Half my flock decimated...;-(

[robcam817]

Raised those girls from day old....;-( They free range during the day. Came home yesterday to find 1 mostly eaten carcass in the drive and 4 of the other hens are MIA. Dogs, coyotes, who knows.... I'm left with 2 Roosters and 4 Hens, (Black Australorps). Called McMurray hatchery today and ordered 6 pullets. Just don't have the time right now to raise babies... Other than keeping them in the vicinity but separate from the original flock for a few weeks, is there anything else I should know/do?

I guess an alternative would be to just let one or 2 of the females hatch a brood. If the girls are sitting on the eggs does that mean they've been fertilized? How do you know if they're sitting on fertilized eggs or not fertilized? Those roosters are getting busy all day everyday but I guess it's possible there's a chance the eggs aren't fertilized.

Once they hatch are they mostly self sustaining? Much thx in advance.

-rob in NW Montana

 

[wyoDreamer]

If your birds are broody and trying to sit on eggs, I would let them. Let nature do the work.

Next time you use some of your fresh eggs, look for the bulls-eye on the yolk to get an idea of if they are fertilized or not.

If they are broody and trying to sit on eggs, you can buy day-old chicks and slip them under the hen at night and she will most likely raise them for you. Again, let nature do the work - just cutting out the wait for the eggs to develop into chicks.

I, personally, would go with option 2 - because I have no patience for waiting.

 

[wyoDreamer]

Forgot to add:

I am sorry that you lost 1/2 of your flock. Hopefully, the missing ones are jsut in hiding and will show up soon.
Half eaten carcass in the driveway sounds like dog to me.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Sorry for your loss. The hens do not know whether the eggs are fertile or not. They will sit on golf balls if they go broody, or on an empty nest. Broodiness is determined by hormonal changes in the hen.

 

[centrarchid]

Raised those girls from day old....;-( They free range during the day. Came home yesterday to find 1 mostly eaten carcass in the drive and 4 of the other hens are MIA. Dogs, coyotes, who knows.... I'm left with 2 Roosters and 4 Hens, (Black Australorps). Called McMurray hatchery today and ordered 6 pullets. Just don't have the time right now to raise babies... Other than keeping them in the vicinity but separate from the original flock for a few weeks, is there anything else I should know/do?

I guess an alternative would be to just let one or 2 of the females hatch a brood. If the girls are sitting on the eggs does that mean they've been fertilized? How do you know if they're sitting on fertilized eggs or not fertilized? Those roosters are getting busy all day everyday but I guess it's possible there's a chance the eggs aren't fertilized.

Once they hatch are they mostly self sustaining? Much thx in advance.

-rob in NW Montana

Did temperature get below 27 F at night while eggs in nest prior to hens starting to incubate? If so, then hatch rate will be very low.

 

[aart]

Called McMurray hatchery today and ordered 6 pullets.

Chicks or started(4-6 months old) pullets?

I guess an alternative would be to just let one or 2 of the females hatch a brood. If the girls are sitting on the eggs does that mean they've been fertilized?

Sorry for your loss. The hens do not know whether the eggs are fertile or not. They will sit on golf balls if they go broody, or on an empty nest. Broodiness is determined by hormonal changes in the hen.

This^^^
My go-to signs of a broody hen:
Is she on nest most the day and all night?
When you pull her out of nest and put her on the ground, does she flatten right back out into a fluffy screeching pancake?
Does she walk around making a low cluckcluckcluckcluckcluck(ticking bomb) sound on her way back to the nest?

How do you know if they're sitting on fertilized eggs or not fertilized? Those roosters are getting busy all day everyday but I guess it's possible there's a chance the eggs aren't fertilized.

Look at the yolks when you break open egg to eat.

 

[Criticalicious]

I love this:

My go-to signs of a broody hen:
Is she on nest most the day and all night?
When you pull her out of nest and put her on the ground, does she flatten right back out into a fluffy screeching pancake?
Does she walk around making a low cluckcluckcluckcluckcluck(ticking bomb) sound on her way back to the nest?

Another indicator for me that I had a really stubborn broody hen was watching her rebuff the rooster.

 

[ronott1]

Before you get more chickens, you need to setup a predator proof system for them. Options would be electrified netting or even a tractor coop or run to move around the yard that can withstand a dog, fox or etc.

Broodies are not predictable so you might wait a long time to get one. If you can get started pullets, that would be the fastest way to get more egg layers quicly

 

[Angileen]

Once a predator finds your flock they will keep coming back until they get them all. You will have to build a run to keep them safe. Here is a link about predators.
https://morningchores.com/chicken-predators/

 

[Mrs. K]

That is what I am going to say, ^^^. They will be back, and they will be more successful. The worst part of having chickens is EVERYTHING likes chickens.