mrsgee
Hatching
Hi guys,
Been following the forum for a while for tips but never joined.
I'm in a bit of a pickle! Slightly long post sorry!
Last week I went away and left my birds in the hands of my family took after (we all live on the same farm). So this entailed looking after 5 free range runner ducks, a silkiest that thinks it's a runner duck, 4 red hens and a vorwerk rooster. In the week I was away not only did my beloved roo keel over (suspicious as the family were scared if him) but the one night they apparently couldn't get the ducks to go in, and the next day we were one short.
Husband and I return two days later and check the farm as it doesn't seem possible that Mr Fox would just take one duck? Especially with runners being so inseparable? But it would appear that one of my drakes was gone without a trace.
This weekend husband I added to our hens and ordered some more ducks as we were going to expand anyway. So we brought back 4 random hens - white Sussex, buff Sussex, appenzeller and a maran. We shut them in the house last night with the others and all was well.
Anyhow this morning I go to let them out and the door to the coop was open, the 3 new hens still inside. I have a wander and my trusty reds show up. But still no sign of the maran.
So I guess what I'm asking is dies anybody have any idea what on earth is happening lol? I've kept poultry for 10 years now and been very fortunate not to have any taken by foxy (not that u would mind in negligent circumstances) but I was always assured that they kill everything in sight? Could he have opened the coop? And why just take one?
Been following the forum for a while for tips but never joined.
I'm in a bit of a pickle! Slightly long post sorry!
Last week I went away and left my birds in the hands of my family took after (we all live on the same farm). So this entailed looking after 5 free range runner ducks, a silkiest that thinks it's a runner duck, 4 red hens and a vorwerk rooster. In the week I was away not only did my beloved roo keel over (suspicious as the family were scared if him) but the one night they apparently couldn't get the ducks to go in, and the next day we were one short.
Husband and I return two days later and check the farm as it doesn't seem possible that Mr Fox would just take one duck? Especially with runners being so inseparable? But it would appear that one of my drakes was gone without a trace.
This weekend husband I added to our hens and ordered some more ducks as we were going to expand anyway. So we brought back 4 random hens - white Sussex, buff Sussex, appenzeller and a maran. We shut them in the house last night with the others and all was well.
Anyhow this morning I go to let them out and the door to the coop was open, the 3 new hens still inside. I have a wander and my trusty reds show up. But still no sign of the maran.
So I guess what I'm asking is dies anybody have any idea what on earth is happening lol? I've kept poultry for 10 years now and been very fortunate not to have any taken by foxy (not that u would mind in negligent circumstances) but I was always assured that they kill everything in sight? Could he have opened the coop? And why just take one?
