Illinois...

[Pixie]

Predators are out and about. Falcons have my bantams hiding today and had a bantam cochin chick disappeared yesterday. Tis the season.

Same here. Lost two hens to hawks over the past three days.

 

[Faraday40]

Same here. Lost two hens to hawks over the past three days.

That really stinks!

Haven't seen my birds in the yard for a several days. They're always cowering inside the coop & sometimes the run. Only when I'm outside & calling will they come out of their protected coop/run.

 

[cavemanrich]

My pigeon population is down to 4

.. Birds that normally return have been AWAL

 

[chickendreams24]

Today around 1:00 PM I found Hope (my Legbar) dead in the run. She was laying upside down and her body was stiff because of rigor setting in. So it must have been a few hours already. She was only 2 and a half years old. She was fine yesterday when I fed everyone treats so not sure what could be wrong with her. Needless to say my son and I were very upset because she was one of our favorites and the first ever chick we hatched in an incubator. That's why she was our "Hope". There was nothing wrong with her except that she was going through a soft molt and had stopped laying about 3 weeks ago. I am wondering if there was something in the treats that killed her. Apart from regular left overs, there was some persimmon fruit in the treats. Could that have caused it? Also, oddly enough all the other chicken were afraid to come in to the run (even after I removed her). Could there have been a predator that just killed her and the rest of the chicken were scared because of that? Maybe a small snake? I did not find any obvious wounds on her (I did not explore too deep). Here are a few of her pics growing up. RIP Hope!

Hope was beautiful Junaid I'm so sorry you lost her. It's so hard when we lose them and we don't know why. Sending hugs for you and your son. I know she was very special to you both.

North west central illinois, . anyone else ....bloomington, peoria,LaSalle,ottowa,

South central WI Beloit/Janesville area.

I just got a fun email from one of DS's former teachers. Her class was having a discussion about a picture in a book. Some students were calling it a chicken, others a rooster. She requested that he (the school poultry expert) come visit her classroom and solve their dilemma. DS explained how the picture was indeed a rooster - which is a boy chicken- so both were right. Then he went on to explain that it was not a hen & would never lay eggs. Thankfully he stopped long before getting to anything about fertilization. The class asked him all sorts of questions about the comb & types of feathers. She was so impressed that she sent me an email about it. It was just one of those feel good moments, so I thought I'd share.

Very very cool so proud little chicken crazy man in the making lol glad he stopped before starting on fertilization. That could have made for some awkward questions. Oh and btw I pmed you. No worries I know you've been busy just wasn't sure if you saw them.

We had a crazy fun Halloween party on Sat. Before leaving, DD had to close up the coop for the night. I found it funny that none of the chickens were afraid of her. Especially dressed as a WOLF! Love the expression Oppsie's face! DS was a penguin. [COLOR=B42000] [/COLOR] I went as a crazy chicken lady, of course. I used a puppet during the party, since it went well past chicken bedtime. DH said he was the Grim Processor. The Hosts were fellow chicken people. However, I had no idea how much they enjoyed Halloween. Every area of the huge house, yard, pond, & forest was decorated. Even the chicken coop & run! The guests enjoyed a live band, great food, bon fire, & hayrides through the "haunted" forest. (One guy even had a pretend chainsaw to liven things up)

Wow sounds like quite the party!!! Sounds like fun and I live your costume. Glad to see DD changed and stopped wearing that mask I admit my brothers tortured me with a werewolf mask like that when I was a child and those masks still make my skin crawl. Oppsies' expression is so adorable lol. Your legbar is too have you named her yet? Things have been going good with the flock here. We got 4 more cockerals processed on Friday in 2.5 hours. So that's good and thanks to the 4 guineas we added we haven't had any recent predator losses. *knock on wood* In other news a farmer around the corner was apparently stuck in his combine head. We haven't yet learned the details etc but please keep them and their families in your thoughts and prayers. This can be such a terribly dangerous profession. Even with all the safety precautions taken and built into the modern equipment.

 

[Pixie]

That really stinks!

Haven't seen my birds in the yard for a several days.  They're always cowering inside the coop & sometimes the run.  Only when I'm outside & calling will they come out of their protected coop/run.

Now that I am working full time, it's hard to kero a good eye on them all as well aa a bb gun teady to shoot at predators.

I havent even seen @Meepbeep in months!

 

[Faraday40]

Hope was beautiful Junaid I'm so sorry you lost her. It's so hard when we lose them and we don't know why. Sending hugs for you and your son. I know she was very special to you both.
South central WI Beloit/Janesville area.
Very very cool so proud little chicken crazy man in the making lol glad he stopped before starting on fertilization. That could have made for some awkward questions. Oh and btw I pmed you. No worries I know you've been busy just wasn't sure if you saw them.
Wow sounds like quite the party!!! Sounds like fun and I live your costume. Glad to see DD changed and stopped wearing that mask I admit my brothers tortured me with a werewolf mask like that when I was a child and those masks still make my skin crawl. Oppsies' expression is so adorable lol. Your legbar is too have you named her yet?

Things have been going good with the flock here. We got 4 more cockerals processed on Friday in 2.5 hours. So that's good and thanks to the 4 guineas we added we haven't had any recent predator losses. *knock on wood*

In other news a farmer around the corner was apparently stuck in his combine head. We haven't yet learned the details etc but please keep them and their families in your thoughts and prayers. This can be such a terribly dangerous profession. Even with all the safety precautions taken and built into the modern equipment.

At 1st I thought a typo for love, then realized that your wording makes sense. After all, I did go as the crazy chicken lady. How many people on this thread are already being called that by their loved ones?

....and how many more already own a chicken-themed article of clothing or jewelry?

Seriously, I hope & pray your neighbor is OK.

I also send my condolences & hugs to all those who have had predator losses this week.

 

[NotAFarm]

Quote: Yup, living your costume here, too!

 

[chickendreams24]

Hope was beautiful Junaid I'm so sorry you lost her. It's so hard when we lose them and we don't know why. Sending hugs for you and your son. I know she was very special to you both.
South central WI Beloit/Janesville area.
Very very cool so proud little chicken crazy man in the making lol glad he stopped before starting on fertilization. That could have made for some awkward questions. Oh and btw I pmed you. No worries I know you've been busy just wasn't sure if you saw them.
Wow sounds like quite the party!!! Sounds like fun and I live your costume. Glad to see DD changed and stopped wearing that mask I admit my brothers tortured me with a werewolf mask like that when I was a child and those masks still make my skin crawl. Oppsies' expression is so adorable lol. Your legbar is too have you named her yet?

Things have been going good with the flock here. We got 4 more cockerals processed on Friday in 2.5 hours. So that's good and thanks to the 4 guineas we added we haven't had any recent predator losses. *knock on wood*

In other news a farmer around the corner was apparently stuck in his combine head. We haven't yet learned the details etc but please keep them and their families in your thoughts and prayers. This can be such a terribly dangerous profession. Even with all the safety precautions taken and built into the modern equipment.

At 1st I thought a typo for love, then realized that your wording makes sense.  After all, I did go as the crazy chicken lady.  How many people on this thread are already being called that by their loved ones?

....and how many more already own a chicken-themed article of clothing or jewelry?





Seriously, I hope & pray your neighbor is OK.

I also send my condolences & hugs to all those who have had predator losses this week.

Yup, living your costume here, too!      

Lol so funny!!! It was a typo but it is true I too am living your costume!!! Lol

 

[ChicagoClucker]

Same here. Lost two hens to hawks over the past three days.

My pigeon population is down to 4

.. Birds that normally return have been AWAL

Sorry to hear about every ones losses. Cavemanrich, hopefully they will return. How many are awal?

@Faraday40 your families costumes are great!

I haven't been on much lately. My evening are filled with making centerpieces, and other decorations for my daughters upcoming bridal shower, which is this Saturday. There is never enough time in the day!

 

[cavemanrich]

@ChicagoClucker
I was up to 13, (coincidently a LUCKY number for me) and now 4 left. ALL MALES...

I'm not laughing at the loss, but at the prospect of propagation. Looks like I will wait until spring time when I will get maybe 2 females, and start all over again. Don't want to have the lil squabs born during cold winter. I also like to start homesetting the newborn at 1 month age. All best done in spring when temps are more favorable. None returned ,,,, tells me they were hawk chow.

The missing were not all at once, but rather 1 or 2 at a time. I stopped the bleeding.... NO MORE FREE FLIGHTS UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE. I'm not home all day just staring up at the sky, but about every 3rd or 4th day, I do see Brother Hawk cruise by. Luckily my girls are not targeted in their run.