California - Northern

[Miss Molly]

i don't know whether this is helpful at this point, but i had much better success just leaving my broodies alone & letting them nest in the laying boxes -- but i also provided some additional temporary laying boxes for the other girls, complete with fake eggs to give them the idea -- worked out pretty well.

Yes, I agree. I leave them until they hatch the chick, then move them to a safe place once the chicks have hatched.. Works great !

 

[debs_flock]

I have three broodies at the moment. Two hens in my egg flock, a BO is sitting on 5 NH eggs and a cuckoo marans hen is sitting on 12 Iowa Blue eggs. I could NOT get them to give up, so finally relented and gave them eggs. The eggs are well marked, so I just look under them a couple of times per day to make sure no one else has laid in with them.

The third is a turkey hen. She tried to sit every day, she finally scored during the rain. I didn't want to wade through the "mud" in my sandals, so she got to keep the three eggs she had in the nest. The other hen still laying goes for a different spot in the pen, so hopefully she'll be successful.

 

[lawatt]

It was so nice meeting you. I wish you had stayed for some tea... Next time

too hot for tea! and you seemed busy with the Rooster Guy. but next time, definitely!

 

[Miss Molly]

Iced tea silly..... Yes, next time

 

[ronott1]

Debs Racoon Story goes along with an article I just read:

http://www.designntrend.com/article...-old-blind-girl-fends-crazed-raccoon-save.htm

 

[debs_flock]

My raccoon story from another thread. I had eight birds escape their pens yesterday, seven of them six week old chicks. My last attempt to find the last one was at 9:30 last night wearing a headlamp.
****************
The continuing story of the stinking chicks.

Yesterday, after spending HOURS chasing chicks around in the heat, I was finally able to capture 7 out of 8. That one last chick evaded me. She even found a spot to roost, I was able to sneak up on her and make a grab. My fingers brushed over her, but hit the edge of the roost as I made my grab and I missed. I then followed her around the run and she flew at me, I made about four more grabs, but missed making good contact, even though I touched her each time.

Last night it was somewhat disconcerting (read that scared the cr@p out of me) to see those two pairs of eyes glowing back at me in the darkness. Looked pretty obviously to belong to raccoons and unlike me, they were totally unafraid. They are getting far too bold, they have been digging around the edges of the pens and now and then manage to reach an egg laid along the wire. Fortunately, the pen bottoms are lined with wire.

But it's been a good grazing ground around here lately, they made a trash raid about two weeks ago, they carried off the deceased hen I forgot to pick up (I did find their dining spot for her yesterday in all my attempts to corral the chicks).

Yesterday in all the uproar, another exchequer pullet put her head into the pen next door and the bresse tried to slit her throat. She managed to pull it back, but of course her "friends"/siblings/penmates then tried to remove the rest of her throat for her. I pulled her from the pen, but couldn't find where DH last put the BluKote, so she is currently in a hospital crate in the garage.

Anyway, just now I went looking for the final missing chick. I saw no sign of her or a final resting place for her. Of course, she only weighed about 2 pounds, they'd just throw her under their arm and take her home for a late night snack. I was morosely looking through the pens and thinking I'm down to about 3 exchequer pullets, counting the one in the garage.

I was doing my morning inspection and coming about the pens at the far end. There is a pen of bantam buff brahmas. There is a gap at the bottom of their gate, big enough for a raccoon, skunk, opossum to stroll through. I keep telling DH we need to adjust the gate better. I keep expecting to find carnage from a night time attack. The predator activity has gotten so heavy, I need to start setting the trap every night to reduce their population. I didn't want to do it while he's been gone, because I didn't want to deal with anything I might catch. Tonight I set it, it can be a welcome home surprise for him when I pick him up from the airport.

Anyway, I walked around that last corner of runs, looked in the pen...............................................and there was that leghorn pullet in with the brahmas. She apparently found the gap at the bottom of the door and squeezed in. She now wanted back OUT. I snagged her with my net and put her back with her "family".

Kind of an anticlimactic ending to the story, but it certainly wasted about 4-5 hours of my time yesterday, chasing those dang birds in the heat/humidity.

 

[Ali707]

Lol Ron! The fireworks I don't like are the ones that sound like a stick of dynamite blowing up, wakes me up in the middle of the night.

X2

When I re-home roosters on CL I ask the person to send me photos of their coop and run. I never hear from most people again. The people who are ligit are more than happy and often proud to send photos. They also go into great detail about their flock. I think the people who love to bragg about their flock are the best candidiates. Stay away from the people who are really vague.

The sad truth is, most of the roosters will be processed and I am okay with that. I take comfort in knowing that they had a great life although short. The poor little hatchery roos don't get that opportunity. My biggest worry when rehoming roosters is that they will be used for cock fighting, bird dog training or sacrifices so I try to screen to the best of my ability.

Good Luck

Yeah, processing is a different story. Just because I can't do it myself doesn't mean I am opposed to someone else doing it. However I am trying to avoid the animal abusers and cock fighting..... I wish I had a friend that could do it for me. But then again I think...... I am hatching and raising and I should take responsibility right?

I guess if all else fails my sister and her husband said they would do it. But they don't have any real experience. My brother in law is a chef so he apparently did process a chicken for some reason as part of his education so that is good. But...... still.

A kid modified the legal fire works here--They charged him with a felony and tried him as an adult.

I would have been in so much trouble if I was growing up now.....

Wow! Good thing your hobby is chickens now and your biggest problem is animal control.

My raccoon story from another thread. I had eight birds escape their pens yesterday, seven of them six week old chicks. My last attempt to find the last one was at 9:30 last night wearing a headlamp.
****************
The continuing story of the stinking chicks.

Yesterday, after spending HOURS chasing chicks around in the heat, I was finally able to capture 7 out of 8. That one last chick evaded me. She even found a spot to roost, I was able to sneak up on her and make a grab. My fingers brushed over her, but hit the edge of the roost as I made my grab and I missed. I then followed her around the run and she flew at me, I made about four more grabs, but missed making good contact, even though I touched her each time.

Last night it was somewhat disconcerting (read that scared the cr@p out of me) to see those two pairs of eyes glowing back at me in the darkness. Looked pretty obviously to belong to raccoons and unlike me, they were totally unafraid. They are getting far too bold, they have been digging around the edges of the pens and now and then manage to reach an egg laid along the wire. Fortunately, the pen bottoms are lined with wire.

But it's been a good grazing ground around here lately, they made a trash raid about two weeks ago, they carried off the deceased hen I forgot to pick up (I did find their dining spot for her yesterday in all my attempts to corral the chicks).

Yesterday in all the uproar, another exchequer pullet put her head into the pen next door and the bresse tried to slit her throat. She managed to pull it back, but of course her "friends"/siblings/penmates then tried to remove the rest of her throat for her. I pulled her from the pen, but couldn't find where DH last put the BluKote, so she is currently in a hospital crate in the garage.

Anyway, just now I went looking for the final missing chick. I saw no sign of her or a final resting place for her. Of course, she only weighed about 2 pounds, they'd just throw her under their arm and take her home for a late night snack. I was morosely looking through the pens and thinking I'm down to about 3 exchequer pullets, counting the one in the garage.

I was doing my morning inspection and coming about the pens at the far end. There is a pen of bantam buff brahmas. There is a gap at the bottom of their gate, big enough for a raccoon, skunk, opossum to stroll through. I keep telling DH we need to adjust the gate better. I keep expecting to find carnage from a night time attack. The predator activity has gotten so heavy, I need to start setting the trap every night to reduce their population. I didn't want to do it while he's been gone, because I didn't want to deal with anything I might catch. Tonight I set it, it can be a welcome home surprise for him when I pick him up from the airport.

Anyway, I walked around that last corner of runs, looked in the pen...............................................and there was that leghorn pullet in with the brahmas. She apparently found the gap at the bottom of the door and squeezed in. She now wanted back OUT. I snagged her with my net and put her back with her "family".

Kind of an anticlimactic ending to the story, but it certainly wasted about 4-5 hours of my time yesterday, chasing those dang birds in the heat/humidity.

Wow! I love stories like this because in the end...... misery loves company!!!

I sometimes find myself outside chasing down a chicken or two for whatever reason and always wonder why I am doing this to myself and what did I do wrong for the thing to escape in the first place.

Reading your story makes me understand that maybe I didn't do anything wrong, it is just the way it is. Animals are unpredictable and so is life.

Thanks for sharing.

 

[debs_flock]

Reading your story makes me understand that maybe I didn't do anything wrong, it is just the way it is. Animals are unpredictable and so is life.

Thanks for sharing.

Nope, it was all my fault. The two pens (Icelandic and one grow out), they escaped because I didn't latch the gate tightly enough behind me when I went in to fill feeders

I won't be getting those 5 hours of my life back and hopefully won't make that mistake again!

 

[tommysgirl]

how long has she been broody? i'm afraid if it's under a week, she may not accept the chicks -- but i suppose it can't hurt to try, if you're willing to raise them yourself if it doesn't work?

Sorry I thought I had answered that. its a week today and there are no chicks I want locally anyway which leaves me with this planVVVV

I have three broodies at the moment. Two hens in my egg flock, a BO is sitting on 5 NH eggs and a cuckoo marans hen is sitting on 12 Iowa Blue eggs. I could NOT get them to give up, so finally relented and gave them eggs. The eggs are well marked, so I just look under them a couple of times per day to make sure no one else has laid in with them.

I am picking up some local EE eggs this pm and Have a BO X and maybe a BRx to put under her too I will giver her 5-7 eggs leave her alone and see where it takes us. No colored egg layers yet so no need to mark the EE eggs. But thanks for the tip on the BO and BR.

laura I put another nest box in a dog crate in the run and the girls are showing interest. Vivian, my best layer just plopped herself down on top of Beakface and left her egg with her.

This has been a very educational week for me here. I only have 18 pullets/hens and I do not know how you all with a gazillion do it.

 

[debs_flock]

Quote:
Use a sharpie, pencil wears off from the normal broody movement. Although, I usually find you can figure out a brooded egg, they get shiny.