Icelandic Chickens

[Happy Chooks]

I know how awful this feels and I'm so sorry that you are going through it. My heart sank when I saw Lukka - I was afraid you lost her, which I know would be horrifying for you.

All I can say is I'm sorry and if you need to talk, I'm here.

 

[Hillbilly Hen]

Oh gosh, so sorry Mary

 

[The Sheriff]

Quote:
Thanks Kelly. I emailed the guys at Pullet Shut but I doubt I will get a response. They won't care about this anymore than they cared about all the calls and emails about the door not working properly. I think I will file a small claims case against them and also a Consumer Affairs complaint for failure to warranty a product. I am thinking about moving the door from the layer coop down to the barn coop as it has never failed in years of constant use. I could replace it with a manually closing door since it is up by the house and not so inconvenient. If they won't refund my money and I am stuck with the Pullet Shut door I suppose I could put it in the layer coop where I can see from the house if it is closed or not. I am still going to fight to get my money back. My small claims case will include compensation for the Icelandics I lost.

I am so numb I can't seem to get motivated to do anything today. I locked down the eggs from your incubator into the Brinsea so it will be ready to return when you get home.

 

[The Sheriff]

Quote:
I am so surprised she wasn't the first taken. She was completely out in the open in the bottom nest box sitting on her eggs. She is safely tucked in the broody house today. I checked her this morning and she has three little blondies hatched and four not hatched yet. I am going to go out and walk the property again for any sign of hiding or injured hens. I know it is not likely but I feel like I should do something.
Thanks for the offer to talk.

Mary

 

[The Sheriff]

On the good news side of things, my hatch is complete. Day 21 starts at 9 p.m. tonight! I set 52 eggs, 47 made it to lockdown. Lukka got 7 and I got forty. She has three hatched as of this morning. Of my 40 eggs, 38 chicks hatched! The last three just popped out and are in the Brinsea fluffing up. One of them, a little silver chick was shrink wrapped so I helped him a bit. He still couldn't get out of the bottom of the shell and I helped him out of that too. But, not until I took his picture!

Here are the 35 in the brooder. I think I need to make a bigger brooder until my friend picks up her chicks!

 

[Barrdwing]

Holy cow, lookit 'em all!

And oh . . . I spy a white with black spots! They're so cute!

Your Brinseas, for all the grief they've given you, are still outperforming that Brower I bought by a huge margin. ...shoulda bought a Brinsea, mutter mutter... In my last hatch, I got half of the eggs to hatch, which was a huge improvement. <grr> The Brower did better with pea eggs than chicken eggs.

 

[The Sheriff]

Quote:
And a black one with white belly and wing tips:

And a very silver one!

 

[Jake Levi]

Great pics Mary, I am looking forward to your Icelandic Photo Album Book !

I have 2 pullets from the June mailing that are wheaten tops with so very definite blue on the lower parts, beautiful girls, and one wheaten with a white breast ! This group is about a diverse as they could be.

At least half are crested.

Ref predators, I have had excellent luck in the past with havaheart traps, there is one that will handle foxes to coons. Of course they have yote sized ones too. Food for thought.

I've never had problems releasing anything, like skunks, just set the trap down and open the door and walk around to the other end and they amble out. Coons otoh get a swimming lesson, in the trap. I routinely released possums and skunks about five miles away. Cat food makes great bait for the trap.

 

[The Sheriff]

Quote:
I have one but I loaned it to Kelly. We are waiting to take it back when the skunk smell goes away!

People on the Predator thread I posted are saying it was a coyote but I disagree. This opening in our pop hole is barely 4 inches wide and just under five inches high. That would have to be a very starved coyote.

 

[The Sheriff]

Lukka is trying to beat my hatch rate of 95%! She has four of seven hatched now. She's so competitive!