I lost them all... All 18

[rancher hicks]

I brood my chicks in my office, but read these posts as I don't know how long I can keep doing it. Everything gets covered with dust. It would be nice though if pics could be posted, so we can see how anything would have gotten to the brooder. I have some idea what the brooder looks like but how did anything get into a "tackroom"? I'm not sure what measures are going to be taken but even if you can secure a cover on the brooder it can't possibly be strong enought keep a coon out, if it can get to the brooder.

Another thought, as I'm listening to my chicks chirping, is that their chirping is a dead giveaway to what and where they are. Perhaps a radio to drowned out their chirping might throw the predator off.

 

[tryingtohaveitall]

That's terrible. I'm sorry for your loss.

 

[Celtic Hill]

Rancher hicks, I like the radio idea!

Since i plan on raising chicks every year were going to make a cover to go over the tank and put like a clamp/latch to hold it down at night.

Thanks for the support guys! It has been years since i had chickens (like 5 or so) and i have be high as a kite and having so much fun with the chicks, it was just a let down for me. Im setting 12 eggs tonight. I also found a pair of self blue d'uccles i might get

, and there is a show coming up im going to and my parents said if there is any birds that i like and are BQ or SQ we will get them. But still... I miss my polish chick.

 

[KKatknap]

Quote:
I also keep my chicks in our tackroom...and while I have to watch to make sure I close the door all the way (it's a regular "man door"), I don't think anything could get in there. So I wondered, also, how a predator could get in. Although, I do know my very DH went around with a can of spray foam and sealed all the little knot holes in the wood walls before I put the babies in there.

But something had to get in and TAKE all the chicks...or eat all of them!?! Strange.

And so very sad.

My heart just sank when I read this. I'm so so sorry.

I like the radio idea.

 

[felidaet]

Sorry for your loss. I can't imageine what it would be like to check the brooder and find it empty.

It you are planning to do this every year you might want to consider building a secure brooder. You can find lots of idea here on BYC. It might be a challange to secure the water trough. I used a steel water trough last year for a brooder and found it was difficult to control the temperature. This year I built a much larger and nicer brooder from wood. It is much easier to control the temperature. I am fortunate that I don't have to make mine secure. My brooder is in the garage. Our garage is built into the house (less than 10 year old) and is very secure.

 

[jettgirl24]

I don't know how her tack room is set up but they're not always fully enclosed. We have a six stall barn with the 6th stall being the tack room. We built it so that it has tall solid walls and two metal man doors but no roof (i.e. you can stand up in the hay loft and look down into it). If her setup is something similar it's fairly secure looking but it'd be easy for a predator to get in. Also, I know at the barn I board my other horse at there are probably plenty of ways for critters to get in the tack rooms. Despite beign fully enclosed there seem to be a lot of gaps behind lockers and between rafters. They're fairly secure as far as keeping people out but a determined critter could definitely find a way in.

 

[silkiechicken]

Sorry about your loss. Not sure where you are, but city coons will walk in front of you, tell you to move, as they open the trash cans or undo latches to get food. Radio may or may not work.

 

[jettgirl24]

Sorry about your loss. Not sure where you are, but city coons will walk in front of you, tell you to move, as they open the trash cans or undo latches to get food. Radio may or may not work.

So true!!! I once saw three of them tumbling around on the sidewalk with each other not 10 ft away from a line of people waiting to get into a club in Seattle. It was very odd to say the least!​

 

[Happy Chooks]

OMG I am so sorry! That is just a nightmare! Are there any holes anywhere?

I'd be sitting out there with my friends Colt and Winchester.

 

[SilverPhoenix]

Oh gosh, this is so sad. I would be absolutely heartbroken if this happened to me.

I was heartbroken enough when I lost three of my birds. I hope you're coping all right. I'm so sorry for your loss, and wish you the best of luck in finding ways to secure future birds. I would offer suggestions, but other members are already doing quite well about that.

Anyway, I'm really sorry to hear about this.

It's devastating...