Goslings of 2014 Hatch-a-long

[ChickDancer]

Hey all, been so busy it is hard to keep up with the chatting. But I love all of the pictures of your beautiful birds and their babies!!

Not too much to report at my place. The babies (3 ducks and 3 geese) hatched by their mommas are all doing well. I have two African eggs on day 15 in my bator and my main breeder dewlap goose finally went broody on a full clutch of eggs a couple of days ago.

Due to the fox problem (it has now gotten three muscovies and one African), we implemented operation secure birds while we get the necessary equipment and help to catch the nasty predator. Our remaining scovies and the geese raising babies are in small pens in my house and garage and the rest of the african group get locked up at night in our garage on our horse property. We are also locking up our cats at night, just to be on the extra safe side. They are not thrilled about the new routine, but they will get over it.

we catch the fox soon!!

You and I have the same exact issue - and apparently the same plan (see previous pic of my new pens). I just ordered a spring trap from Amazon last night,due to arrive on Wednesday, May 28th. The fox here has taken one bird a day (SO FAR all chickens) except the days they were all properly locked up. But on one of those two days, I found claw marks at the edge of a pen where he apparently tried to dig in or dig a chick out. And since most of the chickens are full-size large-fowl (except one) including my huge rooster, Skeeter (who's loss I can STILL tear up over), I'm starting to think it may be a momma fox with kits. But screw it, I'm not letting them feast on my babies! Spring trap it is!

Both live traps were also cleaned up and reset, and Operation New Pen is in full swing!

 

[psue]

sorry to hear of all the fox problems.. it's hard to keep everyone safe.

Serv. you have a beautiful set up and birds. I bet everyone is glad to be back as one big flock

4 Embden and 1 Buff dewlap toulouse this week here. I've quit setting eggs so only 3 more weeks and I turn everything off. Marie has decided to join Napoleon on the nest, but she's acting more in a protector role (poor ducks

). I need to candle those and see if they are growing. I have a hen and a scovie hen also on nest... so lots of babies to come.

 

[RURU]

I sure hate to hear when anyone has lost any birds to foxes, raccoons, or any predator....!!!! I am sorry for your loss and hope you can catch the fox. If you do keep setting the trap because where there is one more will follow....

 

[servpolice]

I bet they do!  They look so regal.  Beautiful there, free-ranging.  How are things going with those magpies, crows, etc?

They crows babies arent in their nests anymore so im seeing less of these birds

 

[ChickDancer]

I sure hate to hear when anyone has lost any birds to foxes, raccoons, or any predator....!!!! I am sorry for your loss and hope you can catch the fox. If you do keep setting the trap because where there is one more will follow....

Especially if it's true that the one terrorizing my birds really is raising kits...

 

[Starfire669]

Hey all, been so busy it is hard to keep up with the chatting.  But I love all of the pictures of your beautiful birds and their babies!!

Not too much to report at my place.  The babies (3 ducks and 3 geese) hatched by their mommas are all doing well.  I have two African eggs on day 15 in my bator and my main breeder dewlap goose finally went broody on a full clutch of eggs a couple of days ago.

Due to the fox problem (it has now gotten three muscovies and one African), we implemented operation secure birds while we get the necessary equipment and help to catch the nasty predator.  Our remaining scovies and the geese raising babies are in small pens in my house and garage and the rest of the african group get locked up at night in our garage on our horse property.  We are also locking up our cats at night, just to be on the extra safe side.  They are not thrilled about the new routine, but they will get over it.   we catch the fox soon!!

So sorry for your losses. I hope you catch that marauding fox soon!

 

[Starfire669]

You and I have the same exact issue - and apparently the same plan (see previous pic of my new pens). I just ordered a spring trap from Amazon last night,due to arrive on Wednesday, May 28th. The fox here has taken one bird a day (SO FAR all chickens) except the days they were all properly locked up. But on one of those two days, I found claw marks at the edge of a pen where he apparently tried to dig in or dig a chick out. And since most of the chickens are full-size large-fowl (except one) including my huge rooster, Skeeter (who's loss I can STILL tear up over), I'm starting to think it may be a momma fox with kits. But screw it, I'm not letting them feast on my babies! Spring trap it is!


Both live traps were also cleaned up and reset, and Operation New Pen is in full swing!


 

I hope you get them. Have you caught site of the fox? Maybe you could shoot it. I'd still set the trap, not knowing if/how old the kits are just to be safe. But shoot the dang thing and put it out of your misery quick.

 

[ChickDancer]

I hope you get them. Have you caught site of the fox? Maybe you could shoot it. I'd still set the trap, not knowing if/how old the kits are just to be safe. But shoot the dang thing and put it out of your misery quick.

I have seen it four times since moving in to my sister's house here. But we can't keep any guns on the property because of my mentally retarded nephew. So I've got to trap it somehow, and get rid of it another way.

 

[Starfire669]

I have seen it four times since moving in to my sister's house here. But we can't keep any guns on the property because of my mentally retarded nephew. So I've got to trap it somehow, and get rid of it another way.

I keep my guns in either a gun safe for the shotgun or a gun lockbox for my 9mm because of my boys. Something that could be worth looking into. If not, that fox has eaten chicken could you bait the trap with chicken blood? Like from your families dinner? May get it in that way.

 

[Miss Lydia]

J so sorry for all your losses this year and sure hope you can catch this killer, do you know for sure it's a fox? glad everyone is being locked up for their own protection.