How many chickens have you had total and how many lost?

[COCKMASTER3000]

I currently have nine chickens, and of this flock, I've lost only a couple of unhatched chicks, but nothing that's been running around.

Of all the chickens I've owned over the past ten years, I couldn't tell you how many I've had, or how many I've lost, but as far as predators, I've lost ZERO chickens that I know of to predators. All my deaths were sickness, such as respiratory and Merrick's disease and a couple of other things. I've owned a lot of chickens, but of my current flock, zero deaths.

If you ever have any chicken questions, such as a sick chicken, be sure to post a thread over here on BYC. There's plenty of people over here who'll be willing to help.

Thank you!

 

[NatJ]

But to reassure my girlfriend who is worried about us losing so many beautiful hens, how many chickens how ya'll owned and how many have you lost? I am certain that things happen that are out of our control and that is part of the process. Thanks in advance for your responses.

Predator loss varies quite a lot.

When I lived at one place, I had hundreds of chickens spread over more than a decade, and did not lose ANY to predators. The total number of chickens over that time may have been more than a thousand, as we were providing meat and eggs for a large family at the time.

At a different location, I had about a dozen chickens, and again lost NONE to predators.

At a third location, when my chickens were allowed to range more freely, I had about 200 chickens over a several year stretch, and lost over a dozen to a fox (several occasions, several chickens each time), plus a few partly grown chicks that just disappeared (may have been the same fox, may have been a bird of prey or something else.)

So I would say the details of the chicken pen, and the local predator population, make a very big difference.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

around 55 currently. Have owned around 80 total. Free range.

Three known predator losses, one of whom wasn't thriving in the first place - all aerial predators. A couple "failure to thrive" in the days following hatching. One chick crushed underfoot by an excited goat. One chick crushed in a press for the feeder by one (or more) 3 week old pekin ducks, who are seriously ungainly and massively outwieghed him (learned, and adjusted management practices in response).

No losses to injury, not even the cornishX that managed to impale herself thru the chest with a sharp stick.

/edit my three predator losses were to a duck (the one who wasn't thriving), a CornishX (possibly the slowest, stupidest, least predator aware breed on the planet), and to a little blue cockerel, age about 4 weeks who managed to squirm his way out of the run overnight in the days immediately after he was brought to the property - I suspect he got lost.

 

[Sally PB]

I have seven chickens currently. Zero losses to predators. (I culled two last summer; too many cockerels.) No injuries, no illness, other than a lice (?) infestation that has been cleared up.

My chickens do not free range, and have a very secure coop and run. We have hawks, eagles, and plenty of raccoons. I think there is a coyote in the area too.

 

[Mrs. K]

I keep a flock, and have kept a flock for more than a decade. I have lost countless birds to predation. My worst predator are coons, they are incredibly smart. But if I free range them too much, coyotes, hawks, eagles all love to eat chicken. It is a hard line.

We just recently built an Alcatrez I hope. We went with chain link fence, totally enclosed, hooked together with hog nose rings. Yet every morning, I pray they are still alive when I go down. It can be hard to build something really predator proof. (Side note: plastic zip ties, sun rot, coons will check them religiously to see if they can tear them. Chicken wire, and a lot of woven wire is not strong enough to keep coons out).

Often there are posts about old chickens, like that is a huge goal. And if you don't have old chickens, well you are not a good chicken keeper. But then you do wind up with old chickens, and poor eggs. Egg quality and quantity often goes down with age.

Instead of keeping chicken pets of individual birds, recognize they don't often have a real long life span, everything likes to eat them, internal organ failure, or sickness. Instead, keep a flock, knowing that you will add chicks each year, and lose birds each year, some that you cull. It is more realistic for me.

I will admit, on the last coon route, I was ready to give up, I had patched, and patched that run, trying to make it stronger. My DH - who knows how much I enjoy this hobby, got involved, and built a very tight run. I got some older hens, from someone who was ready to hatch new... and I am back in business.

I truly love this hobby, but I have had my share of wrecks. A lot of people I know, think they have a tight run, and they must for the predators they have, but the right predator can make mincemeat of their set up. A lot depends on where you live.

Mrs K

 

[rosemarythyme]

Currently have 10. I've had 14 in total.

Of the 4 that passed: The first was a cockerel which we culled, the second was the cockerel's replacement died in an accident. The third was fatally wounded by a hawk (we added netting after that). And the fourth had a long history of health issues that finally took a turn for the worse and I culled her.

 

[Folly's place]

We've had chickens for almost thirty years here, and have had predator losses about every year. At first, it was about having totally inadequate overnight housing for them (bad advice from an older chicken keeper). Then we built a safe coop for overnight, and losses reduced significantly. We have always had bantams, and they are especially attractive to hawks when free ranging, so we have lost maybe one each year that way.
Our worst losses to predation have been once, during the day, to a mangy sick fox (ten nice hens)! Th rats who finally got into our coop (three bantam pullets) and to one of our dogs, when our fencing failed (28 birds!!!).
We have 35 to 40 birds over winter, and sometimes 70 or so during the summer, including some meat birds every year or two.
While I certainly have favorites, it's a flock, not so much about each individual bird. Some stay for life, and our oldest hens have been ten years old.
We are paranoid about biosecurity, and have been lucky, and haven't had any awful contagious diseases hit here, so birds have died of heart or abdominal difficulties, or the occasional failure to thrive chick. Our youngest death because of reproductive disasters was a pullet aged six or seven months!
Mary

 

[Isadora]

Out of 25 chickens, I've only had one die, and that was as a chick. I've had chickens since February of this year, so they are pretty young yet. I have lost four guineas to a coyote, but no chickens.
*Edited to add that my birds free range. They are securely cooped at night, but free range daily.

 

[CHlCKEN]

Ive had 19 chickens and 8 ducks, 27 birds total.
I've lost 16 out of 27. 4 ducks 11 chickens.

Deaths were caused by,

• Sour crop (1)
• Genetic disorder (1)
• Predators (13)
• Humans (1)

I haven't lost anybody in a little over a year. Currently I have just 11 birds. (7 chickens, 4 ducks)

 

[Lexicon]

I have ten 14 month old hens that I got as chicks. So far, all ten seem to be thriving.
I only let them out of their large run (around 900 square feet) under supervision.