I started with 4 hens that I bought from someone moving out of state. 2 barred rock, 1 Rhode Island Red and 1 buff Orpington.
I'm down to one as of this morning.
My first one, the Rhode Island Red, got snagged by a raccoon through the chain link fence. Lesson learned, wrapped the chain link with hardware cloth.
I also had a roost for them outside which I took down and showed them they should be sleeping inside the hen house.
Several months go by and we're all happy campers. Then I decide to put the roost back up so they have an outdoor spot out of the dirt. That was fine for a while, until a couple of them decided to sleep outside at night. One morning I woke and found a headless chicken. Boggles my mind because she was inside the hen house. I could not find any tracks or any signs that anything was disturbed. I'm assuming it was a raccoon and somewhere must have been able to reach through and grab her by the neck.
So, again I took the outside roost down.
My last two we're doing fine until about a week ago. My Buff Orpington was not her usual self. Lethargic, eating but not really enthusiastic about it like she used to be. This morning I found her dead. No sign of injury. She was underneath the hen house.
All I have left is one barred rock, Earline,and I can still hear her crying.
I have no idea why Buffy died. Was it old age? Did she get sick?
I'm not sure what I can do for Earline. She's so sad. I had intended to get more chickens but now I'm just not sure.
Feeling blue....
I'm down to one as of this morning.
My first one, the Rhode Island Red, got snagged by a raccoon through the chain link fence. Lesson learned, wrapped the chain link with hardware cloth.
I also had a roost for them outside which I took down and showed them they should be sleeping inside the hen house.
Several months go by and we're all happy campers. Then I decide to put the roost back up so they have an outdoor spot out of the dirt. That was fine for a while, until a couple of them decided to sleep outside at night. One morning I woke and found a headless chicken. Boggles my mind because she was inside the hen house. I could not find any tracks or any signs that anything was disturbed. I'm assuming it was a raccoon and somewhere must have been able to reach through and grab her by the neck.
So, again I took the outside roost down.
My last two we're doing fine until about a week ago. My Buff Orpington was not her usual self. Lethargic, eating but not really enthusiastic about it like she used to be. This morning I found her dead. No sign of injury. She was underneath the hen house.
All I have left is one barred rock, Earline,and I can still hear her crying.
I have no idea why Buffy died. Was it old age? Did she get sick?
I'm not sure what I can do for Earline. She's so sad. I had intended to get more chickens but now I'm just not sure.
Feeling blue....