"Louisiana "La-yers" Peeps"

[Ron Skekel]

I found this pretty picture of her. I've heard that chickens don't molt in their first year, but she definitely dropped her tail feathers and so all the recent pictures (before pox) she has a gapped tail. Poor thing. Eloise (right) will miss her. They were the only two left from my original five sussex (lost one, sold two).

The other chicken might have pulled them. I always keep a few more than I want if you free range you always run the risk of losing some to predators. Come to find out we do have a coyote around this morning we found pieces of wild rabbit fur here and there. Pam

 

[LindaB220]

I wonder if that's Chris's new hamptures. I'll ask if he will have them for you in the future. Pam

Thanks Hon, I appreciate it.

 

[topdog24]

They seem to do it when they like. Chicks that are hatched and brought up by a broody do very well. Hope she has a good hatch. They seem to know if a egg is dead and will push it out the nest. I don't know what you use to candeling but I forud it's harder to see in blue and green eggs. I might invest in one instead of using a led light. Pam

Yeah, we hatched a lot of chicks growing up, never had a problem with them. It will mean a little extra work, i will build them a good area to stay in so they wont have accidents, being around a large group of large birds and closer to the ground. the box she 's in is 40 inch's from the ground., i am going to get a candler also

 

[Cody A]

Well, in a disappointing and infuriating turn of events I just found Evangeline's body as a hawk flew up from it. She was still warm. I can't even tell where the fatal wound is. She just looks asleep.

Oh so sorry Campingshaws. After all the hard work. Do you know what type hawk it was?

 

[Cody A]

Great! That's the best of both world's. Clint, the fellow that built my coop is very interested in getting into the good birds. He is in North Shreveport and has a friend that is opening a hatchery. I want to meet this friend.

. So cold today wasn't it? I went out yesterday and put tin on 3 sides of the two coops. Got everybody fixed up. Manual labor is not my forte, but I'm alearning.

referring to the cold. I'm freezing. I hate this stuff it's just miserable. Give me hot temps any day.

 

[campingshaws]

Oh so sorry Campingshaws.  After all the hard work. Do you know what type hawk it was?

No, not sure. I got several good looks at it, but I can't find my online bird identifier. It was chicken-sized and mostly beige/cream on the chest/belly/legs/tail. It was very lean, not very muscular looking? I think there were brown speckles on the breast. I was really close (30 ft?) before it flew up from the ground, and then it only went from tree to tree around the back.

 

[Cody A]

No, not sure. I got several good looks at it, but I can't find my online bird identifier. It was chicken-sized and mostly beige/cream on the chest/belly/legs/tail. It was very lean, not very muscular looking? I think there were brown speckles on the breast. I was really close (30 ft?) before it flew up from the ground, and then it only went from tree to tree around the back.

Could've been a broad-winged. http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/broad-winged_hawk/id There common to LA.

 

[campingshaws]

Could've been a broad-winged. http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/broad-winged_hawk/id There common to LA.

I think it looks more like a juvenile Cooper's hawk. I'll try to get a picture if I see it again.

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Coopers_hawk/id

 

[Cody A]

I think it looks more like a juvenile Cooper's hawk. I'll try to get a picture if I see it again.

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Coopers_hawk/id

Very well could have been. Seems I read somewhere, maybe Ussary's book, that juveniles are more likely to try for a full grown chicken than an adult hawk would because they don't have the experience/sense not to.

 

[campingshaws]

Very well could have been. Seems I read somewhere, maybe Ussary's book, that juveniles are more likely to try for a full grown chicken than an adult hawk would because they don't have the experience/sense not to.

That makes sense. I was browsing the predators forum and some people were adamant that a Cooper's hawk wouldn't go for a chicken, while others said they would. We're pretty close to the "winter grounds" on the map, so I wonder if I should expect increased sightings? If that's the case, we may have to adjust our habits for winter.

I found out yesterday before the attack that my FiL may be planning to send us home with juvenile silkies. It's not the same to me, but it plugged the hole in my 5-yo's heart.

Now driving 15-16 hours with chickens is something I've never done, but no one would be surprised. I'm actually getting a little excited about it. Or maybe I'll just cuddle a few and call it good.