NY chicken lover!!!!

[Lynzi777]

Lynzi,

Have you ever tried using a bungee cord to tighten the lids to the can (handles)? That way if they tip, hopefully the lids will stay on, and busy raccoon hands can't get under the lids when they're upright.

TOB

I did buy them, but when I say these are pretty small cans, I mean, they can fit 1 and a half bags of garbage. So if I were to try to put the lids on they'd be up in the air. Know what I mean? I guess I could fill them one each and put anything smaller in them but I'd like to have one big roll away can. I'm hoping Feher will allow us to have one. I'm not sure how that works. If it's by town or they anyone who's willing to pay have them. I know back in CT when they came out with those they just gave them to everyone when they got the new garbage trucks that lifted them up and over into the the truck. The guy here has to get out of the truck himself to get the garbage in. I'll make a call today otherwise I'll go out and get one of those big Brute (? I believe they're called) garbage cans and use the bungee cords for that.

 

[Lynzi777]

No. What I am doing is taking the chicken hatchlings out from under the best momma in the world and putting them under her co-broody, who is in another coop, so she continues to sit on the duck eggs. I don't need more chicks, but I sure could use some ducks. She isn't amused at my handling her during "lockdown" but so far I still have all my fingers. The other momma isn't overly amused at chicks just showing up, but her eggs should have hatched last night....they were peeping when I moved them....so hopefully all is good in the henhouse this morning. I'll check closely when I get home from jury duty tonight.

Well I hope your ducklings hatch! Fingers crossed for you!

 

[Tab's chicken obsession]

I have a few hours to myself this morning, where to start? I think I'm going to put some plants in my garden that were given to me and check on the peeps. Some quiet time is always nice and I don't get much of it.

 

[stonykill]

No. What I am doing is taking the chicken hatchlings out from under the best momma in the world and putting them under her co-broody, who is in another coop, so she continues to sit on the duck eggs. I don't need more chicks, but I sure could use some ducks. She isn't amused at my handling her during "lockdown" but so far I still have all my fingers. The other momma isn't overly amused at chicks just showing up, but her eggs should have hatched last night....they were peeping when I moved them....so hopefully all is good in the henhouse this morning. I'll check closely when I get home from jury duty tonight.

Cass, duck eggs take seemingly forever to hatch. At least the 1st one does. My 1st with the last hatch was almost 18 hours pip to hatch

 

[Sally8]

Our temps were down in the 30's last night. I have had so many broody hens that would get off the nest before they were due to hatch their eggs so last week end I took everyone's eggs, candled them, tossed the clear ones and one of the other's hatched last night that I had put in the incubator. But the remarkable thing, it has been 3 days and last night one of the broody EE's just figured out that I had taken her eggs. She went from nest to nest clucking so loudly that I brought 3 eggs back out and she settled down on the eggs. After 1 hatched inside, maybe they are due to hatch anyway. The night I found the nest empty, it had been 95 degrees during the day and everyone roosted on the roosts. I wish I were as excited as the rest of you over broody hens. You all seem to live at least a couple of hours all around me and have warmer temps and rain. Stony- I've been meaning to tell you that I never caught a rat but never saw any evidence of it again either. Has anyone made one of those rodent traps that uses a soda/beer can and a large pail? I thought I'd try that for mice as I know we have mice/moles. sue

 

[stonykill]

Our temps were down in the 30's last night. I have had so many broody hens that would get off the nest before they were due to hatch their eggs so last week end I took everyone's eggs, candled them, tossed the clear ones and one of the other's hatched last night that I had put in the incubator. But the remarkable thing, it has been 3 days and last night one of the broody EE's just figured out that I had taken her eggs. She went from nest to nest clucking so loudly that I brought 3 eggs back out and she settled down on the eggs. After 1 hatched inside, maybe they are due to hatch anyway. The night I found the nest empty, it had been 95 degrees during the day and everyone roosted on the roosts. I wish I were as excited as the rest of you over broody hens. You all seem to live at least a couple of hours all around me and have warmer temps and rain. Stony- I've been meaning to tell you that I never caught a rat but never saw any evidence of it again either. Has anyone made one of those rodent traps that uses a soda/beer can and a large pail? I thought I'd try that for mice as I know we have mice/moles. sue

strange on the rats. I have accidentally drowned mice in 5 gallon pails with water, but never on purpose. Just a bonus I guess

 

[Lynzi777]

We have baby bunnies! 5 of them!

 

[miquwid]

No. What I am doing is taking the chicken hatchlings out from under the best momma in the world and putting them under her co-broody, who is in another coop, so she continues to sit on the duck eggs. I don't need more chicks, but I sure could use some ducks. She isn't amused at my handling her during "lockdown" but so far I still have all my fingers. The other momma isn't overly amused at chicks just showing up, but her eggs should have hatched last night....they were peeping when I moved them....so hopefully all is good in the henhouse this morning. I'll check closely when I get home from jury duty tonight.

Good luck

We have baby bunnies! 5 of them!

congrats!!!

 

[JayinCohoes]

I am sorry for your loss. Don't be to hard on yourself. Unless you're a vet and even then it's hard to know what's going on. I honestly don't think it was sour crop but something more serious. We don't have X-ray vision and quite frankly chickens can be very fragile.

You are not crazy for being heart broken either, many of us are the same way.

Feel better soon,

Rancher

Thank you Rancher and everyone so much for your thoughts. You have no idea how much your words meant to me. Even though I've never met any of you I knew I needed to cry over my computer with all of you before I told anyone else. Knowing that I'm not alone when things like this happens makes all the difference in the world. Since I'm letting my chickens live out their natural lives I know I'll have to do this again but hopefully it won't be because of my ignorance. I know I was being a big baby about it but at least I know that you guys would understand. I guess this will also help prepare me for when my 12 1/2 year old dog leaves my side. I'll need grieve counseling after that.

Thanks again and I truly appreciate it.

Jay

 

[JLaw]

strange on the rats. I have accidentally drowned mice in 5 gallon pails with water, but never on purpose. Just a bonus I guess

Seems each year I drown a mouse or a mole in my sub-pump in the basement.