NY chicken lover!!!!

[Lynzi777]

4 of the 5 sizzles that hatched. 1 didn't make it. It had an internal pip and then gave up. Not sure what happened. I cracked open the shell, it didn't look sharing wrapped. Here are the 4 that are dried off so far...

 

[Tough Old Bird]

i live near chautauqua lake and we are starting to see alot of southern birds around here we never had before ..we like to take the boat down the outlet ..we have a pair of bald eagles there but are starting to see those birds that dive under water ..i no we see them in fl and this last weekend we seen another florida bird .. the name escapes me now but they kind of look like an eagle ..sorry i wish i could think of the names ..but i grew up on this lake and we never had such birds here before ..just wondering if anyonme else has seen any of these kinds of birds in other parts of ny ..i find it really strange they would start migrating north ..austray is the one i couldnt think of ..and then the one that dives under the water is called a camrants..i no i misspelled this ..sorry..

Ospreys and cormorants are probably what you are seeing. Some folks mix up Ospreys with Bald Eagles, as they are large predator birds (raptors) and are often on large stick nests near water, just like eagles. However, they are actually significantly smaller and are white with some black/brown streaking.... whereas the (mature) Bald Eagles are chocolate-brown with a white head and tail. Anyway, both are good anglers.

The Double-breasted Cormorants are actually invasive birds and are not too popular with sportsmen. They consume a good deal of fish, and some think they compromise game fish populations. They're cool to watch, though, and they're here to stay, so we may as well get used to seeing them around.

The reason you may be seeing more Eagles and Ospreys is because since DDT pesticides were banned in the 70's, these birds have been making a strong come-back in populations. The pesticide interfered with their ability to absorb calcium, and so their eggs shells were very weak and would break resulting in failed nesting attempts x many years.

TOB

 

[Tough Old Bird]

Sad night tonight. I went to close up the chickens and something had killed and partially eaten my barred cochin bantam hen who had chicks. The chicks are nowhere to be seen and I'm sure she died trying to defend them. So tomorrow a trap is going out and it's going to be baited with chicken.

Pyxis, what an awful thing to find waiting for you. I'm really sorry to hear this, and so sorry for your hen and her brood. Good luck with the trap.

You would like to stop down the road from us about 3/4 mile. We have American bald eagle nest that people keep taking pictures or trying to watch. I've been wanting to get a pic but don't think our cam can zoom in enough to make it worth it

Sounds cool -- we see them around Otisco Lake, too, and there is an active nest around the lake, but I'm not sure exactly where. They are impressive birds. Hopefully, your eagles are nesting far enough away from traffic and people that they are not disturbed by folks who want to photograph them. A good zoom lens helps, haha!

TOB

 

[Tough Old Bird]

If that isn't a sign if global warming or does that not exist

More a by product of an invasive species doing well here and reproducing (Cormorants) and a bounce-back in populations by the Ospreys / Eagles thanks to the banning of DDT in the 70's. It takes a species a long time to rebound after being nearly decimated. It's awesome to see these beautiful raptors back in business!

TOB

Oh my gosh - he is GORGEOUS! What a striking coloration and pattern. Love him.



RANCHER - I prayed for your wife in church today. I'm sorry she is having to go through this, but she will endure and it will help her to kick the cancer in the long run. Sorry about your neighbor, too. So many people diagnosed....


TOB

 

[kimmerjo]

So all of my chickens went to their new home this weekend. ( my sisters) they are happy and going to be so spoiled!! Her kids are so excited! I have called there 5 times and they have been watching chicken TV all times. So I'm going to take a break for a bit ( i doubt to long)before I jump back in

 

[pharmchickrnmom]

Jlaw--still a good hatch and I find I have to keep my humidity down to get better hatches. I think it has to do with the room I hatch in. Nice NN chick!

Kimmerjo--we always want to know how our babies are doing when they go to someone else! Its okay, we all understand here.

So I come home and find Eowyn off her egg. Not exactly sure what this means but maybe she just needed to get out and eat and poop. It is hot in the sun today so maybe the coop is warm enough that she isnt worried about her egg. I am just letting nature do its thing. Went to the local farm market to get berries and its cheaper for me to pick than buy. I wasnt about to go pick in 85 degree weather so I will go tuesday morning early to beat the heat. I did score some broccoli, pepper and tomato plants cheap! Buy two get one free! Cost me a whole 2 dollars. Putting them in tonight!!! Terrorists were out when I got home as well. They have chicken daddy wound around their wings. They are busy relandscaping the woods.

Time to put in some time on this sweater I am trying to finish. Only have to finish a sleeve and a collar and then just put it together. Sooo want to start a new project but making myself finish this one.

Later all

 

[Pyxis]

Thanks everyone. So the trap is set with some delicious chicken breast in the area near where the attack happened. Just out of curiosity, does anyone know what would kill the hen, eat her head and open her chest and eat the innards, and leave everything else? I believe this thing also took my frizzle pullets that disappeared, but it has not bothered any full size birds. Something also snuck into my coop and stole every single egg, even the ones under the broodies, a few days ago, but did not bother the broodies themselves. Could be the same thing that killed the hen. So if anyone has any guesses as to what it is I would love to get some opinions.

On the hatching front, I did some eggtopsies and as I had suspected, the humidity was too high and most of the chicks drowned. Would poking more vent holes in the LG help this, you think? This is the problem I had with my old one and why I only use it as a hatcher. The other option is to just take the heating system and fit it to my homemade styrofoam incubator whose thermostat quit. Of course the turner doesn't fit it though, so I would like to be able to use the LG if at all possible.

And finally, hatch count so far is four ameraucanas, one of which is under a broody outside, one lavender orp and one black orp. All the others drowned. Also, the black orp is doing a weird thing. It doesn't walk right. Its legs appear to be perfectly fine, and it can stand perfectly, so it's not slipped tendons. It's not splay leg either. It just doesn't seem to grasp the concept of moving one leg and then the other, and instead kangaroo hops around the brooder.

 

[bakingintherain]

I officially love my barred cochins! they are amazing in every way! they lovingly adopted the new frizzle hatchling that was very lonely and needed to come out of the incu, they all curiously walked over to it and looked at it showed it where the water and food were and sat in a semi circle cuddling with it no pecking or chasing they were just calm and accepting

also one more has hatched a mottled cochin still chilling in the incu but super adorable

 

[boskelli1571]

I'm assuming so, yes...lol!



Those are osprey??? They seem so much bigger than the osprey nests I've seen before!

Bummer....I was hoping they were eagle nests, lol.

The osprey return to the nests every year, so they build/repair right on top of the old one. I too had thought they were eagle nests but an avid birder set me straight!! We did have an Eagle flying over our valley last year though! Magnificent bird - we think it's probably nesting up on top of the hill where there are even fewer people. We were sort of hoping it would nest by the creek, but I'm glad it didn't. No doubt in my mind that an adult Eagle could carry a fully grown chicken.....

 

[boskelli1571]

Sad night tonight. I went to close up the chickens and something had killed and partially eaten my barred cochin bantam hen who had chicks. The chicks are nowhere to be seen and I'm sure she died trying to defend them. So tomorrow a trap is going out and it's going to be baited with chicken.

Hey Pyxis - sorry for your losses

My best guesses for predators are skunk or raccoon. Go get'em!