Making Lemonade [Selective Culling Project - very long term]

[U_Stormcrow]

My wife and I have both walked the 2a cleared, and most of the 5a fenced, plus the additional 1a in front of the fence where we are building the house, looking for hidden nests. No love.

 

[3KillerBs]

My flock's laying has slowed dramatically as the mature girls are starting to molt, 2 of the perennial broodies are broody again, and the pullets are just starting up.

 

[NanaK]

My wife and I have both walked the 2a cleared, and most of the 5a fenced, plus the additional 1a in front of the fence where we are building the house, looking for hidden nests. No love.

Thought of this today. Keep an eye out for evidence of a large snake. They can be sneaky. They will some times leave yolk/white in the nest boxes when they eat the eggs. It happened to me once. I thought I had a hen laying soft shelled eggs and they were eating them leaving a mess in the straw. One day I caught the snake in the act. He was HUGE.

 

[3KillerBs]

Thought of this today. Keep an eye out for evidence of a large snake. They can be sneaky. They will some times leave yolk/white in the nest boxes when they eat the eggs. It happened to me once. I thought I had a hen laying soft shelled eggs and they were eating them leaving a mess in the straw. One day I caught the snake in the act. He was HUGE.

I've had a time with big blacksnakes this year.

I lost 7 chicks, a partially incubated nest (terrified my broody), an unknown number of other eggs, and somewhere between 3 and 6 golfballs to at least 3 different snakes.

 

[NanaK]

I've had a time with big blacksnakes this year.

I lost 7 chicks, a partially incubated nest (terrified my broody), an unknown number of other eggs, and somewhere between 3 and 6 golfballs to at least 3 different snakes.

We've seen a lot this year too. Huge black rat snakes and long skinny black racers. One black racer got in the run. We don't know how?? He got caught up in wire and netting and killed himself. I walked in and he was hanging dead just inside the gate. Freaked me out. I'm just not a reptile person. I wonder if my hen's chased him up there.
I would think the one's that got your golf balls were dead unless they spit it out somewhere.
Oh, and my pretty boy is crowing up a storm! Girls following him around.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Lost two silkie pullets (About 6 weeks) to a massive bullsnake and a 3rd the same night to a raccoon after the flock ran from the snake.

 

[3KillerBs]

I would think the one's that got your golf balls were dead unless they spit it out somewhere.

Yes, I am afraid that's probably the case.

I like having blacksnakes around the property -- we do NOT have a rat problem and our mouse issues are minor -- but not inside the coops.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Thought of this today. Keep an eye out for evidence of a large snake. They can be sneaky. They will some times leave yolk/white in the nest boxes when they eat the eggs. It happened to me once. I thought I had a hen laying soft shelled eggs and they were eating them leaving a mess in the straw. One day I caught the snake in the act. He was HUGE.

My birds have their nesting box in the raised coop, and we check numerous times over the course of the day. The few eggs they sometimes put in ground nests in the goat shed?? Those I expect to lose - but there are no "hollows" right now where they might be doing it.

I'm wondering if it isn't tree rats - I've found a nest in the attached barn...

 

[NanaK]

I'm wondering if it isn't tree rats - I've found a nest in the attached barn...

Had problems with them early on in chicken keeping. For me they were always stealing feed. I never had them take eggs but I don't know if they will. They will take tons of feed. If someone could have seen me swinging a hoe at those evil creatures trying to get them out of the run, they'd have rolled with laughter. More hardware cloth took care of them.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Had problems with them early on in chicken keeping. For me they were always stealing feed. I never had them take eggs but I don't know if they will. They will take tons of feed. If someone could have seen me swinging a hoe at those evil creatures trying to get them out of the run, they'd have rolled with laughter. More hardware cloth took care of them.

I bolted 3x8' sheets of roofing steel to the walls of my shed and made a "vault" for storing feed, when I couldn't find cheap (free) broken freezers for use.