OK so this is going to sound pretty trippy but hey only I could manage such a thing.
In a year we have gone to having 2 chickens to 9 hens and 5 roosters. they all get on fine and no problems. They are all free rangers. The past couple of weeks we had 2 chickens and 1 chick taken by a **** fox which will be soon hanging on our fence. So When a fourth chicken went missing I was devo, I changed the hours of letting the chickens out for free range and rounding them up at night to go into the coup Mind you the coup has grown to a size of a two car garage so their is plenty of room for all.
Last night I heard tweeting, and clucking. Back tracking a bit here so we don't think I am a full tripper, 2 weeks ago during one of the attacks I bolted out of the house to take on the predator just to face plant the ground and shatter my collar bone. And yes it was worth it, we managed to save my little dookie (for the third **** time hahaha) and three of her babies, but unfortunately it took one of the babies. But Dookie is going great guns now even though she coped bight wounds on her back and her tail was pulled out.
So now fast forwarding to last night, I figured I was dreaming as I'm on strong pain management when I heard these sounds.
We have the chooks come in and out of the house all the time, so when one comes in to sun bath in the window it's nothing new. So If one was to hang around we wouldn't really notice. But when I awoke this morning lay and behold their is our little baby girl, Hope with I am not sure how many chick/s, twittering away. I was stoked, she wasn't taken, but that feeling quickly turned to oh crap now what to do.
Should I move them into a box. She is nesting in our bedroom, under a old fashion cradle in the corner of the room that you can't really see unless if you get down low and look. We are happy for her to stay their, but it's the only room in the house with carpet.
My thinking is that I put her into an in closed box in the same corner of the room with a towel. A set up as close as i can get to which she is in now. I am wanting to move the cradle as the legs of the cradle will make it extremely hard for the little tackers to get over and out, outside. I don't wish to put them in the coup with the others yet, and no way in hell build another coup and risk it not being predator proof.
Oh and just another point as this seems so wacky, is we have not found any chicken poop inside, that was a rule, they are welcome to be inside with us especially on extreme hot days, but as soon as they starting pooping every where, they are out, so again their was no trace or evidence pointing to a chicken nestling in our bedroom. She is a very quiet little girl, all of them are even the roosters who will crow once a day in the evenings. I am as shocked at this situation as probably most of you all will be reading this, but hey only I could manage for something like this happening! LOL.
Any advice on the next steps to take and how soon to be able to take them will be much appreciated and many thanks in advance.
In a year we have gone to having 2 chickens to 9 hens and 5 roosters. they all get on fine and no problems. They are all free rangers. The past couple of weeks we had 2 chickens and 1 chick taken by a **** fox which will be soon hanging on our fence. So When a fourth chicken went missing I was devo, I changed the hours of letting the chickens out for free range and rounding them up at night to go into the coup Mind you the coup has grown to a size of a two car garage so their is plenty of room for all.
Last night I heard tweeting, and clucking. Back tracking a bit here so we don't think I am a full tripper, 2 weeks ago during one of the attacks I bolted out of the house to take on the predator just to face plant the ground and shatter my collar bone. And yes it was worth it, we managed to save my little dookie (for the third **** time hahaha) and three of her babies, but unfortunately it took one of the babies. But Dookie is going great guns now even though she coped bight wounds on her back and her tail was pulled out.
So now fast forwarding to last night, I figured I was dreaming as I'm on strong pain management when I heard these sounds.
We have the chooks come in and out of the house all the time, so when one comes in to sun bath in the window it's nothing new. So If one was to hang around we wouldn't really notice. But when I awoke this morning lay and behold their is our little baby girl, Hope with I am not sure how many chick/s, twittering away. I was stoked, she wasn't taken, but that feeling quickly turned to oh crap now what to do.
Should I move them into a box. She is nesting in our bedroom, under a old fashion cradle in the corner of the room that you can't really see unless if you get down low and look. We are happy for her to stay their, but it's the only room in the house with carpet.
My thinking is that I put her into an in closed box in the same corner of the room with a towel. A set up as close as i can get to which she is in now. I am wanting to move the cradle as the legs of the cradle will make it extremely hard for the little tackers to get over and out, outside. I don't wish to put them in the coup with the others yet, and no way in hell build another coup and risk it not being predator proof.
Oh and just another point as this seems so wacky, is we have not found any chicken poop inside, that was a rule, they are welcome to be inside with us especially on extreme hot days, but as soon as they starting pooping every where, they are out, so again their was no trace or evidence pointing to a chicken nestling in our bedroom. She is a very quiet little girl, all of them are even the roosters who will crow once a day in the evenings. I am as shocked at this situation as probably most of you all will be reading this, but hey only I could manage for something like this happening! LOL.
Any advice on the next steps to take and how soon to be able to take them will be much appreciated and many thanks in advance.
