It Happens So Fast :'(

[flowergirl60]

Thank you for sharing your story. I'm sorry for Henry and Lucy.

 

[Eggcessive]

I'm sorry that you lost your chicks. We cautiously started free ranging our chicks over 2 weeks ago, trying to sit outside with them to watch for hawks or other predators. They are pretty good at seeing any large flying bird such as turkey buzzards, blue herons, and red tail hawks, then running back to their coop. To be honest they usually see them before I do because of many tall trees. I have become distracted from watching them, and they have been okay so far. They are not getting out as much as they want but I am afraid to put them out without supervision. We get them out at least 3 times a day for an hour, but when I have to go somewhere it is hard to get them all back into the run locked up. Most times I have to bribe them with treats.

 

[mandelyn]

So sorry you lost your chicks! It reminds me of my most traumatic chicken keeping story, I had a broody Bantam hen that had two little chicks. Everyone always free ranged, all day every day. I didn't even have a run. Just coops and cages to bed everyone down for the night safe from coons.

I heard the alert cry from the flock, and went running out side. Hawk circling above, and there was that broody hen, out in the middle of the field, clucking up a storm and protecting her babies. I guess she knew they couldn't run for cover fast enough. I start yelling and screaming and running as fast as I can, but the hawk beat me to her and made of with her over the tree line. Those chicks made a mad dash into a brush pile and it took me 3 hours to fish them out of there. I had another broody setting on golf balls, so she happily took them on as her own.

But seeing that hen, that hateful, awful hen... her name was "Mean Thing"... carried over the trees like that, everything happening right in front of me... awful. That hen could kill snakes, as little as she was. She would get SO broody, she would steal eggs and roll them across the coop floor to her nest. You could stick your head in there and she'd ruffle those feathers up and you'd see a huge pile of eggs. Once she thought she'd try 22 eggs! Eggs everywhere, not even covered up. Tiny little hen with enough attitude for a full sized rooster. But I could hold her and baby her and she even let me hold her chicks and look at her eggs.

Best broody I ever had.

 

[hokankai]

Quote:
Oh I will, I won't be leaving them alone again. I literally went in to just get some treats for them, got sidetracked talking to my mother, and then it was too late. I'm positive if I had gone out 5 minutes earlier it wouldn't have happened, which is what really rips my heart out.

RGBistro- DEFINITELY cover your run. I've heard stories of hawks and owls finding their way in, any way they can. It's not worth the risk.

It's so ironic because our coop is literally like Fort Knox, but I feel bad keeping them penned up so I like to let them out when I can supervise them. Anything outside of the coop is really just adding risk. But I guess their happiness and enrichment is worth it. They aren't happy without their "outside" time, and it's really just up to us to keep an eye on them.

I can't let myself be sad though. I'm scheduled to pick up some older Mille Fleur d'Uccle chicks tomorrow and hopefully some more silkies...but I might pass on the silkies and just hold onto the little roo that survived since he's such a sweetheart and I don't want any more roos.

Thanks for your support you guys. We lost our first hen this summer to a coyote, and then this. We're finishing up our first year as chicken-keepers so I guess this is the last lesson of Chickens 101

It can be hard to find the balance between risk and quality of life. Birds like silkies and Polish are at higher risk because their vision is obstructed by their crests.

Mille Fleur d'Uccles are my dream chicken.

I decided against them because they are so small and probably wouldn't last long here. You will have to post pics of yours so I can admire from afar.

Oh I definitely will post pics. I didn't even consider getting them for some reason...must have slipped by. Haha what makes them so great besides how gorgeous they are?

Yeah, and my plan is to keep the bantams penned up pretty much all the time. I'm making their run extra big so that I don't feel bad keeping them in there, and it will be another Fort Knox run.

mandelyn- I don't know WHAT I would do if it happened to one of my hens right in front of my eyes. I've put so much work physically, mentally, and emotionally into those girls it probably would have traumatized me too. I'm just happy the hawk went for the easy kill this time.

 

[wonachickencooptoday]

What a sad story that ended with a happy ending, finding most of your chickens alive. We live in a semi rural area and I see hawks and turkey vultures circling all day. I do not let my chickens out- they can free range in their pen!

 

[Snowygirl]

oh....i'm so sorry you had to go through that!!!! i've had a problem with hawks.
it's horrible, and scary, but i am soooo glad you found your others. hope all is well.

 

[ThePolishPrincess]

I'm so sorry.

We just lost a duck to a red-tailed 2 days ago. Had I walked outside 2 minutes earlier I could have prevented the entire thing.

It does happen very fast.

 

[bryan99705]

Go to a green house or Lowes and get fruit tree net(s). It will stop bird attacks.

 

[Grillmaster33]

Man. Seemed as though it were going to turn out to be the ultimate tragedy. I'm glad some were able to flee.

 

[tinychicky]

i'm so, so sorry you lost your babies. that is often the worst sort of loss. hugs and good thoughts sent your way