Landrace/adaptive breeding discussion

[Appalachickens]

Long-handled net at night?

Suddenly I’m imagining all sorts of Wile E. Coyote methods of capturing them.

 

[Molpet]

Trees can be rather tall. I had a couple I couldn't reach with a 20 ft pole. GH owls didn't have a problem unfortunately.

 

[No Coop No Problem]

No doubt! I was tempted but have no idea how I’d actually do it.

Observe them at dusk, watch where they roost, grab them swiftly around the legs after dark. The good news about this particular situation is that the toughest survivalists will be the final chickens remaining

 

[LaurenRitz]

Opinion question. I got the 25 chicks 2 weeks ago. I put 15 in the brooder and gave my broody 10. She's down to 3.

I'm not sure what's getting them. I suspect something in the coop at night, because she nested with four yesterday evening and came out of the coop this morning with three.

I've only found one dead in the coop, so it's only a guess.

I'm torn between setting up game cams to see if I can identify the culprit (which puts the remaining 3 at risk) or moving her and the babies into a sealed brooder in another area of the yard tonight.

She has been sticking close to the coop, something I've never seen her do before. As far as I know, she hasn't taken the babies out foraging yet, and she usually has them well trained by this time. She's also been moving around in the coop, never nesting in the same place two nights in a row.

Maybe something has her spooked?

What do you think? Move her and keep her locked in for a few days or let nature take its course?

 

[Mother of Chaos]

Opinion question. I got the 25 chicks 2 weeks ago. I put 15 in the brooder and gave my broody 10. She's down to 3.

I'm not sure what's getting them. I suspect something in the coop at night, because she nested with four yesterday evening and came out of the coop this morning with three.

I've only found one dead in the coop, so it's only a guess.

I'm torn between setting up game cams to see if I can identify the culprit (which puts the remaining 3 at risk) or moving her and the babies into a sealed brooder in another area of the yard tonight.

She has been sticking close to the coop, something I've never seen her do before. As far as I know, she hasn't taken the babies out foraging yet, and she usually has them well trained by this time. She's also been moving around in the coop, never nesting in the same place two nights in a row.

Maybe something has her spooked?

What do you think? Move her and keep her locked in for a few days or let nature take its course?

Is a snake a possibility? Chicks gone without a trace.

 

[LaurenRitz]

Is a snake a possibility? Chicks gone without a trace.

A definite possibility, but I check the coop every night before I close up. Any snake large enough to get a chick shouldn't be able to get in after the door is closed. There have certainly been no snakes inside when I open up in the morning.

 

[LaurenRitz]

Transitioning chicks to the primary brooder. I normally start free ranging them at 2 weeks, but that's going to have to wait in this case. I'm putting most of the chick stuff away. I'm hopeful that I won't have to use it again.

Mom has her babies up on the roost. Still 3.

 

[Molpet]

Transitioning chicks to the primary brooder. I normally start free ranging them at 2 weeks, but that's going to have to wait in this case. I'm putting most of the chick stuff away. I'm hopeful that I won't have to use it again.

Mom has her babies up on the roost. Still 3.

any openings larger than a half inch?

 

[LaurenRitz]

any openings larger than a half inch?

In the brooder, no. In the coop, yes. I have several plexi pannels that bring light into the coop, and I noticed holes in one. I need to correct that today. I wouldn't have even noticed, but they were large enough for the chicks to get out into the run and Mom couldn't get to them.

The brooder is hardware cloth on all sides. The largest space is around the door, which gaps a little so I lean a board against it.