So, I have 4 mamas on nests. two just started yesterday, and the other two - one has week old chicks, the other has been hatching out since wednesday. The two with chicks are in an enclosed area, seperated..
Well.. The one hen with the week old babies found a spot she could sneak into the other hens enclosure..
Basically I took a corner of the run, and put chicken wire from one wall to the other to create a closed in triangle. I then put a board down the middle and a tarp across the top & around the outside walls. This tarp keeps the mommas dry and free from too much wind. The bigger hen, who has the week olds, found a way between tarp and wood to get into other side, and her babies got across by sneaking under the wire that goes across the food area which makes it so I can have one big dish, that sits half on each side.
Well mama two, the little one.. hatched out 3 or 4 babies since wednesday... I found one dead this morning when i went to feed all the chickens.. and then I went to grab a few blocks of dog food from freezer and noticed her back on the wrong side again, so i threw her back into her side and found that she was getting out between tarp and the chicken wire that goes across the top to keep predators out..
I also noticed another dead baby, and one bleeding around the neck but still alive. it was twitching, so I picked it up and it pulled its legs in and looked at me, tried to lift its head up. It's still breathing and theres no more blood coming out, but there is a wound on its neck.. I put it under its mama and made sure there was no way the other mom could get out again.
Do you think it will make it?
I think that the little mom only has 1 chick out of 4 now, with 3 more eggs under her.. but that 1 chick might be one from the big beotch hen. I'm so sad..
I might have to go out on monday and find a few chicks if her last eggs don't hatch so she will stop sitting.. I am going to move her to a new enclosure later today if the other mom figures a new way into the little moms part again.
It's just my other enclosure is very small compared to the current one.. but it's safe, so it may be necessary.
Well.. The one hen with the week old babies found a spot she could sneak into the other hens enclosure..
Basically I took a corner of the run, and put chicken wire from one wall to the other to create a closed in triangle. I then put a board down the middle and a tarp across the top & around the outside walls. This tarp keeps the mommas dry and free from too much wind. The bigger hen, who has the week olds, found a way between tarp and wood to get into other side, and her babies got across by sneaking under the wire that goes across the food area which makes it so I can have one big dish, that sits half on each side.
Well mama two, the little one.. hatched out 3 or 4 babies since wednesday... I found one dead this morning when i went to feed all the chickens.. and then I went to grab a few blocks of dog food from freezer and noticed her back on the wrong side again, so i threw her back into her side and found that she was getting out between tarp and the chicken wire that goes across the top to keep predators out..
I also noticed another dead baby, and one bleeding around the neck but still alive. it was twitching, so I picked it up and it pulled its legs in and looked at me, tried to lift its head up. It's still breathing and theres no more blood coming out, but there is a wound on its neck.. I put it under its mama and made sure there was no way the other mom could get out again.
Do you think it will make it?
I think that the little mom only has 1 chick out of 4 now, with 3 more eggs under her.. but that 1 chick might be one from the big beotch hen. I'm so sad..
I might have to go out on monday and find a few chicks if her last eggs don't hatch so she will stop sitting.. I am going to move her to a new enclosure later today if the other mom figures a new way into the little moms part again.
It's just my other enclosure is very small compared to the current one.. but it's safe, so it may be necessary.
