Cream Legbars

[lonnyandrinda]

Whoops- double post!

 

[Bama1]

LOL Perfect analogy!  Maybe you'll have to name her Cruella.

Cruella doesnt work though, too sweet. Besides that is Earlene Henny, my one and only preemie chick that hatched when we had that tornado power outage. The polish is her BFF i bought from the neighbor so she wouldnt be alone. I bought the other two, a pair over in Georgia a few weeks later. I have 9 eggs in the incubator, started with 15. Lockdown is Sunday.

 

[ChicKat]

Newest little guy, the only one of 6 eggs. Hope he grow up beautiful, I am not thrilled with any of the other boys I have.





RIP Grace, so sorry that she is gone - a great little hen

Thanks for the condolences.

That chick - will grow up to be FABULOUS!!!! Looks like he has the beginnings of a straight little comb, and his tiny legs and feet are starting to get yellowish. He has a cream underbelly, and a cream headspot, and the sought after silvery down.... Keep us apprised of the development with lots of pictures. :O)

 

[ChicKat]

I am always trying to outsmart predators, how am I supposed to know? I would appreciate shared advice/experiences. If I can find it, there was a good resource that explained some predator habits...

Thanks again everyone for your kind thoughts.

I had purchased one of those assemble-it-yourself little coops as TSC - you basically bolt it together. It seemed to have everything I needed to house Ms.Broody and her chicks for awhile. Pull out poop tray - two doors into the attached run which was 1/4" hardware cloth, ramp to the little door, roosting area, and external nest box with a lid you can lift, slanting roof for shade and rain repelling over the little run etc. I hadn't latched the lid, but it was too heavy and tall for a raccoon to get.

What I never thought of was the floor of the external nesting area. It is a piece of thin board - There is a center divider and thus on either side two nest boxes. The nesting box bolts on and the floor sits on the bottom of the nesting box held by gravity -- What I didn't realize is since it isn't screwed into place, the raccoon got on the porch, under the floor of the external nest box--- pushed up one edge and gained access to the coop. I think I would have traded all my other chickens for these 5....but I lost them all. I'm quite sick about it. The wooden guide/runner that holds the divider between the two nest boxes got broken. -- although I trapped the raccoon - (not knowing again if there is more than one ) and the raccoon is dispatched, it is no consolation. Between snakes and raccoons... I'm pretty devastated.

Bottom line, and maybe to save other's chickens if you have one of those external nesting boxes....and if you have predators like I do, then screw the floor of the nesting box in so that it can't be bumped or pushed up.

Guess I have to add, that for my circumstances out here in the wilds, I need to get electric fence - and maybe dog-kennel type chain link. dunno. I have heard raccoons can untie chain-link.

 

[KPenley]

Raccoons can untie chainlink? I might have the same coop for the Silkies. We're going to cut two strips of 2x2 and screw them down on the inside sides to prevent raccoon push up. Thank you for being willing to share your heartbreaking experience with us, hopefully it will help save the lives of countless future chicks..

 

[heirloomorps]

Thanks again everyone for your kind thoughts.  

I had purchased one of those assemble-it-yourself little coops as TSC - you basically bolt it together.  It seemed to have everything I needed to house Ms.Broody and her chicks for awhile.  Pull out poop tray - two doors into the attached run which was 1/4" hardware cloth, ramp to the little door, roosting area, and external nest box with a lid you can lift, slanting roof for shade and rain repelling over the little run etc.  I hadn't latched the lid, but it was too heavy and tall for a raccoon to get.  

What I never thought of was the floor of the external nesting area.  It is a piece of thin board - There is a center divider and thus on either side two nest boxes. The nesting box bolts on and the floor sits on the bottom of the nesting box held by gravity -- What I didn't realize is since it isn't screwed into place, the raccoon got on the porch, under the floor of the external nest box--- pushed up one edge and gained access to the coop.   I think I would have traded all my other chickens for these 5....but I lost them all.  I'm quite sick about it.  The wooden guide/runner that holds the divider between the two nest boxes got broken.  --   although I trapped the raccoon - (not knowing again if there is more than one ) and the raccoon is dispatched, it is no consolation.  Between snakes and raccoons... I'm pretty devastated.  

Bottom line, and maybe to save other's chickens if you have one of those external nesting boxes....and if you have predators like I do, then screw the floor of the nesting box in so that it can't be bumped or pushed up.  

Guess I have to add, that for my circumstances out here in the wilds, I need to get electric fence - and maybe dog-kennel type chain link.  dunno.  I have heard raccoons can untie chain-link.  

We have a nesting box like that on a couple of our coops. I never even THOUGHT about a raccoon being able to get in that way. Guess I have some work to do this week. Thanks so much for the tip and sorry for your loss.

 

[Flaming Chicken]

Raccoons can untie chainlink? I might have the same coop for the Silkies. We're going to cut two strips of 2x2 and screw them down on the inside sides to prevent raccoon push up. Thank you for being willing to share your heartbreaking experience with us, hopefully it will help save the lives of countless future chicks..

I have never heard of them untying chain link. But I know that they can tear through chicken wire. The bottom few feet of my runs are now reinforced with hardware cloth. I have had a bear tear hardware cloth. My best defense there is to not leave food near the wire and make sure everything is securely attached to the ground.

 

[CibolaChooks]

Raccoons can untie chainlink? I might have the same coop for the Silkies. We're going to cut two strips of 2x2 and screw them down on the inside sides to prevent raccoon push up. Thank you for being willing to share your heartbreaking experience with us, hopefully it will help save the lives of countless future chicks..

yes i find this works with coyote and bobcat also. i use 2by6 all the way around the bottom of my coup/pens fencing . the stiff board seems to throw them off and they cant feel a weekness at the base so they dont try to get under. except i run mine around the outside and use staples to attach the fence to it from the inside. its stronger for pulling and lifting. I had a bobcat lift the fence and pull a chicken out in the only spot i didnt have 2 by 6 and since i finished the boarder off ive had no problems.

 

[CibolaChooks]

I have never heard of them untying chain link. But I know that they can tear through chicken wire. The bottom few feet of my runs are now reinforced with hardware cloth. I have had a bear tear hardware cloth. My best defense there is to not leave food near the wire and make sure everything is securely attached to the ground.

I use cattle panels and since its a 6by6 square i then cover the panels with horse fence. no coon can tear horse fence. also with a wood roof and boards around the base my peeps are pretty secure.

 

[normanack]

What is horse fence? I want that.