Could today be any worse? - some help please

[angel8035]

Well I had 13 one month old chicks in a crate on the back porch with a heat lamp on. So I should have known better, but I figured on the back porch with the lights on and me getting up constantly through out the night to feed my baby they'd be safe. Checked on them at 1 and they were fine. Got up at 3:30 and looked out to see the crate tipped over and the door ripped off. I open the patio door to see what happened and what do I see? A giant black bear comes wandering from behind my garage and goes lumbering up the hill behind my house, giving me a departing glance.

I wait a few minutes and then crack the door to see if there are any sounds of life from the crate - nothing. I can hear the bear in the bushes, though,and it's too dark to see so I just have to wait until light to do a full search. Once daylight breaks and the bear is nowhere to be seen, I go out and start doing a search of the whole area. All I find are pieces of my babies everywhere I'm about to give up but I walk a little further and find my baby buff brahma hunkered down in the dirt away from the house. I grabbed her and put her in the house. She seems fine - a few scratches on her feet and she got wet when the waterer tipped over I think. I looked her over and don't see any bites or anything. Well I decided to walk even further from the house to see if anyone else got away.

As I'm walking back around the front of the house the little splash Andalusian chick goes flying from the bushes and down the steep hill in front of my house into the thick thorny bramble bushes! I climbed down the hill as best I could and looked around but I don't know where she went. Now this is even worse than the bear because I know she's out there still alive but I can't find her and don't know how to catch her. She's never been outside before so I doubt she will come back to the house.

ANY ideas on what to do? We have a plethra of wildlife here and I doubt she will last the day out there - plus it will be 100 degrees and she doesn't have water. Help?!

 

[wasntme]

Did you ever find the chick that went into the bramble bushes? So sorry this happened! How's your Buff Brahma doing? I read this story earlier in the day and haven't forgotten about it. Figured I check back to see if you had any new news. Sorry about your loss. How horrifying.

 

[Ole and Lena]

put out a feed and water dish and watch. I know you're in Kalifornia so it may be difficult, but you live in bear country, own a shotgun and slugs or OO buck.

 

[4 the Birds]

Hope you find your lost chick(s)!

I would brood your chicks in a crate that is in the garage or in the house. Chirping chicks outside on the porch is an invitation to predators and it is much easier to control temperatures and conditions inside. After 5 or 6 weeks, you can move them outside to a secure coop.

 

[angel8035]

Thanks, this was the first night they had been moved out of the house. They were feathered enough and the weather is mild enough here that they were fine with temperature, but it was definitely a mistake assuming the lights and sounds of the people right inside the door would deter nosy animals. Luckily my husband was able to track down the missing chick. Two survivors out of 13 - after seeing the gory mess left behind it is amazing these two (hereafter named Lucky and Miracle) survived with nary a scratch. I have some slightly older chicks already segregated down at the coop (which consequently is wrapped in enough electric wire to put down a moose) so these two will wait a few more weeks in the house until they are big enough to go down and join the other chicks.

Live and learn - no chickens allowed outside the electric wire ever again!

 

[settingdusk]

I would keep searching until your sure there are only two survivors. I found chicks days later crying and recovered them. Just found 3 lost quail this morning. I waited to here them cry and tracked them down.

 

[settingdusk]

Oh, and get a gun. That bear will definitely be back since he found food.

 

[JanetS]

So sorry for you loss but glad you were able to save two of them. Love the names.

 

[angel8035]

I would keep searching until your sure there are only two survivors. I found chicks days later crying and recovered them. Just found 3 lost quail this morning. I waited to here them cry and tracked them down.

I have been making walks around the house and surrounding areas, but if they are there they are very quiet. There are 3 that I haven't found any trace of (alive or dead) so I do have a little hope that they may be out there but I don't know how far they could have gone and if they went down the hill I may never find them. I will keep looking though, you have given me some hope!

 

[angel8035]

Oh, and get a gun. That bear will definitely be back since he found food.

Yes, he is probably the same one that messed with our big coop right after we moved in (prompting the installation of the electric fence). The good thing is that when I opened the door he took off up the hill so he hasn't been completely desensitized to people. It also means my electric fence must be working because the coop has not been disturbed since it went in and there are plenty of noisy chickens in it. My husband's got a couple of guns that would take care of the situation if the need arises, but I prefer to deter the bear rather than killing. It is my fault, after all, for providing it an easy meal. I knew there were lots of predators in the area, and I was prepared for racoons, bobcats and even cougars. I just didn't realize there would be huge bears so close to home!