I received 5 new chicks

Pics
Date sort Score sort
K

Karen May

In the Brooder
Sep 29, 2020
6
33
23
Hey my name is Karen, I got my first 3 chicks about 3 to 4 months ago from a friend. I don’t know what they are as of yet and my friend was no help at telling me. All I know is two turned out to be roosters and one a hen; which unfortunately i willl have to rehome my rooster being I live in a small residentially area and no roosters are aloud . So I order another 5 chicks from my pet chicken, by the way a really great place all my chicks were health and strong. My problem start like four days after receiving my chicks, I raised my other three in my green house in the small cage I made and never had anything happen to them . I had checked on my new chicks like five times during the day each day , but I went to check on them one morning and right off the back I knew something was wrong. The little box just didn’t seem full and I went to counting them and one was missing. No blood, no feathers just gone. My husband seem to think it was a chicken snake, but we have seen rats around, being our neighbor does nothing to the back of his fence line. I stayed in the green house reinforcing every little square inch of it, I even took the 4x4x4 space and made my chicks a little penthouse Off the floor and double up on the chicken wire and added a plastic mash between it and boarded up the side and drilled some small holes throughout. I even stayed out there all night waiting for that thing to return; because I was going to kill it, but it never came back. Is there any other suggestions to help keep my chicks safe from what ever it my be, I even thought about bringing in my white rooster into the green house being the babies were in a cage that he couldn’t get to them. Please any advice I need to be able to sleep at night again, worry chicken mom 🐔
 

Attachments

  • 0B46881A-F0E4-4D6A-ADE2-675B8531D4B2.jpeg
    0B46881A-F0E4-4D6A-ADE2-675B8531D4B2.jpeg
    567.9 KB · Views: 17
Hello, Karen, and welcome to BYC! :frow Glad you joined.
If it was a rat or a weasel that took the chick, the chicken wire and plastic fence won't stop it. Or any other predator for that matter.
You need 1/2" hardware cloth securely attached to all openings in a proper coop with proper ventilation. Basically, their sleeping quarters that they are locked up in should have no openings greater than 1/2" and all doors should be latched with something a toddler couldn't open.
 
Last edited:
Karen May said:
Hey my name is Karen, I got my first 3 chicks about 3 to 4 months ago from a friend. I don’t know what they are as of yet and my friend was no help at telling me. All I know is two turned out to be roosters and one a hen; which unfortunately i willl have to rehome my rooster being I live in a small residentially area and no roosters are aloud . So I order another 5 chicks from my pet chicken, by the way a really great place all my chicks were health and strong. My problem start like four days after receiving my chicks, I raised my other three in my green house in the small cage I made and never had anything happen to them . I had checked on my new chicks like five times during the day each day , but I went to check on them one morning and right off the back I knew something was wrong. The little box just didn’t seem full and I went to counting them and one was missing. No blood, no feathers just gone. My husband seem to think it was a chicken snake, but we have seen rats around, being our neighbor does nothing to the back of his fence line. I stayed in the green house reinforcing every little square inch of it, I even took the 4x4x4 space and made my chicks a little penthouse Off the floor and double up on the chicken wire and added a plastic mash between it and boarded up the side and drilled some small holes throughout. I even stayed out there all night waiting for that thing to return; because I was going to kill it, but it never came back. Is there any other suggestions to help keep my chicks safe from what ever it my be, I even thought about bringing in my white rooster into the green house being the babies were in a cage that he couldn’t get to them. Please any advice I need to be able to sleep at night again, worry chicken mom 🐔
Click to expand...
If you leave any holes bigger than a quarter inch, something will get in. Cover everything with quarter x quarter hardware cloth, screw battens over it to hold it on. Staples can be pulled out by some critters.
 
DobieLover said:
Hello, Karen, and welcome to BYC! :frow Glad you joined.
If it was a rat or a weasel that took the chick, the chicken wire and plastic fence won't stop it. Or any other predator for that matter.
You need 1/2" hardware cloth securely attached to all openings in a proper coop with proper ventilation. Basically, their sleeping quarters that they are locked up in should have no openings greater than 1/2" and all doors should be latched with something a toddler couldn't open.
Click to expand...
Thank you will be looking in to that, would tractor supply have something like that.?
 
DouglasB said:
If you leave any holes bigger than a quarter inch, something will get in. Cover everything with quarter x quarter hardware cloth, screw battens over it to hold it on. Staples can be pulled out by some critters.
Click to expand...
1/4" HC tends to be very flimsy and weak. I've read of dogs running right through it.
 
Karen May said:
Thank you will be looking in to that, would tractor supply have something like that.?
Click to expand...
I've found the best prices on Amazon. I did this entire setup with three 48" x 50' rolls. The run is 12'x28' with a 4'x16' jog around the back.
You can secure the HC with screws and fender washers or hammer in 3/4" galvanized poultry staples.
Run with door and HC installed.jpg
post cap.jpg
 
DobieLover said:
1/4" HC tends to be very flimsy and weak. I've read of dogs running right through it.
Click to expand...
Welded galvanized wire, heaviest guage you can find. Im not sure we're thinking of the same thing. Poultry wire will keep birds in, but it wont keep predators out, is it possible you are confusing the two very different materials.
 

New posts New threads Active threads

Back
Top Bottom