Michigan

[RaZ]

Awfully quiet in here today with half the members off at MSU.

Maybe everyone is out enjoying the sunshine and warmer weather. I am just waiting on the soup to finish cooking and then I am going out.

I went to EMU today, does that count?

Then after dropping off the mid-term, came home and took care of dismantling the shed that got destroyed by the weekend windstorm and cut down a bunch of prairie grasses out front. Threw the clippings into the run for the hens to rummage in. Rounded up Crispy who was outside the run, then had to fetch Gravy who also escaped shortly thereafter. Found where they dug their escape tunnel and closed that off.

But the most fun was a handful of worms I found and took to the hens. What a feeding frenzy that turned into.

 

[M.sue]

It is a nice day and I'm headed back out to help my DH finish trimming up the apple trees. I get to pick up twigs.....Yaaaaa! The chickens enjoyed being out & having full run of the yard including nibbling on my bushes & shrubs in the landscaping.

Question: Here's a pic of my Roo & his little girlfriend. I wanted to use it as my avatar & add it to my avatar album but the system wouldn't allow me when I tried to upload it. A box would pop up saying error with some mumble jumble behind it. I can upload a pic in the reply box & post it but can not up load directly to my albums. Has anyone else had this difficulty? I've read & tried everything, it worked previously...I had no problems. Any suggestions / help would be appreciated.

 

[Mom 2em All]

THEY ARE GONEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

I am so sad, so crushed, so bummed, so frustrated, so mad...

my two little showgirls who hatched out a few days ago, under the hen who had scattered eggs...the one I locked in the dog crate inside the coop..I opened the door yesterday so she could bring them out.
I just now went out there, opened the coop...and she is up high on a roost and the babies are GONE>.

gone gone gone.

I have no idea. nothing. Except I am crushed.

eta:

I found their little dead selves...out in the woodchips outside the coop. Same place where some of the eggs had ended up.

 

[M.sue]

Oh no......could they be hiding someplace? Snug & tucked under something? That is awful.....Thinking positive, I hope you find them.

 

[b737drvr]

That is a total bummer mom2em. Are you sure you checked everywhere? Vanished w/o a trace?? Frustration station!!

 

[Chickmate]

I'm so sorry Mom. It sounds like rats to me. I am more afraid of them than raccoons or any other larger predator. Rats and weasles. My biggest fear. Rats would have scattered the eggs and would kill and drag the babies outside as well. You need to set some traps.

 

[Hillbilly Hen]

Mom2, so sorry

 

[uchytil]

Definitely was enjoying the weather here! Started work on a chicken/duck tractor to grow out meat birds in, so I can keep them separate from my layer flock. It'll be nice to be able to slide it to a new place every few days so the birds in it can feel fresh, green grass.

Now I realize that hatching ducks so early in the year was kinda silly! They're nearly four weeks old and despite my best efforts, keeping their brooder clean and fresh is a struggle, even with daily cleanings. Whew, they sure are adorable buggers, though! I just keep trying to rig their waterer so they can't make a total mess. Oh, and they're still in the basement

If you could/would maybe post a few pics after it's done. I too am in the design phase of a tractor for my meats. I'll drag it around my fields also. Maybe I can post a few pics in a month or so.

 

[Olive Hill]

Maybe everyone is out enjoying the sunshine and warmer weather. I am just waiting on the soup to finish cooking and then I am going out.

I was just teasing. You're right, though; it was a beautiful day. This afternoon I was able to clean out the two big tomato beds I missed last fall, refill everyone's hay and move a sow who should be farrowing soon to her own pen without so much as a coat on. It was fantastic sweatshirt weather, some of my favorite kind. And, though that wind was something else this morning, hopefully that'll help things dry out a bit quicker. The mud isn't near what it could be, but it's still a mess.

 

[RaZ]

I'm so sorry Mom. It sounds like rats to me. I am more afraid of them than raccoons or any other larger predator. Rats and weasles. My biggest fear. Rats would have scattered the eggs and would kill and drag the babies outside as well. You need to set some traps.

So sorry about your loss.
If you set out traps, be careful that the chickens can't get near them.
(But you knew that already)