August Hatch-A-Long

[CluckNDoodle]

Hi All, not ready hatch a long appropriate, but y’all have tolerated my ramblings so far so... Remember those cockerels that we butchered last weekend? And the one (Greenlegs) that got away, came back, but DD couldn’t stand to butcher it? Well, we’ve been letting the cockerels free range while we are home. DD let them out after school tonight, and the OE cockerel (Lucky) that she planned to keep for breeding disappeared... We found a pile of feathers nearby, at the same site where a bobcat took our duck last spring. Also found a fresh raccoon carcass in the woods, several hundred yards away, no bones cracked open. I think that our bobcat is back. I know better than to name a chicken “Lucky”!!!! Now all poultry has to stay locked in for two weeks, which will be really hard with our present numbers!!!! Be careful what you wish for!

Oh no! I'm so sorry! Sometimes it feels like the predators know which ones you want to keep and that's what they go for. It's never the chicken you wouldn't miss as much.

 

[john_wrightson2003]

Hi All, not ready hatch a long appropriate, but y’all have tolerated my ramblings so far so... Remember those cockerels that we butchered last weekend? And the one (Greenlegs) that got away, came back, but DD couldn’t stand to butcher it? Well, we’ve been letting the cockerels free range while we are home. DD let them out after school tonight, and the OE cockerel (Lucky) that she planned to keep for breeding disappeared... We found a pile of feathers nearby, at the same site where a bobcat took our duck last spring. Also found a fresh raccoon carcass in the woods, several hundred yards away, no bones cracked open. I think that our bobcat is back. I know better than to name a chicken “Lucky”!!!! Now all poultry has to stay locked in for two weeks, which will be really hard with our present numbers!!!! Be careful what you wish for!

Sometimes, yall will hate me for saying this, but sometimes, i wish one or two of my chickens would get taken by a predator, HERES WHY, because, i cant empathize with ya, i feel so bad, but yet so lucky.

 

[Mixed flock enthusiast]

Sometimes, yall will hate me for saying this, but sometimes, i wish one or two of my chickens would get taken by a predator, HERES WHY, because, i cant empathize with ya, i feel so bad, but yet so lucky.

This particular loss has a lot of mixed feelings for DD, because she hated the butchering process so much. For me, I wouldn’t wish a predator loss on anyone. I cringe to imagine the bird’s last painful and panicked moments (which I sought to avoid when butchering), and the confinement of our birds that needs to follow is also tough...

 

[Mixed flock enthusiast]

Ugh poor DD what a rough week!

Looks like it’s time for the garden shed coop!

Desperately trying to finish the guinea coop!!!! And yes, poor DD!!! This chicken keeping project has been quite the learning experience! Maybe we could have done some other joint project? Model trains would have been cheaper and less heartbreaking...

 

[CluckNDoodle]

Model trains would have been cheaper and less heartbreaking...

With our ever growing flock I question myself sometimes but I really do love keeping chickens! And you don't get healthy breakfast from model trains! Lol

 

[Mixed flock enthusiast]

With our ever growing flock I question myself sometimes but I really do love keeping chickens! And you don't get healthy breakfast from model trains! Lol

That’s true! And I now have some muscle under my fat from all of the coop building and carrying of feed bags!

 

[CluckNDoodle]

That’s true! And I now have some muscle under my fat from all of the coop building and carrying of feed bags!

Lol!! You and me both!!

 

[jolenesdad]

This particular loss has a lot of mixed feelings for DD, because she hated the butchering process so much. For me, I wouldn’t wish a predator loss on anyone. I cringe to imagine the bird’s last painful and panicked moments (which I sought to avoid when butchering), and the confinement of our birds that needs to follow is also tough...

I know, I know, I know. Ditto. I hate the confinement. Im really worried for the next couple of weeks with hawk migration. Im about to let the Aug 1 hatches out to the big world, and Im sure the 50 meat birds coming wednesday will just be running out free earlier than later too in this weather.

Im actually talking to several livestock guardian dog folks, thinking that before I scale up drastically I need to get one.

 

[CluckNDoodle]

I know, I know, I know. Ditto. I hate the confinement. Im really worried for the next couple of weeks with hawk migration. Im about to let the Aug 1 hatches out to the big world, and Im sure the 50 meat birds coming wednesday will just be running out free earlier than later too in this weather.

Im actually talking to several livestock guardian dog folks, thinking that before I scale up drastically I need to get one.

Everyone swears my Great Pyrenees but I'll tell you what, my Doberman was amazing with the chickens before she passed away. We never had any predator issues before and this year I've had a lot.
I should say, since she passed away I've had a lot of predators. She was protecting the chickens up until her last moments this year too! They're wonderful dogs and very trainable.

 

[jolenesdad]

EEEEEEE in all my years I’ve neverrrrr had a fairy egg! I have a new layer! Thank goodness, cause I have only two laying this week.