Cochin Thread!!!

[ki4got]

Quote: I also free range everyone not in specific breeding pens, of all ages fro about 4 weeks to adult, both LF and bantams. I'm fortunate that my property isn't very open, but wooded mountainside. the birds all have their favorite hangouts, primarily the blackberry hedge or the wild roses, but will also go under anything else available, including the trailer, boat, truck, or whatever. any time something large flies over, they all scatter at once. even if it's just a bluejay or crow. and the dogs are usually good at keeping away land-bound predators.

the dogs don't stay out all day, but are in and out, and even tho both have a pretty strong prey drive, they've been trained well enough that i trust them outside even with the smallest of the chicks.

 

[lilcrow]

I discovered this morning that I must not have actually latched the door to my shop when I closed it last night. EVERY one of my Black, Partridge,Silver Penciled chicks were killed last night. All of my birds under 5 weeks old. Also 5 good young Columbians and 3 Buff Columbians. I do have older Columbians and Buff Columbians in another place.

That coon will find out tonight that a mad old man with a good rifle is a deadly combo to mess with.

Now I have to hope the Blacks will lay again. The rest are laying well . I still have 60-70 older Columbians and 9 older Buff Columbians. Now I have to hatch later into the summer than I hoped to.
Craig

Oh my GOD Craig, I'm so sorry for the loss, I would be just sick. I've been very lucky as there have been a few times that I've missed locking a run and when I found it, was just horrified at myself. I hope you get the critter tonight so you don't have to loose another nights sleep. I'm sure he'll be back for another glut, he probably thinks he's found the mother lode.

 

[ki4got]

Quote:
good luck. i started looking into putting a laser sight on my .22 for night time predators. the scope doesn't work so well in low light, but if i can put the dot on it, that'll slow it down some. 8)

funny thing is, hubby discovered accidentally last year, raccoons are like cats when it comes to laser pointers. at least that one was. LOL it was a fatal mistake.

 

[Black Cochin Bantams]

Oh my GOD Craig, I'm so sorry for the loss, I would be just sick. I've been very lucky as there have been a few times that I've missed locking a run and when I found it, was just horrified at myself. I hope you get the critter tonight so you don't have to loose another nights sleep. I'm sure he'll be back for another glut, he probably thinks he's found the mother lode.

Thank you all for your concern.

It was my fault that the door was closed but not latched. It has tasted poultry so I have to get it before it gets into the coop where I have well over 100 birds. I had talked to Annamay on Saturday and at that time I had so many good young Blacks that I promised her some of them. Now I have to try to start all over. None will be ready for the fall shows but they should look good come next spring. I am particularly devastated over the Blacks and Silver Penciled. First time I have lost chicks like this and it bothers me more than I thought it would.
Craig

 

[JosieChick]

Thank you all for your concern.

It was my fault that the door was closed but not latched. It has tasted poultry so I have to get it before it gets into the coop where I have well over 100 birds. I had talked to Annamay on Saturday and at that time I had so many good young Blacks that I promised her some of them. Now I have to try to start all over. None will be ready for the fall shows but they should look good come next spring. I am particularly devastated over the Blacks and Silver Penciled. First time I have lost chicks like this and it bothers me more than I thought it would.
Craig

Ohh nooooo!! Craig, I am soooo sorry.

I lost a couple blue chicks last spring when I put them in a hutch that I thought they were safe in and a feral cat reached in a drug them through the openings of the mesh. So tragic, I am so, so very sorry. It is heart breaking to lose them and my heart goes out to you.

 

[dallas1]

Craig i feel your pain my friend bin there done that! good luck wacking the bandit...

 

[Black Cochin Bantams]

I will try to repost the idea of it from memory. I expanded on the original message.

I am truly sorry that I will not be able to give eggs to those I had hoped to this year. The ramifications of the carnage here today is that I will hatch all the eggs my hens will lay through August. I never sell eggs but have given eggs to several people I trust in the past and will do it again if the opportunity presents itself.

What follows was not part of the original post but part of the thought process.

I received a letter from a 4H girl yesterday that made me cry with joy. I gave her some eggs and starter birds. Since then her aunt has taken her to 3 shows. She worked so hard for the EIPA club at our Cochin Western National show last year and she did not yet have any Cochins. She made me realize how much it means to some people and how much I hate not being able to help anyone else with eggs this summer.
Craig

 

[Funky Feathers]

What did u delete? Please PM me, curiosity kills the cat, lol.

 

[ki4got]

What did u delete? Please PM me, curiosity kills the cat, lol.

cats? LOL you should have seen the herd of cows at the bottom of our road today. i swear their ears were going to fall off the fronts of their heads if they tried to perk them any harder.

someone was in the creek checking some netted areas, doing a 'river health survey' to see what kind of critters are living and growing in our area.

all 50+ black angus cows and calves staring so intently at the guy in waders, you could have walked up and knocked one over and had a domino effect on the rest.

 

[silkiesuz]

I discovered this morning that I must not have actually latched the door to my shop when I closed it last night. EVERY one of my Black, Partridge,Silver Penciled chicks were killed last night. All of my birds under 5 weeks old. Also 5 good young Columbians and 3 Buff Columbians. I do have older Columbians and Buff Columbians in another place.

That coon will find out tonight that a mad old man with a good rifle is a deadly combo to mess with.

Now I have to hope the Blacks will lay again. The rest are laying well . I still have 60-70 older Columbians and 9 older Buff Columbians. Now I have to hatch later into the summer than I hoped to.
Craig

How awful. That makes me sick, I'm so sorry for your loss. I have done things like that and you just wish you could replay the previous 24 hours. I will pray that you have lots of fertile eggs and a good hatch before summer's end