proof is extremely heavy weld wire, such as what large dog crates are made of. I have had large dogs bite holes in hardware cloth and forget chicken wire; sometimes it doesn't even hold chickens! (I recently had two roosters fight through a fence and they ripped a hole in the chicken wire big enough for the pullets to get through!)

The openings on my new chicken house and the pens around it will be 2x4 weld wire fence, 6' high, with 3' of chicken wire at the bottom to deter smaller animals from getting through and things like that bobcat from reaching through easily.

Always heartbreaking to come on the scene of the violence. Even now makes me feel like I got kicked in the stomach.

 

[City farm]

CITY FARMER, I had great luck moving them on the 24that night. My first attempt failed. I was afraid the eggs chilled. One egg got broken when I checked in the morning after I put her back. When I moved her the second time she had hatched chicks, it was late at night, one eggs was zipping. You gave me 12 eggs, 1 broke, leaving 11, 6 eggs hatched and I removed 7 unhatched eggs. Do the math, 12-1=11, 6+7= 13, Very interesting. I think that some one got into her nest when she left to poop, eat, drink and get back. If you missed it, I am now posting or uploading videos on YouTub.
Here is a link Bhttp://youtu.be/mx_6x42Orbw The ones I down loaded were for privet viewing. The ones I post from now on I hope will be better. I am just learning and fingering out how to do it.

Just heading out the door to my sons orthodontist appointment.. They are on break till next week.. I love when they don't have school..
I will check out your video when I get back later... Did any of the green eggs hatch? I ove your new avatar... Is that one of your new babies?

 

[City farm]

Celebration night turned tragic. I went outside to collect any late eggs before we had my son's birthday cake only to see two dogs running out of our garden. The garden has a fence around it and then the run and coop are inside of that! The 2 dogs had torn the hardware wire off the side of the run and gotten in. They killed our Turkey and a banty. One of the Americanas was limping and the rest were missing clumps of feathers and in shock. The Old English Game banty roo no longer had his long beautiful tail feathers. The worst part was that the banty was my daughters special chick. The turkey was my son's and today was my son's 12th birthday! The sweet turkey had gotten his Thanksgiving pardon since he was still on the too young side, only to be killed like that and the banty was a beautiful solid black with a black beak and comb... I hope we don't lose anymore tonight from shock, the fencing is fixed and the survivors are locked in the coop to get settled. We had just been looking to get more turkeys because this one had been so much fun to raise! The kids are heartbroken.

No way!! That is so awful.
Condolences from us...

 

[tsuninight]

Celebration night turned tragic. I went outside to collect any late eggs before we had my son's birthday cake only to see two dogs running out of our garden. The garden has a fence around it and then the run and coop are inside of that! The 2 dogs had torn the hardware wire off the side of the run and gotten in. They killed our Turkey and a banty. One of the Americanas was limping and the rest were missing clumps of feathers and in shock. The Old English Game banty roo no longer had his long beautiful tail feathers. The worst part was that the banty was my daughters special chick. The turkey was my son's and today was my son's 12th birthday! The sweet turkey had gotten his Thanksgiving pardon since he was still on the too young side, only to be killed like that and the banty was a beautiful solid black with a black beak and comb... I hope we don't lose anymore tonight from shock, the fencing is fixed and the survivors are locked in the coop to get settled. We had just been looking to get more turkeys because this one had been so much fun to raise! The kids are heartbroken.

That is so sad. I'm sorry for your loss. Hopefully your kids are holding up okay.

 

[Stynch]

Still no eggs from Big Red, our now 8+ month old EE! But, last week, she went all broody on us! I thought that was kind of odd, since she had never laid an egg. She stalked the other girls while they were in the nest, and the minute they left, she jumped right in and took over. It took 3 days of pushing her out of the nest and taking the eggs out ASAP, and I think the broody behavior is over. I just don't know what she's waiting for!! Her comb and face are red, she sings and squats, her pelvic bones are separated barely 2 fingers, there is no indication that she is egg-bound. I guess she's just a late bloomer!! What a contrast from the others, especially Blackie the Australorp, who laid for 48 straight days until taking a day off yesterday (but she gave me her biggest egg ever at 6:30 this morning to compensate)!

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas. We had a great time with kids and grandkids (except the one who is in Basic Training in TX). Now we're looking forward to the New Year and deciding how many new pullets to add........ LOL