I am soooooo close to giving up.. Graphic story warning

[LunaMarieWolf]

In

How big an age difference is there between the hatchlings and your older chick? Usually, age difference in chicks means different needs and doesn't work out well. Bigger ones trample little ones, keep them from feeding, little ones need more warmth, bigger ones less, little ones eat a little bit at a time and need a full feeder, big ones can empty it, leaving none for the smaller ones. It may be ok since you just have one that is older, but you will have to watch carefully that she doesn't pick on the smaller ones, and that those other things don't happen. Older chicks can actually eat your new ones.

My older chick is now 6 days old. It was born last monday and was shipped out that day.

 

[goldysgirl]

Came home to a dog with one of my elderly hens in his mouth. He dropped her when I screamed. I went and talked to the neighbor, who was very kind. The dog and I have been friends for a long time, so I still love him. When I came back to check on everyone, i realized my other elderly gal was missing. When I went out to the coop looking for her, there was a 6 foot black snake climbing up the coop wall. I took it about 100 yds away from the coop and let it go....i realize it will just come back and I realize they eat chickens and eggs. I was going to put it in a trash can and call the warden and see if it was ok to release at the game lands, but the big guy was getting angry. Geesh . The snake did not eat the chicken, or i would have noticed a giant large fowl sized lump...i don't think it could have swallowed her....but the dog is guilty for sure.

Yippie! She showed up. She is my alpha female and a smart elderly lady. She knows how to crow and even challenges the roos when they try to get randy. She still lays eggs for short periods of time. Glad she is back!!!! She is an easter egger. I have 2 and they are probably at least 5 years old and more aggressive than the other easter eggers i have had, which isn't good in the fenced coop because of bullying, but is good for free ranging.

 

[BreanneRN]

In


My older chick is now 6 days old. It was born last monday and was shipped out that day.

Well, that is not too bad, I would just watch closely for now, since there is only one, until your new hatchlings are on their feet and moving around well. Hopefully, the older one is not too much bigger in size.

 

[bobby2fish]

I have been having multiple problems with chicks/eggs/baby rabbits being killed and eaten straight from the cages and coop!

I just recently got 10 chicks from My Pet Chicken. And put them outside in a unused rabbit cage. This rabbit cage has wiring around it that is 1/2 inch by 1 inch. Plus all the doors are latched and even I have troubles unlatching the darn thing.

I put them in the cage last night. Showed them the water dish, food dish, plugged up the heat lamp, wired the doors shut and closed the door.


Woke up this morning to a horrid mess. Only 3 chicks survived. My two baby bantams were torn apart and pulled through the wire. The other chicks had broken necks and there was blood everywhere..

We just moved to Oklahoma. 147 milies away from where we were living. Where we moved from, we had rat problems. Them ripping chicks and baby rabbits apart, just for the fun of it.

Rats love to rip apart baby bunnies and eat their eyes.. gruesome thing to wake up to before heading off to school.

Also had snakes, cats, and even ants consume chicks and rabbits (with the ants the rabbits were still alive)..

Now I have put out traps, tried using deterants (Mint does nothing for the mice and rats here), and even live traps, but I don't want to use poison for I would hate for the cats to eat a dead rat who ate the poison.


I honestly have no idea what to do. The past month I have already killed 3 5ft-7ft black chicken snakes out trying to size up the rabbits and eggs.

Anyone else know what to do?

A havaheart style trap baited with canned cat food will get 'em! and because the trap does not hurt the predator you can decide its fate in the clear light of morning!
Thanks for not using a poison, it causes a horrible death!

 

[LunaMarieWolf]

I brought the babies inside for the night.

I heard a LOT of coyotes howling as I went to lock the chickens up at dusk. Maybe 20 to 30 of them. It was soo spooky.

I made sure to lock the chickens up tight and brought the little chicks in, just in case.

 

[BreanneRN]

I brought the babies inside for the night.

I heard a LOT of coyotes howling as I went to lock the chickens up at dusk. Maybe 20 to 30 of them. It was soo spooky.

I made sure to lock the chickens up tight and brought the little chicks in, just in case.

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They are so cute! Glad you are keeping them safe at night! They sleep and are quiet, don't disturb anyone, and you can keep an eye on them... Bring them in every night.

 

[BreanneRN]

Maybe you want to put a cloth over the top, so it is darker in there and they won't leap out in the morning... Since it is a plastic box, make sure it is a light porous cloth, so air can get in and they can breath.

 

[Acre4Me]

I brought the babies inside for the night.

I heard a LOT of coyotes howling as I went to lock the chickens up at dusk. Maybe 20 to 30 of them. It was soo spooky.

I made sure to lock the chickens up tight and brought the little chicks in, just in case.

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Cute babies!! The 5 day age difference is less likely to cause a problem, and they look similar in size in the pic.

Good luck!

 

[LunaMarieWolf]

As an update on this thread. Since posting this we have trapped/disposed of these animals that came close to the chicken coop or even in our back yard!

5 coyotes
4 raccoons
2 opposums
4 foxes
3 skunks (just had to kill one yesterday morning as he sniffed around the outside run)
Multiple snakes (I lost count at how many huge black rat snakes we killed)
We also have had to relocate my grandmothers barn cats that made under our house their home. We caught them trying to attack our Momma hen and her chicks.
Have not caught any weasels or seen any on the game cameras. I am not sure we even have weasels here anymore. (We had a company come in and strip our leased land of almost all the trees)

We are waiting for our Dad to get a bear tag to hunt a lone bear we have seen snooping around the coop.

We have also done renovations to the coop and added some cages inside the coop to house our new broody hens and one remaining rabbit.

We added plywood boarding inside the coop and drilled them into the metal frames as well as extended the run. Over the run we are adding chicken wire over the top to deter the local hawks and bald eagle we have seen fling around. I have never seen a bald eagle in person before that and those birds are HUGE!

We also invested in lights outside the coops, cleaning up brush/rotting wood around the outside run.

We also fixed the lock leading to the chicken pen, adding a simple latch which we then wire shut and push heavy cinderblocks infront of it.

After I gave my mom "chick fever" and she instantly took over my flock while I went to college. She fell in love with them and has almost forced my Dad to change his opinions on what he actually knows about raising chickens. My mom even brought the broody hen in with her chicks and put the chickens in their giant bathtub inside!

Now back from college and done with finals, I have been able to contuine doing what I love, raising baby chicks and chickens. While now keeping them as safe as they can be!

 

[tralfaz]

As an update on this thread. Since posting this we have trapped/disposed of these animals that came close to the chicken coop or even in our back yard!

5 coyotes
4 raccoons
2 opposums
4 foxes
3 skunks (just had to kill one yesterday morning as he sniffed around the outside run)
Multiple snakes (I lost count at how many huge black rat snakes we killed)
We also have had to relocate my grandmothers barn cats that made under our house their home. We caught them trying to attack our Momma hen and her chicks.
Have not caught any weasels or seen any on the game cameras. I am not sure we even have weasels here anymore. (We had a company come in and strip our leased land of almost all the trees)

We are waiting for our Dad to get a bear tag to hunt a lone bear we have seen snooping around the coop.

We have also done renovations to the coop and added some cages inside the coop to house our new broody hens and one remaining rabbit.

We added plywood boarding inside the coop and drilled them into the metal frames as well as extended the run. Over the run we are adding chicken wire over the top to deter the local hawks and bald eagle we have seen fling around. I have never seen a bald eagle in person before that and those birds are HUGE!

We also invested in lights outside the coops, cleaning up brush/rotting wood around the outside run.

We also fixed the lock leading to the chicken pen, adding a simple latch which we then wire shut and push heavy cinderblocks infront of it.

After I gave my mom "chick fever" and she instantly took over my flock while I went to college. She fell in love with them and has almost forced my Dad to change his opinions on what he actually knows about raising chickens. My mom even brought the broody hen in with her chicks and put the chickens in their giant bathtub inside!

Now back from college and done with finals, I have been able to contuine doing what I love, raising baby chicks and chickens. While now keeping them as safe as they can be!
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thanks for the update, new to hens and enjoyed your read. Congrats on finishing your first year. My older can home early to finish school online like many others. Glad to hear your mom has managed to change your dad's opinions on raising chickens. How many chickens are you now up to?