Illinois...

[WhyDoILikeChickens]

Hes a big guy. This is a raccoon trap big enough for chickens to walk in and out of.

 

[Faraday40]

I wonder if I should try to find her a new home till I get a new run built.
View attachment 2065838

And I caught 3 possum so far (and 2 of my chickens) in an empty cage. No bait at all.

Ouch! Poor girl. Can she take a break inside for a week? Veterycin spray works wonders. In my own flock I have seen worse injuries that have healed up very well just by disinfecting the wounds. Chickens are very hardy.

 

[Molpet]

Hes a big guy. This is a raccoon trap big enough for chickens to walk in and out of.View attachment 2065846

I keep getting people releasing by me. I don't know why people think it's ok. It's not legal but they act like I am doing something wrong when I call the police. They are the ones trespassing and dumping their problems on someone else

 

[WhyDoILikeChickens]

Ouch! Poor girl. Can she take a break inside for a week? Veterycin spray works wonders. In my own flock I have seen worse injuries that have healed up very well just by disinfecting the wounds. Chickens are very hardy.

Ok so I think I saw what the problem is. She used to be mean when the rooster was little, especially to him. Then he had enough and really took chunks out of her. If she stayed in her coop he didn't bother her. If she came out he beat her up. Now she submits and he climbs on but I think she is such a big girl the physics leave him frustrated when it doesn't work.
Maybe I can put her in the garage? Worth a try.

 

[OpelBlitz]

I dunno about the rest of you, but I've about had enough of this rain! Nearly my entire backyard is turning into a pond with the ducks just amplifying the effects.

Our largest duck, Ducky McDuckface, may be egg-bound. She's laying eggs, and she's also pooping, but her eggs are coming out basically without a shell (I've seen some folks refer to this as "jelly eggs". Some white goop usually accompanies the egg. We're preparing some epsom baths for her this evening and she's going to be sleeping in the house today. I am getting rather stressed out and I feel bad for her, so wish us luck.

PS: She does get plenty of calcium in the form of crushed oyster shell, FWIW.

 

[BReeder!]

Hes a big guy. This is a raccoon trap big enough for chickens to walk in and out of.View attachment 2065846

Opossums get bigger than most people think. I seen one larger than a house cat about 2 miles from home.

 

[BReeder!]

A large hawk came down into the yard today right after I finished dinner. I saw it as it took off. I jumped up from the table and ran outside. Where it was at is not near the chicken/turkey run and the ducks where not in the area either. I'm guessing it went after a rabbit or mouse. Hopefully the latter since I seen one in the coop yesterday. I need to set traps in the human area of the shed coop. There was some old feed bags that apparently had scraps in them that looked like mice chewed through. The ducks' feed is also a possible food source for mice since I feed them in rubber bowls on the floor. I cleaned up the old feed bags. I'll set traps with some peanut butter. That always seems to get their attention.

In good news, I collected 5 chicken eggs from 7 layers and 6 duck eggs from 4 layers. Those ducks are laying eggs fast. 2 eggs in 1 day for two of them! I heard it was possible, but never knew it to be for certain until now. They likely laid yesterday evening after I collected their morning clutch and then again this morning. Their new favorite nest is in our fire pit. I mess up the nest and they just remake it daily. I left some eggs in the duck house where they lay sometimes and they just kicked those eggs out. Once I get this fence finished it shouldn't be such a hunt to find the eggs all the time, but tiptoeing around their pond to collect eggs is no fun either. I cannot win with these ducks. Btw, my attempt to get them to hatch the eggs failed. Since the are apparently still laying like crazy I may leave eggs in a nest again soon and see if one goes broody.

 

[BReeder!]

This should stop the chicks from flying out of the brooder.

 

[Justso]

We're really getting bored here! The knitting is getting out of control.

 

[homeschoolin momma]

@Justso that hen looks like she might kill you in your sleep for that!