Consolidated Kansas

[cherwill]

Danz, so sorry about your rooster. He was gorgeous! Hoping he will show up later.

Something attacked my flock! I was driving into the farm and saw DH's helper waving at me frantically. I thought my DH was hurt so my heart sank. By the time I got there, I knew something was wrong with my flock. I saw globs of feathers every where. And blood! No chickens in sight... not a single chicken. I was trying to ask Charlito what happened but he speaks very little English and I don't speak Spanish. From his gesture, I thought he said there was a dog. As far as I know, the only dogs around that area is my neighbor's 2 dogs but I never saw them on our property and they certainly don't look like they care about the chickens. So I thought may be he was saying there was a fox or coyote or something. I went straight to the coop. Saw my rooster's comb got ripped and his left eye was bloody. Saw a hen with at least 2 gashes on her. The rest of the chickens were scared... really scared. They refused to go outside the coop. I did a quick headcout and so far, 4 are unaccounted for. I'm sick to my stomach. Every time I close my eyes, I see blood... blood every where. I put the rooster and the hen in the hospital bay. It took me a good 20 minutes before I could get his comb to stop bleeding. The hen lost a lot of blood as well. I tried to clean her up as best as I could and put triple antibiotic on her. I will need to go get some Vetrimycin eye gel for the rooster today. As bad as the hen looks, I think I will start her on penicillin so I can keep infection at bay.

I'm physically and emotionally drained. Never thought this will happen to my flock. They free range daily. I need to do some investigative work to make sure it is not my neighbor's dogs that killed my chickens. If it is a fox or coyote, I'm not sure how to prevent it from happening again since they free range during the day and there are 3 to 5 acres of land they roam daily. Does fox or coyote come out during broad daylight to prey? Are they this bolt and gutsy?

I'll also have DH talk to Charlito. See if he can describe what happened. I'm just glad that he was there and probably scared the predator away.

Kuan

I'm sorry about the attack; how awful. I hope you can find out what happened and how to prevent it in the future.

Good morning everyone , Newbie here . Mind if I join? We actually got our chicks last year from Orschielns (sp?) everything has gone pretty well coop is done , run is functional, love the eggs and really enjoy spoiling the girls,Then last weekend we were at Orsh. again and picked up 4 more. (2 sil.laced Wy. and 2Americanas) I'm sure there are a zillion posts on BYC that could answer any questions I have but thought how nice it would be to ask some folks who are actually in a similar environment( weather,soil,predators,ect..) So my first ?. How would any off you add these new four to the rest of the flock? right now they are in the garage in a big stock tank with a heat lamp and everything else. I know it will be a while yet ,and I don't want them to get picked on 3 months, 5 months? There are some picks on my profile page I'll have to wait till tech suport gets home from school to show me how to post here I have ADD brain when it comes to this kind of stuff. CIAO.

Welcome! We'd love to see the pics, and I have to laugh at your tech support coming home from school.

It may not matter to you, but your Ameraucanas are probably not true Ameraucanas. They're most likely what are known as Easter Eggers (EEs). They're not pure breds but will still lay colored eggs. I got four from Orscheln's last year. I didn't care if they were pure bred or not; I just wanted a colorful egg basket. Two of them lay eggs that are varying shades of blue/green, one lays pink eggs, one lays olive eggs with speckles.

In my very limited chicken wisdom, the closer in size your new birds are to the older ones when you introduce them, the better. The older ones will pick on the smaller ones. One thing we've been able to do when introducing younger birds to our older ones is to subdivide the pen. That way the younger ones are right next to the older ones and they can check each other out through a chicken wire fence. When you first put them together without a fence in between, watch to see what happens. There will likely be some chasing and pecking of the younger ones, but you should be able to tell if it's going to stop or if the older birds are really trying to hurt the younger ones. If it looks too bad, keep them separated a bit longer. Many of us have had good luck if we combine the birds at night, after the older ones have roosted. They all wake up together and everyone seems to think it's supposed to be that way. I've also noticed, with mine, the separate flocks will stay mostly separate for a long time after they're sharing the same yard, so don't worry if you see that.

 

[lizzyGSR]

An update on my two embden geese. I am pretty sure now that they are both geese

rather than one gander and one goose. I didn't get any eggs yesterday, not because they didn't lay but because I couldn't find WHERE they'd laid. I knew I was gonna get one egg when the geese disappeared, but I honestly had no idea where they'd gone... Today, I found two eggs in the dog cage inside the duck run (put the cage there initially when I added these two to the flock and never moved it - they like to lay in the straw in there). Then, they were spending lots of time by the tree line today, so I followed them over there and found two more eggs. That's six eggs in 3 days. I don't see how that's possible unless both birds are females. When I found the two eggs in the dog cage today, one of the geese was sitting on them. When I found two more in the tree line, there was a girl sitting on them (can't tell them apart) and the other bird was sitting on an empty nest. My DH says that I'm not allowed to have any more birds, so I can't afford to let the geese raise young'uns. Any tips on keeping my geese from going broody???

 

[sharol]

Welcome.

When I combined two groups, I had been keeping the new girls in a hoop coop in the yard where the older ones free ranged. They had been visiting through the wire for a couple of months before I put them together. I just opened the door to the hoop (they had been out before when the older girls were confined to the run) and let them out while the older girls were out in the yard. There was a little jostling for position, but no one was attacked. At the end of the day, all the chickens trooped into the run for treats and then into the coop.

I was surprised it was so easy. 8 months later (last spring) I did the same thing with an adult rooster that I was adding. Your results may vary, but it went really well for me.

Sharol

Good morning everyone , Newbie here . Mind if I join? We actually got our chicks last year from Orschielns (sp?) everything has gone pretty well coop is done , run is functional, love the eggs and really enjoy spoiling the girls,Then last weekend we were at Orsh. again and picked up 4 more. (2 sil.laced Wy. and 2Americanas) I'm sure there are a zillion posts on BYC that could answer any questions I have but thought how nice it would be to ask some folks who are actually in a similar environment( weather,soil,predators,ect..) So my first ?. How would any off you add these new four to the rest of the flock? right now they are in the garage in a big stock tank with a heat lamp and everything else. I know it will be a while yet ,and I don't want them to get picked on 3 months, 5 months? There are some picks on my profile page I'll have to wait till tech suport gets home from school to show me how to post here I have ADD brain when it comes to this kind of stuff. CIAO.

 

[middlechicken]

Sad to hear about your Gold laced rooster. I have one and two middle to elderly hens, not sure how old they are. We could be able to help each other. If you would lend me your hens I would breed them to my rooster and return them after I get enough chicks started. Of course, you could have your choice of some of the chicks. What do you think? I live in Derby and would be willing to meet you halfway. I spoil all my ducks and chickens. You would not have to worry about predators as my dogs let my chickens walk right between their legs. My dogs keep all the predators away and my pens are enclosed including the top.

 

[milomac]

Kuan my experience is if it is a coyote you will probably just lose a hen a day The neighbors dog or a fox love to kill and will kill all they can get. A fox dosent kill just to eat but lives to kill .. Yes they will all come in broad daylight moreso now as they have young

 

[Polishpal]

I was out petting my chickens today and it was nice just to have them around

 

[Blkpwdernut]

A fee of my flock being well, chickens

 

[sunflowerparrot]

I was out petting my chickens today and it was nice just to have them around

I have 6 little new pullets that I moved from the brooder to the main coop - they LOVE to be petted and loved on like no chickens I've ever had.. I understand exactly what you mean about having them around

 

[sunflowerparrot]

My BF and I just finished an awesome chicken tractor.. It's on skids and partly covered with tin roofing for shelter and the rest is coated chicken wire.. it is on the heavy side - but the 4-wheeler will be moving it around the yard.

I have a cayuga duck that has been sitting on 22 eggs for a little over a week now.. (maybe longer... I've lost track) Have 25 eggs in the incubator.. goslings are growing like weeds and getting along great with the ducks.. Hog pen is finished and will be getting a feeder pig with my farmer friend come July.. Seeds planted.. canning jars bought and getting ready to pickle cattail shoots with same friend I will be raising a pig with.. Life sure is good and this nice weather makes it even a little bit brighter!

 

[HEChicken]

Danz, so sorry about your rooster. He was gorgeous! Hoping he will show up later.

Something attacked my flock! I was driving into the farm and saw DH's helper waving at me frantically. I thought my DH was hurt so my heart sank. By the time I got there, I knew something was wrong with my flock. I saw globs of feathers every where. And blood! No chickens in sight... not a single chicken. I was trying to ask Charlito what happened but he speaks very little English and I don't speak Spanish. From his gesture, I thought he said there was a dog. As far as I know, the only dogs around that area is my neighbor's 2 dogs but I never saw them on our property and they certainly don't look like they care about the chickens. So I thought may be he was saying there was a fox or coyote or something. I went straight to the coop. Saw my rooster's comb got ripped and his left eye was bloody. Saw a hen with at least 2 gashes on her. The rest of the chickens were scared... really scared. They refused to go outside the coop. I did a quick headcout and so far, 4 are unaccounted for. I'm sick to my stomach. Every time I close my eyes, I see blood... blood every where. I put the rooster and the hen in the hospital bay. It took me a good 20 minutes before I could get his comb to stop bleeding. The hen lost a lot of blood as well. I tried to clean her up as best as I could and put triple antibiotic on her. I will need to go get some Vetrimycin eye gel for the rooster today. As bad as the hen looks, I think I will start her on penicillin so I can keep infection at bay.

I'm physically and emotionally drained. Never thought this will happen to my flock. They free range daily. I need to do some investigative work to make sure it is not my neighbor's dogs that killed my chickens. If it is a fox or coyote, I'm not sure how to prevent it from happening again since they free range during the day and there are 3 to 5 acres of land they roam daily. Does fox or coyote come out during broad daylight to prey? Are they this bolt and gutsy?

I'll also have DH talk to Charlito. See if he can describe what happened. I'm just glad that he was there and probably scared the predator away.

Oh no, how awful. I am so sorry you had this experience. My bet would be on fox - I had a fox attack last year and it was middle of the afternoon in summer - bright sun shining. Dogs will also kill multiple birds. I hope the injured birds get over the shock and recover from their injuries - please keep us posted.

Good morning everyone , Newbie here . Mind if I join? We actually got our chicks last year from Orschielns (sp?) everything has gone pretty well coop is done , run is functional, love the eggs and really enjoy spoiling the girls,Then last weekend we were at Orsh. again and picked up 4 more. (2 sil.laced Wy. and 2Americanas) I'm sure there are a zillion posts on BYC that could answer any questions I have but thought how nice it would be to ask some folks who are actually in a similar environment( weather,soil,predators,ect..) So my first ?. How would any off you add these new four to the rest of the flock? right now they are in the garage in a big stock tank with a heat lamp and everything else. I know it will be a while yet ,and I don't want them to get picked on 3 months, 5 months? There are some picks on my profile page I'll have to wait till tech suport gets home from school to show me how to post here I have ADD brain when it comes to this kind of stuff. CIAO.

I was going to answer your question about integration but others beat me to it and said what I was going to say anyway.

In my very limited chicken wisdom, the closer in size your new birds are to the older ones when you introduce them, the better. The older ones will pick on the smaller ones. One thing we've been able to do when introducing younger birds to our older ones is to subdivide the pen. That way the younger ones are right next to the older ones and they can check each other out through a chicken wire fence. When you first put them together without a fence in between, watch to see what happens. There will likely be some chasing and pecking of the younger ones, but you should be able to tell if it's going to stop or if the older birds are really trying to hurt the younger ones. If it looks too bad, keep them separated a bit longer. Many of us have had good luck if we combine the birds at night, after the older ones have roosted. They all wake up together and everyone seems to think it's supposed to be that way. I've also noticed, with mine, the separate flocks will stay mostly separate for a long time after they're sharing the same yard, so don't worry if you see that.

x2

When I combined two groups, I had been keeping the new girls in a hoop coop in the yard where the older ones free ranged. They had been visiting through the wire for a couple of months before I put them together. I just opened the door to the hoop (they had been out before when the older girls were confined to the run) and let them out while the older girls were out in the yard. There was a little jostling for position, but no one was attacked. At the end of the day, all the chickens trooped into the run for treats and then into the coop.

This is more or less what has worked for me too. As long as you have a lot of space, I haven't found there to be too many issues.