Diary & Notes ~ Air Cell Detatched SHIPPED Chicken Eggs for incubation and hatching

[bantamfarm]

When I first moved to Tn, my father hatched around 75 babies for me and I raised them from day old, as they got older I started letting them out of the coop and letting them free range. It worked out good for the first year, but then a couple of the neighbors dogs came in and cleaned me out in 5 minutes. I cried like a baby and swore I would never do it again. Here I am 10 years later and I am starting all over again. This time I am putting them in runs, no free ranging on my farm anymore, and hopefully with them being in the runs attached to the coops I won't have to worry about Chicken snakes getting my eggs.

 

[gracie02]

Haven't been on in a few days. Summer is just so busy for me. Hvae to go do mother-in-laws lawn this morning. But I charge her. Can buy a few bags of chick feed at least lol.

Have to candle eggs this morning. Day 14. Will fill yea in.

And the other morning!!!!! I let all the chickens out of there coop, feed and watered them. Then went back in and grabbed a cup of coffee. Was going to come in here and thought well it's nice out this morning I go have this cup of coffee on the deck and look at everybody. WELL, I walked outside and noticed in the back , the new area, that a leghorn was out running around. She flew the coop. And noticed all my other birds were acting really weird. I thought they had spotted another snake and was reacting to it. So I came back in and put my flip flops on and started walking down there to put the leghorn back in and guess what I see roaming my fence line!!!! A big Red Fox!!! So I grabbed my trusty 2x2 and started running down there, it seen me and took off in the woods. DAM thing!! I have never seen a fox here in the 13 years I had this lot. Freakin!!! Haven't seen it since. But now I'm worried. Those are all my new birds. I talked with an old timer who lost 4 roos to a fox, he said to put a small radio out there and have it playing when your not around. Foxes won't come any where near a human. And with the radio playing they think people are talking and around and won't come near the chickens. So I need to go get a cheap one. That's all I need to to have a fox eat my new, expensive birds. I might have to go searching for the den if need be. Now every time I walk out there I'm always looking back there to see if it's around. UUMMM!! At least for that time I know the fence did it's job. One good thing I guess. They can't get then at night, the big clean door is to high off the ground for the fox to jumup and then tear the chicken wire. So I'm guessing. I hope any way.

 

 

[gracie02]

Sorry for the double post...clumsy fingers. Foxes and other mammal predators have really good noses, so sometimes when we see coyote or tox tracks too close to our house or coop, my husband takes a dirty shirt and hangs it on a tree, and we pee around the perimeter of the open space in our yard. Well, we can do that here, lol!! Not many neighbors to see! Also, I have night eyes at the coop and on the run, which are solar powered and flash two red lights on and off to simulate another predator's eyes. Have only lost one bird, a little silkie :-(, last summer. Our bigger problem is black bears, trying to get at the grain in the pen. They are SO STRONG!! I have vinyl covered wire 6' high and zip tied to rebar and big trees with 1/4" poly rope and they just tear that stuff down to get in, so we wired it with electric fence that comes on at sundown (so I don't accidentally walk into it and get zapped). That did the trick. Now the bear makes his rounds and came and stood against our dining room glass door looking in to see if there were any goodies !!! OMG.

Hope Sally has a well deserved rest and break, hope OZ has safe travels and a happy BD party, hope everyone's struggling chickies pull through, and hope everyone has a good Friday!!

 

[sumi]

I got this note from DS's school today. I glanced at it and thought "What on earth did Sally do at X's school?" Then I twigged.

 

[NestingHillsSC]

When I first moved to Tn, my father hatched around 75 babies for me and I raised them from day old, as they got older I started letting them out of the coop and letting them free range. It worked out good for the first year, but then a couple of the neighbors dogs came in and cleaned me out in 5 minutes. I cried like a baby and swore I would never do it again. Here I am 10 years later and I am starting all over again. This time I am putting them in runs, no free ranging on my farm anymore, and hopefully with them being in the runs attached to the coops I won't have to worry about Chicken snakes getting my eggs.

 

[NestingHillsSC]

Was outside this morning after letting them all out. And I seen all the Brahmas running to one side of the fence. And sure enough there sttod the fox just out of the woods. Ran after it again but couldn't find it. But could see the trail it keeps coming out of. Guess going to have to buy some traps and hang a chicken 1/4 over it. It WILL NOT get my chickens. Never say never but ......

 

[NestingHillsSC]

Candled. out of 18 had to throw one out due to blood ring. So not bad. One is moving but way behind in development compared to the others. So will have to watch that one.

 

[NestingHillsSC]

Sorry for the double post...clumsy fingers. Foxes and other mammal predators have really good noses, so sometimes when we see coyote or tox tracks too close to our house or coop, my husband takes a dirty shirt and hangs it on a tree, and we pee around the perimeter of the open space in our yard. Well, we can do that here, lol!! Not many neighbors to see! Also, I have night eyes at the coop and on the run, which are solar powered and flash two red lights on and off to simulate another predator's eyes. Have only lost one bird, a little silkie :-(, last summer. Our bigger problem is black bears, trying to get at the grain in the pen. They are SO STRONG!! I have vinyl covered wire 6' high and zip tied to rebar and big trees with 1/4" poly rope and they just tear that stuff down to get in, so we wired it with electric fence that comes on at sundown (so I don't accidentally walk into it and get zapped). That did the trick. Now the bear makes his rounds and came and stood against our dining room glass door looking in to see if there were any goodies !!! OMG.

Hope Sally has a well deserved rest and break, hope OZ has safe travels and a happy BD party, hope everyone's struggling chickies pull through, and hope everyone has a good Friday!!

I put a scarecrow out there. Old shirt and hat. See what that does. Peeing not a problem here. lol tried that once for deer around my garden. They just knocked over the cup. lol Then eat all my beans.

**edited by Staff**

 

[mollybuck]

hi, sometime we use bar soap to help keep predators away. Deer dont seem to like the smell of irish spring, we would hang it on a tree or post and every once in a while rub it... cause the outside gets funky and it help renew the scent. I havent done it in a while though and it was mostly for deer. The fox here dont mind us, we had one run between us and our shed (about 15 feet apart) while we were sitting around a bonfire with our dogs...they will be our biggest problem.

 

[RenneRae]

Its been 36 hours since first pip on my seramas... one has hatched but not the other ones. I know I know... wait it out. But how long? My silk ies haven't even pipped yet. Sigh... this is taking too long for my nerves.