California - Northern

[PetRock]

I had a pair of hawks hunting in my backyard today. They come by every so often but today they just wouldn't leave. Twice I saw one of them fly from my cedar tree with a small bird in its talons. Most of my chickens were clustered under the bushes around my cherry tree and the rest were in the covered run. I knew each time that the hawks came back because several of the older hens would sound the warning call and not a chicken could be seen in the whole yard. There was also a murder of crows cawing up a storm and following the hawks from tree to tree. They took turns diving at the hawks. The hawks finally gave up and moved on. I never would have guessed that the day would come when I would be thankful for crows!

 

[PetRock]

The fishing line did not work. My pretty icelandic hen got it today.


I may be able to tighten the line. I had him trapped in the pen for a moment but before I could get at him he got out. I am suprised. I had the line angle like a net and would of thought he would of got tangled but the line had to much give.
I am going to try the t posts with barbed wire every foot apart. he can try that if he likes.
this has been pretty devastating . I have the rest of my empordanesa and penedesenca and now my only 2 icelandic's locked in the coop with food and water.
There is no way to fully close the tops of my runs and with the big one being so big.

I left a message with the game warden up here. hoping to get a call back soon.
It was pretty lengthy but in a nut shell.
Please come get the hawk. I am trying to protect my flock at all costs. If you can not come get the hawk. Please send my fine for eliminating the hawk to ....
I put it nicely and was not harsh.
you have a right to protect your property and your business

So sorry that you lost another hen. I let my flock free range my backyard and we see a pair of hawks in our trees every so often. The hawks have swooped at them a few times but never made contact. They are smaller hawks so I hope that they stick with catching song birds instead of my chickens.

 

[Hangtown Farms]

this guy is big and is not going to stop trying. once they know where the easy meal is they keep coming back

 

[Papa Brooder]

ron, update? update?

 

[cherylcohen]

Hatching Lavender marans, a tolbunt and a few partridge brahmas today...pipping!!

I've spent te last 2 1/2 days splitting pens and getting everything ready.... I got 9 boxes with 17 Gretchen Bare tolbunts in on Friday morning. WOW they are amazing.

 

[ronott1]

ron, update? update?

3 hatched Friday night. 14 have hatched now. there are 18 left in the incubator with at least 5 pips that I can see.

Gonna be a lot of Chicks LOL.

 

[lawatt]

this guy is big and is not going to stop trying. once they know where the easy meal is they keep coming back

is there any way you can add some vegetation to their run that they could hide under/inside? when mine are out free-ranging, they absolutely scurry under the coyote brush, which is so thick i don't think a hawk could follow them in there -- similarly i've planted a blackberry bush next to their coop...

 

[juststruttin]

Holy Moly.. i just counted the chicks in my brooder and there are 70!!! Yikes.... My last two incubations were not that successful, but I realized this time that one bator is a better hatcher than the others. Of 40 eggs, only 3 did not hatch after lock down, then 6 days later I put another 37 eggs in that same bator for lockdown and 33/37 hatched. I need to move these guys out to the barn brooder today but it is stormy and I am feeling lazy.

 

[ronott1]

Holy Moly.. i just counted the chicks in my brooder and there are 70!!! Yikes.... My last two incubations were not that successful, but I realized this time that one bator is a better hatcher than the others. Of 40 eggs, only 3 did not hatch after lock down, then 6 days later I put another 37 eggs in that same bator for lockdown and 33/37 hatched. I need to move these guys out to the barn brooder today but it is stormy and I am feeling lazy.

Your are using Geneses 1588 incubators? For mine, I leave the plug out and put a book on each side of the top. For hatching, try lowering the temp to 98.5. Some claim that they will hatch better if it is a bit cooler during lockdown. If you think about it, a hatched chick is supposed to be warmed to 95 degrees. At lockdown they are almost complete, so they do not need to be at 99.5.

Congratulations on the great hatches!

 

[cherylcohen]

Holy Moly.. i just counted the chicks in my brooder and there are 70!!! Yikes.... My last two incubations were not that successful, but I realized this time that one bator is a better hatcher than the others. Of 40 eggs, only 3 did not hatch after lock down, then 6 days later I put another 37 eggs in that same bator for lockdown and 33/37 hatched. I need to move these guys out to the barn brooder today but it is stormy and I am feeling lazy.

Wow what breeds? exciting woohoo