Backyard Brahmas!!

[Katt66]

Penny isn't laying again, and I don't expect her to for a while (if ever).  I'm glad to know that yours started laying again 8 months later....that gives me hope that she will start again sometime.  She keeps looking for her mate, who I think was the first to die trying to protect everyone.  I don't know when she'll accept that he's gone, maybe when I choose another cockerel to keep for breeding.  I am just so relieved that she lived.  It was so hard to watch her fight for her life and know that there was only so much that I could do.  The dog breeds were pit and shepherd.  I'm a little surprised at the shepherd, but I caught them trying to get into the coop again the next night on my game camera, so I'm absolutely positive it was them.

Unfortunately the shepherd doesn't surprise me at all. With so many backyard breeders and puppy mills, they, along with the pits have a very shaky disposition any more by and large. My neighbor's gets out of his yard and into ours once more it's gonna find itself with a few holes in it. And it was a pair of shepherds that tore through my Aunts pens about ten years ago and slaughtered dozens of ducks, geese, and chickens. Any body's pet in my yard unwelcome is a predator to me and will always be treated as such.
A seem harsh to some. But when you're picking up bloody clumps of feathery gore when there's no good reason other than a neighbors indifference or continued carelessness to blame....

 

[bumpercarr]

Unfortunately the shepherd doesn't surprise me at all. With so many backyard breeders and puppy mills, they, along with the pits have a very shaky disposition any more by and large. My neighbor's gets out of his yard and into ours once more it's gonna find itself with a few holes in it. And it was a pair of shepherds that tore through my Aunts pens about ten years ago and slaughtered dozens of ducks, geese, and chickens. Any body's pet in my yard unwelcome is a predator to me and will always be treated as such.
A seem harsh to some. But when you're picking up bloody clumps of feathery gore when there's no good reason other than a neighbors indifference or continued carelessness to blame....

Doesn't seem harsh to me. I've warned all of my neighbors that if their dogs are on my property, they may not be coming home. I keep a loaded .22 rifle in the closet and carry a Walther P-22 on my hip. Used to just shoot to scare them off, that won't be happening anymore. If I have a safe shot at them....well, you know. I feel badly for the dogs, as it really isn't their fault, it's their owners fault. I have a really serious feral cat problem as well, unfortunately, they are harder to catch. Now that I've double fenced I don't think that they can get to the chicks anymore. It is a constant battle, isn't it?

 

[bumpercarr]

Penny isn't laying again, and I don't expect her to for a while (if ever). I'm glad to know that yours started laying again 8 months later....that gives me hope that she will start again sometime. She keeps looking for her mate, who I think was the first to die trying to protect everyone. I don't know when she'll accept that he's gone, maybe when I choose another cockerel to keep for breeding. I am just so relieved that she lived. It was so hard to watch her fight for her life and know that there was only so much that I could do. The dog breeds were pit and shepherd. I'm a little surprised at the shepherd, but I caught them trying to get into the coop again the next night on my game camera, so I'm absolutely positive it was them.

Don't they always make fools out of me! She just laid an egg! Now, it has antibiotics in it I assume for the next 6 months or so, so we can't eat it. What should I do with the eggs (hate to see them go to waste)? I don't think I should feed them back to her, as that will just keep the cycle going. Does anyone have any ideas?

 

[CarolinaHen]

Don't they always make fools out of me! She just laid an egg! Now, it has antibiotics in it I assume for the next 6 months or so, so we can't eat it. What should I do with the eggs (hate to see them go to waste)? I don't think I should feed them back to her, as that will just keep the cycle going. Does anyone have any ideas?

Hatch it!!

 

[bumpercarr]

Hatch it!!

Not fertile. The cockerel was killed in the attack 3 weeks ago. Otherwise, that is exactly what I would do with it.

 

[Gryphon]

If you have a garden you can "feed" the egg to a tomato plant by cracking it into the hole you're going to plant it in. Tomatoes love the calcium, and I doubt the extra protien would hurt either.

 

[CarolinaHen]

Not fertile. The cockerel was killed in the attack 3 weeks ago. Otherwise, that is exactly what I would do with it.

I would still try it. I've heard that eggs could still be fertile up to a month later. Chances are slim, but I would give it a shot! If it isn't fertile, feed it to the tomatoes

 

[Katt66]

I would still try it.  I've heard that eggs could still be fertile up to a month later.  Chances are slim, but I would give it a shot!  If it isn't fertile, feed it to the tomatoes

Agreed. I'd definitely at least try to hatch it. If it doesn't turn into a chick in 3 wks. Then feed the tomatoes.

 

[livininbrazil]

So, I promised that I'd post pictures after the recoveries and the sights weren't so bad anymore, so here goes.

This is Penny, the now 9 month old that was the oldest survivor of the dog attack in the coop. I was really worried about her, thought several times about putting her down, but as you can see now, she's back! She lost all of the feathers on her back, her neck was open to the bone and she had a serious gash on her abdomen. I hand fed & watered her for almost two full weeks and it was really touch and go. Please don't mind the messy feathering....she got pretty messed up in the attack.



This is Marmie, the other survivor. I decided to call her Marmie because she adopts the younger chicks just like a mother. Anyway, she wasn't as seriously injured, recovered very quickly. I kept her on antibiotics for a week just to make sure that infection didn't set in. She is 10 weeks old now and loves to purr to the chicks to calm them down....just like a broody would. I expect that she may turn out to be my new broody.



These two chicks were in the house brooder the night of the attack, so they weren't effected. I think they are both cockerels, but I have my doubts about the smaller, lighter one. That one was the runt of the litter, and has been very slow to develop. The feathering is slow, there are no tail feathers, but at the same time there isn't a sign of red in the wattles and comb......so, for now, it is sex undetermined. There were 4, but 2 were taken by a cat (we think) almost right after they went outside. We've since double fenced. They are 6 1/2 weeks old.






And last, but not least, are the six 3 1/2 week olds that I just put out in the coop this week. I suspect 2 pullets, 2 cockerels, and 2 are completely unknown. We'll see.



I lost all of my darks in the attack. Since then, I had one batch in the incubator that didn't hatch because of incubator problems and I currently have a batch of darks at about day 12 of incubation. We'll see if I get any to hatch. If not, I may have to wait until next year. All of these are partridge (gold/blue).

Your two pullets look great. And she´ll be laying again for sure. Mine did after her injury. Two little cockerels I reckon. I also had a runt, it lived for a number of months, but just hardly grew and in the end it died. Looks like you´re going to be spoilt for choice as to which cockerel to keep for breeding!

 

[livininbrazil]

Don't they always make fools out of me! She just laid an egg! Now, it has antibiotics in it I assume for the next 6 months or so, so we can't eat it. What should I do with the eggs (hate to see them go to waste)? I don't think I should feed them back to her, as that will just keep the cycle going. Does anyone have any ideas?

That´s great! and it´s only antibiotics after all!!!! I´d feed it back. And 6 months to clear antibiotics from the system???????