How Many Eggs Did You Get Today?

[WthrLady]

Update! Two girls surprised me. Change 1/3 to 3/3 !

 

[Blooie]

Banner day!! 9/10 + Scout! We put the Littles in their outside brooder and poor old Cora, last to lay today, couldn't decide if she want to lay or snoop! But finally that 9th egg came! Woo hoo! All four Easter Egger hens laid, even though Daphne thought she'd done a good job hiding hers.. Been a good day at Oleo Acres!

 

[tntchix]

17 more today. Since I had a hard time shooing them with a broom when it was time to get back to the coop tonight, Fluttershy probably won't bless me with a beautiful, creamy, light-brown egg tomorrow. It panicked her. They spent 8 hours free ranging with the dog and both cats in tow. They had a blast, each time I peeked out to double check on them if I came inside, for something, they were still happy as clams.

Needless to say the indoor kitty was jealous. LOL

Sorry about the devastating loss of chickens, Ande.

 

[KentuckyMom]

6/6!

 

[cicknmama]

I have 7 hens and as of yesterday I was getting two eggs a day. Today I got a wonderful surprise! My other EE June started laying again today! She layed the baby blue egg. YAY!!!

 

[bren0990]

I just started in the chicken loving business 2 weeks ago with 2, 8 month old Lohman Brown hens. For the first week I did not get a single egg but in the past 7 days I have gotten 14 eggs, they are working like a well oiled machine. Been feeding them 18% laying mash with a bit of scratch, corn and oatmeal mixed in.

 

[vpatt]

Seven

 

[WildfireSmitty]

41 out of 55 hens, starting to warm up!

 

[minnehaha]

I was awakened at 7:30 by a phone call on my mobile phone from my wife downstairs. All she said was, "A fox is outside killing your chickens."

Moments later I arrived in the back to find the predator had vanished. There were bodies and feathers everywhere. Of 21 birds the night before, Only 5 were at the coop. Throughout the day another 5 returned from the trees and wilderness near my house.

Upon further interrogations today, my wife has decided it was a coyote. Over the years I have lost a hen here or there and assumed it was a fox or hawk. The hawks will even sit up on my shed and stare at me when I'm out in the yard. You know the look - it says, "I can wait and eventually you won't be here and I'll be takin' the fat one!" The hawk is so cool, I bet he would wear sunglasses if they were fitted right for his head.

I replenish the flock every March and September. I always assumed they just take enough for the moment and scatter.

But yesterday was a dark day. My wife said the predator was relentless. I have heard raccoon will kill without limit - almost for sport, and I have heard dogs will do the same. The behavior appears to match that of a dog, but my witness is convinced it was a very large fox-like animal, which would be a coyote. Doesn't much matter to me

Yes, they free-range. Live free, die free. I got complacent. Usually I lock them up at night and release them in the morning.

For those of you interested, the numbers on the killzone:

Survived: 1 cuckoo maran out of 1
0 barred rocks out of 4
0 Buff Orps out of 2
2 Americana's out of 4
1 Astrolorp out of 3
6 Reds out of 7

So, based on this one example, the Reds are better survivors than the rest. And the barred rocks pretty much give up.

Hey Ande, you should repost this over her on the predator forum. A few of the guys over there actually have jobs as predator and pest hunters.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/f/13/predators-and-pests

I have to say, that I questioned fox or coyote as well, as those two preds usually hunt to eat, they take there meal and swiftly and quietly dissapear with it. It's sounds like you have a neighbor dog sport killer problem. Kendrain on here lost most of her flock to one this past fall to a neighbor dog. What worries me is that the predator will be back to get the rest of your chickens. It's time to keep a loaded "pest be gone" in a handy location.

Christmas day we had a coyote eyeballing our ducks, my daughter yelled that there was a dog outside, I ran to her window and saw it was actually a coyote, my husband was able to get a really tricky shot through the woods and nailed it.

Have you tried a line-up of pictures to help her identify the suspects??? Coyotes, fox, various breeds of dogs?

Our coyote story with pictures:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...ber-100-grain-christmas-greeting-graphic-pics

Interesting that your reds were such stellar survivors. Are they Sex Links, or Road Island Reds?

Again, sorry for your loss, and please join us and tell your story over on Predators and pests.

 

[minnehaha]

17 more today. Since I had a hard time shooing them with a broom when it was time to get back to the coop tonight, Fluttershy probably won't bless me with a beautiful, creamy, light-brown egg tomorrow. It panicked her. They spent 8 hours free ranging with the dog and both cats in tow. They had a blast, each time I peeked out to double check on them if I came inside, for something, they were still happy as clams.

Needless to say the indoor kitty was jealous. LOL

I can picture all of this......