Australia - Six states..and that funny little island.

[satay]

So they all live in the cage?  You did say full time, if I was wrong..  They do look like they are enjoying themselves anyhow.  

These are just grow out pens. They move in with the others when they are older. The marans have just come out of the brooder full time and now live in the grow out pen.

 

[satay]

Wow, so much to catch up on. Congratulations on all the new layers etc and Luke, so exciting! And sorry to all those who've had losses

We had our first possible fox snatch the other night. The rabbit hutch I have the chicks in was all scratched up and one of five chicks was missing. I don't know what happened. There were no holes, no discernable way anything got in or out, just a missing chicken and four that were very scared.

chook, nice nesting box design
I saw your post on the marans site. So so sorry they're not what you paid for. I too ordered some eggs from him a while ago (silver campine and Blue andalusian) and had given up hope that they'd ever arrive but got a call on Sunday and they should arrive tomorrow. Luke, I'll take pictures when I set them

I'm so excited about this next hatch, and nervous! It'll be six each of those breeds, six yokohama (replacements for the 0% batch) and whatever I can fit of my own I had to give away my first dozen of my own eggs because I had to wait for the others so fingers crossed it's worth it!

Good luck with your new eggs Pinky. Sorry about your loss. Snake maybe? though I think it would be to early in most parts for them to be out of hibernation. Ok edited cause I can't read today lol. Scratched up as in badly damaged? Could be a fox but I think it would have taken more than 1?

 

[satay]

Not sure how well this shows it but i do this for my young ones at night. I have a tarp go over the top part and both sides i put a piece of corro. The small end is still open. Keeps them warmer and hopefully keeps out anything snooping around. Though as you can see in this picture. Popa Thor still watches over them all the time.
The corro and tarp are slid back off the cage in this picture.

 

[K Spot]

What predators/pests has everyone encountered or seen?

I've only had to deal with mice.

 

[appps]

We lost our first flock of three to a fox and we live right in suburbia.

This time we have had some sort of large bird scaring them but not hurting. I think its a kite.

 

[TheChookPatch]

Nice babies Satay Love the welsummers too... We get foxes, hawks, falcons and eagles. The main problems are foxes and eagles though. The occasional stray dog has caused a ruckus too....
Fingers crossed for a good hatch Pinky!

 

[megacakes]

Quick question for all you folks who have multiple egg layers. I got a panicked call from my daughter this afternoon, saying there was an embryo in the nesting box. (Impossible - we have no rooster!) I got home just on dusk, so I retrieved the egg and it is pretty weird. The egg is encased in a membrane filled with liquid. I haven't broken it open yet to see if the egg itself is normal, and the liquid inside the membrane is quite milky. The girls themselves have gone to bed, so I can't check if any of them are unwell or injured at all. Has this ever happened to any of you? It's not the first abnormal egg I've had (there's one with a "tail" on my windowsill) but it is rather icky looking...

 

[appps]

Eww. That would probably turn me off eggs for weeks. Not seen anything like that thank goodness. Not much help. Sorry

 

[Sandstorm495]

What predators/pests has everyone encountered or seen?

I've only had to deal with mice.

I've lost one of mine to a neighbourhood cat. It was prowling around for a while still after that, but the owners moved.

 

[Sandstorm495]

Sorry for your loss, ruby.
And yours Pinky