AAARRGH! I am SO mad! Really tired of losing chicks! I lost one of my Marans chicks 4 days after I got them, then another (which was also showing the same symptoms as the first) died Saturday night. I had told my husband that when it died I was going to send it to UC Davis so I could figure out what's going on. But he disposed of it in some bushes in the orchard because we had all 5 of our grandkids (from ages 18 months to 11 years) over for the weekend and he didn't want the kids to see the dead chickie! I've had these chicks in the garage and would really like to get them up to the grow out pen up where the other chickens are (and out of my husbands garage) but need to know what happened and if they're contagious!
In the last two weeks I also lost two chicks that drowned in these short tubs we use for water. They're for the horses but all the chickens prefer them for water. I'm not sure why the chicks couldn't get out. The soft down must soak the water up quickly....anyway, THEN last night I go up to put the chickens away and the raccoon that routinely destroys the feed room in the barn trying to get the cat food came running out. He's a regular and there is a battle going on between him and my husband as to how dexterous a raccoon actually is! Most of time I can't even get the dang lid off myself but the raccoon mostly wins. One of my broodies went broody in the hay stall in our barn. She's been in there for over two months and previously the raccoon had preferred cat food. Well, last night I brought the cat food into the house so my husband can rethink his battle.....the raccoon decided he'd have chicken for dinner last night and ate ALL three of my broodies babies! And these were my only EE's who I had planned to add any pullets to my egg producers for my egg customers, as well as the Marans of which the 4 left I think only one is a pullet.
So now I have a broody running around crying for her babies, which is enough to break the hardest of hearts!
Before all this happened we discussed last night that we need to set the trap but were tired after having all the grandkids and decided to set it tonight.
I also heard two loud thumps but didn't investigate because I thought it was the horses kicking the stalls. It was the raccoon knocking stuff over trying to get up on the wall and over into the stall the broody and her chicks were in!
Really? It's only Monday? That's 7 chicks in two weeks!
Hi guys! How is everyone? My Basque chicks came down with cocci on Friday. Only one showed symptoms (very poofy.) I put Corid in their water and everyone is fine now! Thanks to everyone's advice, I had it on hand!
I went to the ranch today to see my big chickens and guess what I found?? Our first egg!! I don't know if it was laid by our Silver Penciled Plymouth Rocks or our Basques but dang it's adorable!
1. build more pens! 23? is not enough..
2. Stop looking at other peoples chickens. This includes Green Fire Farms. Use a site blocker.
3. Give me the big incubator you have and go back to the genesis
