INCUBATING w/FRIENDS! w/Sally Sunshine Shipped Eggs No problem!

[mlm Mike]

Quote: I want her to hatch chicks, just don't want her sitting on eggs to long. She switched egg clutches after a week. Is there a time limit on how long I should let her sit?

Quote: Yes, moles eat the grubs in the ground. If you are ok with that let the mole be, otherwise treat yard for grubs and the mole would move to somewhere with a better food source.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Yes same one, outside my house, the door we mainly use maybe 15' from it on the walkway

Still likely raccoon. If that is seeds, it could be a groundhog/marmot. If it is bug parts, it could be opossum.

Then that someone doesn't know anything about trapping animals.
Digging and tripping it from the outside can be solved by blocking off access to the sides. Don't restrict access so much that the trap doesn't work though.

The danger in my mind is to educate raccoons to be trap shy. Hence the reason I use leg traps.

I want her to hatch chicks, just don't want her sitting on eggs to long. She switched egg clutches after a week. Is there a time limit on how long I should let her sit?

Yes, moles eat the grubs in the ground. If you are ok with that let the mole be, otherwise treat yard for grubs and the mole would move to somewhere with a better food source.

I hate when they do that. I've had that a couple times. I go out and they are on the wrong nest. I have a few units with a single nest so I try to move broodies into one of those units if I have a vacant one.

The broody doesn't get much exercise or nutrition so there is a time limit but I can't tell you exactly how long that is.
A friend was never diligent about breaking broodies. She had a turkey sit for over 2 months and eventually she couldn't move. After $3,000 of vet bills and another couple months of physical therapy, she died. I buried the hen for her.

 

[Chaos18]

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The danger in my mind is to educate raccoons to be trap shy. Hence the reason I use leg traps.

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I think it's more of a problem with a higher raccoon population and also with more people trying to trap them. I had one trip my box trap twice from the outside like MCs. I put it up against the fence on one side and put a cinder block on the other, caught the raccoon the very next night.

 

[BullChick]

I think it's more of a problem with a higher raccoon population and also with more people trying to trap them. I had one trip my box trap twice from the outside like MCs. I put it up against the fence on one side and put a cinder block on the other, caught the raccoon the very next night.

It is funny because I wasn't even going to set the trap last night.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

I have pips happening in eggs due today or tomorrow. I forgot which day I set but it was for the Zodiac Hatch-a-Long.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...atch-a-long-waxing-moon-in-fruitful-signs-hal
There are 11 eggs and a couple may have quit a few days ago. There are 3 that I dipped in ascorbic acid on set day and again on day 16.
I cooled them all for about 30 minutes once.

 

[kwhites634]

Quote: h c to long. She switched egg cl I want her to hatchicks, just don't want her sitting on eggsutches after a week. Is there a time limit on how long I should let her sit?

Quote: Yes, moles eat the grubs in the ground. If you are ok with that let the mole be, otherwise treat yard for grubs and the mole would move to somewhere with a better food source.
I'd think that would depend on how much you need/want egg production from that particular hen. My last broody was a couple weeks getting back to laying after she hatched her single chick.

 

[Pensmaster]

Good morning everyone! 

I think my broody started over with other eggs. 

Morning Mike.

Mine did the same thing. I scrambled all and fed back. None had started which leads me to believe she had nothing to begin with Now she doesn't get any more. It takes a trenching shovel to reach her but I'll be if she gets anymore unless I move her to a less protected quieter spot.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

I haven't had grubs or Moles since I got chickens

Probably cause your chickens are eating the Japanese beetles.

I think it's more of a problem with a higher raccoon population and also with more people trying to trap them. I had one trip my box trap twice from the outside like MCs. I put it up against the fence on one side and put a cinder block on the other, caught the raccoon the very next night.

I had that problem and finally I put hardware cloth on both sides of the trap. I still get tripped traps but I think it is a big coon that leaves it's rump hanging out, steals the food and escapes. Either that or a mink that is able to squeeze out.

I'd think that would depend on how much you need/want egg production from that particular hen. My last broody was a couple weeks getting back to laying after she hatched her single chick.

Another good point. Whether broken or allowed to hatch, they won't lay for a while.

 

[Chaos18]

It is funny because I wasn't even going to set the trap last night.

Maybe you should try that trick again.

 

[Chaos18]

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I had that problem and finally I put hardware cloth on both sides of the trap. I still get tripped traps but I think it is a big coon that leaves it's rump hanging out, steals the food and escapes. Either that or a mink that is able to squeeze out.

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Yea that's another easy solution. At the time I didn't have any hardware cloth but I had a cinder block sitting close by. Gotta get a bigger trap if your raccoons can't fit all the way in.