broody hen killed 14 cold eggs :-( %$#@! UPDATE 6/25

[sonew123]

Ok I dont have much time to say-but I have been posting about my very first sweet broody hen-she had been sitting on 14 eggs and at day 24-25 I was giving up until I saw a pip last night before bed-I woke up extra early 5:30 am to check on her and the babies. I opened her box and she was gone-nothing but feathers and some blood drops-all eggs were there and cold! I swooped them up threw the bator on and put hot water in there for humidty-I doubt any will make it but you never know-Whatever it was killed my Big beautiful partridge silkie a few days ago and then scaled a 6 foot wall to get into my broody's coop nabbed her and scaled back over! SOB!!! We have "traps" out for the past few days and caught the TOE of something-not sure what-but now this has gotten my neighbors and In laws ( also neighbors) in a rage-and my DH as well-we are out for blood now-we are getting live traps and everything we can think of tonight to get whatever it is-we have 2 teenage boys who are pulling an all-nighter for us to canvas the property near the coops! all I can say is Thank goodness I did not move my duck outside like I was going to! I will post pictures of whatever is stealthy enough to climb walss and take the bodies-we never found either body-just some fluff!!!


6/25

I have 5 healthy chicks out 2 days old-I cant believe they are still hatching in bator! I hear peeping and 4 are moving-I forgot that for 4 days she kept stealing the other 2 hens eggs that they laid-so these eggs will hatch out everyday for the next 23 days more-Im going nuts!!! Love it!!! oh and still havent gotten predator--

 

[oklahorselover]

I'm sorry

I hope you catch the killer.

 

[sonew123]

when I do I will post pictures!! Im so done with this!

 

[19hhbelgian]

Oh man... I'm so sorry! That's tough. You have to keep us posted on what you find. Could it be a dog coming in for an easy meal? I know one of mine is incredibly agile, and could clear a 6ft wall if she really wanted to. She's done it before.

 

[ashyannehand]

I am so sorry for your loss. Please let us know when you get the bandit.

 

[sonew123]

Quote:
We are thinking a coon or a fischer? There were no bodies found!

 

[Chickie Mamma]

OH, NOOOOOOO !!

So sorry!! You need to catch more than a toe though. Hope you catch the sneak before he gets anyone else!!

 

[BantyRooster]

If you only caught a toe you didnt have your trap bedded solid. Make sure it doesnt wobble or tip so that when the predator steps on the pan it's rock solid insuring a solid hold on its foot. Also, make sure there are no little rocks over the jaws that may hold them open a little bit when the trap springs closed.
Another word of advice, if you're going to use a live trap poke a hole in the bottom on a small tuna can and wire it to the bottom of the cage so that a coon cant tip the trap sideways from outside and reach in and grab the bait. Put something heavy against the cage, like a small branch the size of a man's arm, so that it makes it harder to tip. Peanut butter and marshmallows make good bait for coons.

 

[sonew123]

DH just called me-the eggs I threw in the bator-that were cold? One hatched out!--fingers crossed on the other 13! He found weasel tracks-or fischer tracks-either one will die tonight!

 

[sonew123]

Quote:
Can you believe this? First my Big gorgeous partridge male -that just started mating- and now this!-Im devastated-everyone is offering to help catch the predator though-so we should have it by tonight!