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

[Akrnaf2]

So yesterday I decided to move my little naked necks from their little brick enclosure into a bigger cage. Well, everything seemed to go great and they were super happy. But this morning, I woke up to see a dead chick laying out side the pen. So,I walked out there to go check it out. When I got closer, I saw the the the huge boulders by the door had been moved and a huge hole had been dug leading into the pen. It looked like a massacre inside. Feathers everywhere, and all 13 chicks gone. I walked around my property and found 3 other bodies. What could have done this?

A Badger?

Too late! I already said that

I saw it only after I posted, you defently get the credit!

 

[kajira]

@deserteggs22 I'm so sorry you lost your whole flock

 

[ChickenCanoe]

@mlm Mike @Sally Sunshine Maybe they can help. I just remember a conversation about it and humidity due to size differences.

They can be incubated together it just eliminates lots of hatch day issues if equal size eggs from the same breed are set together.

Well, there was only one this time. Cat sized so probably a baby from this spring's births. Usually we'll only see one at a time out here. At least I've only seen one at a time.

They can have up to 7 kits per litter so it has brothers and sisters and parents at a bare minimum, but likely aunts, uncles and cousins. Not to mention unrelated ones in the area.
http://www.vancouverwildlife.com/raccoons/raccoon-facts

It's open season on wild & feral hogs in TX. Every time I turn around, there's a hunting show about TX hog hunting. Those shows are never about anything close to wherever you live; they're always half a country away. If I lived in TX, all I'd ever see would be in the East!

On a trip to Florida when I was a kid, we were travelling a small side road and some guys had a wild boar on the back of a truck they were gutting.

Every winter we have a day or 2 that the temp wil ho down to a staggering 3C!

normally the temp in January is araound 10C.

Wow, absolutely frigid. We hit -28C a couple winters ago. 2 summers before that we spent over a week at up to 43C. That range makes gardening and animal keeping a challenge.

So yesterday I decided to move my little naked necks from their little brick enclosure into a bigger cage. Well, everything seemed to go great and they were super happy. But this morning, I woke up to see a dead chick laying out side the pen. So,I walked out there to go check it out. When I got closer, I saw the the the huge boulders by the door had been moved and a huge hole had been dug leading into the pen. It looked like a massacre inside. Feathers everywhere, and all 13 chicks gone. I walked around my property and found 3 other bodies. What could have done this?

Cougar or coyote probably.

I was a bawling mess this morning!

That's a shame. I truly feel your pain.

 

[kwhites634]

Quote: Too late! I already said that

I saw it only after I posted, you definitely get the credit!

Better than getting the blame, which is usually the case

 

[daxigait]

Here is an example where the grass is still growing through. Most predators will try digging at the wall not backing up two feet. You can go down 18"-2' if your ground allows. That would be a massive job here as we are rock with a dusting of dirt.
@deserteggs22

 

[kwhites634]

Here is an example where the grass is still growing through. Most predators will try digging at the wall not backing up two feet. You can go down 18"-2' if your ground allows. That would be a massive job here as we are rock with a dusting of dirt.
@deserteggs22

Dirt? You have dirt?

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Coyote? Stray dog, badger, wolverine? Bobcat, maybe. Hole looks too large for 'coon, weasel or fox, too small for a big cat (as in mountain lion). I'd try to catch a picture of it on a trail cam.

Badger is a very good guess. I don't think they have wolverines down there.

Next time we go I'll call you.

The kids were talking about it this morning; bubba loves elephants and DD loves giraffes. That's the only zoo I could think of with both.

That would be great.

 

[Leave a LightOn]

7 banty cochin babies! The 8th hatched as I was taking this.

Adorbs!

 

[daxigait]

Dirt?  You have dirt?  

Just barely enough for grass and weeds. I save cow/llama/horse/goat poop and old hay to have garden soil.

 

[kwhites634]

Quote: I wasn't sure about badgers or wolverines, but I was trying to think of all the possibilities. I couldn't come up with cougar, either; figured mountain lion would lead her in that direction. Probably should have included chupacabra, as well