d'Uccle Cult

[Gammas Bearded Babies]

Yes, at times..but only when there's been a change of personnel in the flock, or someone's been "away" being broody. Its short lived though. But I'd get some blue kote to block out any red blood since they're drawn to it. And you know Elsa has had some seriously long moments.. all calm at the moment, but that's why i keep the mini coop, as a look but don't touch jail. Is there a male perhaps in there disrupting the peace?

There was...Coco a 6 month old cochin boy. I rehomed him and his hatchmate last weekend.
Then this has ensued since then.
I've also noticed the 3 d'uccles taking over roosting inside the coop...which they have never actually done other than to get a treat and jump down.
But they are pecking all the other cochins off the roost.
So based on the change within the flock, you think this is short-term and will work itself out?

 

[AngBantamLuv]

There was...Coco a 6 month old cochin boy. I rehomed him and his hatchmate last weekend.
Then this has ensued since then.
I've also noticed the 3 d'uccles taking over roosting inside the coop...which they have never actually done other than to get a treat and jump down.
But they are pecking all the other cochins off the roost.
So based on the change within the flock, you think this is short-term and will work itself out?

Yes, the cochins will settle things soon enough. If it gets bad, you might want to put a divider of some sort, just for a short while (but where they can still see each other). But if it's not too horrible, just wait it out.

How about extra outside time, or fresh veggies as a distraction?

 

[Gammas Bearded Babies]

Yes, the cochins will settle things soon enough. If it gets bad, you might want to put a divider of some sort, just for a short while (but where they can still see each other). But if it's not too horrible, just wait it out.

How about extra outside time, or fresh veggies as a distraction?

Yeah the d'uccles don't come to me on their own whenever they've gotten out before and nearly got taken up by a hawk right in front of me.
Hawks are extremely bad here during the day with me even out there with em.
I have been giving them lots of fresh veges and even swept up some pine needles and what not from the road yesterday to give em something to do...they luved that!
But then went right back at it on the roost bars at bedtime.
I may need to add another roost bar that is shorter.

 

[AngBantamLuv]

Yeah the d'uccles don't come to me on their own whenever they've gotten out before and nearly got taken up by a hawk right in front of me.
Hawks are extremely bad here during the day with me even out there with em.
I have been giving them lots of fresh veges and even swept up some pine needles and what not from the road yesterday to give em something to do...they luved that!
But then went right back at it on the roost bars at bedtime.
I may need to add another roost bar that is shorter.

Yes, that might help. Mine separate at night by breed. The silkie and polkie sleep in the doorway (i dont get it), the D'uccles and Elsa sleep on the 6' long roost, squeezed in together, of couse. Then the polish sleep at the highest roost or in the nest boxes, because they have the largest poops, of course. But there's lots of space to get away from each other.

 

[WVduckchick]

Yeah the d'uccles don't come to me on their own whenever they've gotten out before and nearly got taken up by a hawk right in front of me.
Hawks are extremely bad here during the day with me even out there with em.
I have been giving them lots of fresh veges and even swept up some pine needles and what not from the road yesterday to give em something to do...they luved that!
But then went right back at it on the roost bars at bedtime.
I may need to add another roost bar that is shorter.

I had a hawk kill one of my porcelains thru the chicken wire yesterday! I found her laying dead, with her head partially pecked, when I came home from work. Checked my camera replay and he flew into my duck pen, thru the gate, and landed next to the porcelain pen. The hen tried to fight with him thru the fence, I guess the hawk caught her with a talon and killed her. No one else was hurt, the hawk stayed about 20 minutes and flew away, I guess it realized it wasn’t going to get the body.

 

[AngBantamLuv]

I had a hawk kill one of my porcelains thru the chicken wire yesterday! I found her laying dead, with her head partially pecked, when I came home from work. Checked my camera replay and he flew into my duck pen, thru the gate, and landed next to the porcelain pen. The hen tried to fight with him thru the fence, I guess the hawk caught her with a talon and killed her. No one else was hurt, the hawk stayed about 20 minutes and flew away, I guess it realized it wasn’t going to get the body.
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Poor baby, im so sorry you lost your pretty porcelain That hawk was definitely determined. Is the area it came in from a spot you can block?

I think there is a large hawk nest nearby, a new one. Im seeing them flying over, even coming down pretty close when im in the yard with the chickens. They are locked in their run 24x7, except for the 15 mins that i stand outside with them. The crazy thing is, i check the skies before i let them out, but once I let them out, boom, there's hawks. So i think they have a vantage point that isn't necessarily close enough for me to see, but where they can see my yard. I know from posts like these, that they can be fast, so I'm getting nervous. I wonder what activity is happening when I'm not out there.. i have a camera somewhere, i need to hook it up.

The chickens seem to understand, when i see the hawks (and they do too), they come running back into the run when i call them. Any other time, and its like corralling crazy cats.

 

[Gammas Bearded Babies]

I had a hawk kill one of my porcelains thru the chicken wire yesterday! I found her laying dead, with her head partially pecked, when I came home from work. Checked my camera replay and he flew into my duck pen, thru the gate, and landed next to the porcelain pen. The hen tried to fight with him thru the fence, I guess the hawk caught her with a talon and killed her. No one else was hurt, the hawk stayed about 20 minutes and flew away, I guess it realized it wasn’t going to get the body.
View attachment 3375756View attachment 3375758

Oh no! I'm so sorry!!! Hawks are so bad and determined!
@AngBantamLuv mine are all in the run 24/7 too...I feel badly for em especially right now cuz.the run is wrapped.in clear and white tarps with our weather the past month or so. I.know they are dieing to get outside cause they are all piled at the run door when I go down.
I check the skies too before I let one or two out on a pretty day and same here...clear sky then in less than 5 mons there's a hawk or buzzards!
My brother said they can see for miles so I guess that maybe why we can't see em til they are right overhead.

 

[Gammas Bearded Babies]

Duh...I swear I gotta be the dingiest!
It just dawned on me I could prop the run door open while I stand over the babies and let em enjoy some sunshine!
No hawks were in sight...for 10 mins!
But I'm hoping this will help the d'uccles with their vit D.and layin since the run is all wrapped and no sun gets in much.

20230115_125030.mp4

• Gammas Bearded Babies
• Jan 15, 2023

 

[WVduckchick]

Poor baby, im so sorry you lost your pretty porcelain That hawk was definitely determined. Is the area it came in from a spot you can block?

I think there is a large hawk nest nearby, a new one. Im seeing them flying over, even coming down pretty close when im in the yard with the chickens. They are locked in their run 24x7, except for the 15 mins that i stand outside with them. The crazy thing is, i check the skies before i let them out, but once I let them out, boom, there's hawks. So i think they have a vantage point that isn't necessarily close enough for me to see, but where they can see my yard. I know from posts like these, that they can be fast, so I'm getting nervous. I wonder what activity is happening when I'm not out there.. i have a camera somewhere, i need to hook it up.

The chickens seem to understand, when i see the hawks (and they do too), they come running back into the run when i call them. Any other time, and its like corralling crazy cats.

The gates to most of my chicken pens are inside the duck pen. I had let the ducks out, so I leave that gate open. I’m not sure where my ducks were at the time. Hawks usually don’t make it thru the gate, and this is the first one that has made its way back out. It’s a small young one. But he is determined alright. I’ve known that other predators have grabbed chickens through wire, but this is the first hawk I’ve seen able to do it. I guess he caught her just right.

 

[AngBantamLuv]

Oh no! I'm so sorry!!! Hawks are so bad and determined!
@AngBantamLuv mine are all in the run 24/7 too...I feel badly for em especially right now cuz.the run is wrapped.in clear and white tarps with our weather the past month or so. I.know they are dieing to get outside cause they are all piled at the run door when I go down.
I check the skies too before I let one or two out on a pretty day and same here...clear sky then in less than 5 mons there's a hawk or buzzards!
My brother said they can see for miles so I guess that maybe why we can't see em til they are right overhead.

Ugh, there are 2 black vultures that keep landing on the chimney on the house to the side of mine, that's in addition to the new hawk nest. I think its 2 blocks downhill from me. But... then today. I saw one circling and trying to land (maybe it did) in the tree next door! I wonder if they are scoping out my chickens specifically It's roofed, but I swear they know what a coop is for!