Oregon

[countrybuffs]

Well, here is new mystery. A few days ago, while I had the flu, one of my chicks disappeared during the daytime. I had a door open but about the only thing that could get in there would have been a Jay. It was one of the new Bantam chicks and it was a little nuts and wouldn't stay with the hen, so I figured O well. I don't mind blue-jays but I think they will take very small chicks.
Now last night, another chick disappeared!!! It was one of my Australorp babies, about a week old. All doors were closed up tight and there were no signs of anything! No tracks, no feathers, nothing, I first thought the chick had just vanished in the night! I went out and checked in the house again and I found the body. No marks on it or anything, but it seemed like it's little crop was empty. Like I said, I had been sick and I wasn't checking in on them as much as usual so maybe it just wasn't eating for some reason? I don't think the two deaths are really related, none of the chickens seem sick at all. Just thought I would share.

 

[BlueCamas]

Sorry about your babies

Maybe it was a rat? I wouldn't put it past them to nab a chick if they had the chance.

 

[~GoneWild~]

I think a rat got one of my little ones because I'd purchased 3 and the following day one was all that remained, and they were out in my pump house under the heat lamp-- nothing can get in there besides the mice... or?

 

[OR4-hmom]

Last year we had a big wind storm that took out trees all around us. Knocked out the power for 2 days and I had 13 two day old bantam chicks, in the broody box. I had some of the "air activated" hand warmers here and wrapped them in towels to line one side of the box. I was up every couple of hours to throw wood in the stove but everyone made it. In the future I'll be sure to have them on hand when chicks are due in. Since we are on a well, water is a bigger problem for us when the power goes out. I usually have 3 staged ready to go in the box. I also count on the power going out on the hottest days of the year.

 

[wbruder17]

Whew! I spent the gorgeous day "Spring Cleaning" my run. Backbreaking, SMELLY, labor. With all that rain, the poopie in the huge run was a slick, disgusting mess. I scraped off the top 2 inch layer and raked all the sand/ gravel around. Probably about 7-8 wheelbarrows worth of poop hauled out! It smells and looks so good now! And the chickens/ ducks GORGED themselves on all the worms I dug up!

Love spring cleaning, but my back is paying for it!

 

[Cloverleaf Farm]

Whew! I spent the gorgeous day "Spring Cleaning" my run. Backbreaking, SMELLY, labor. With all that rain, the poopie in the huge run was a slick, disgusting mess. I scraped off the top 2 inch layer and raked all the sand/ gravel around. Probably about 7-8 wheelbarrows worth of poop hauled out! It smells and looks so good now! And the chickens/ ducks GORGED themselves on all the worms I dug up!

Love spring cleaning, but my back is paying for it!

I did some of that today myself...yuck!

 

[ChicksRoseburg]

When I talked to Old Mill Feed and Garden in Dallas Spring 2011, I was told the Nankins came from a local, I left my number for Her to get a hold of me, I never heard anything.

 

[CrittersNPets]

Yeah for worms, right. Kids and I spent time hunting worms last night and feeding to the chickens. Fun for all and happy chickens. And sooo happy no power outtages. 11 days left on duckies, hoping goes well on hatch.

 

[Zanna]

Yeah for worms, right. Kids and I spent time hunting worms last night and feeding to the chickens. Fun for all and happy chickens. And sooo happy no power outtages. 11 days left on duckies, hoping goes well on hatch.

Glad to hear your power stayed on! We lost power for 16 hours. Went out at Midnight Wed. Realized it at 2AM, jumped out of bed and my two hovabators had dropped to about 82 deg. Hubby ran to the shop, got a car battery, cut the cords on the incubators, hooked the wires to the battery and got them going again. By morning, battery was getting drained and incs. were down in the 80's again. Drove to Les Schwab (in the 7 inches of snow), got a new battery and got them hooked up again with no more temp. fluctuations. Power came back on early evening Thurs. Candled my day 8ers last night and all had little swimmers. Too soon to see anything in the 3 dayers, they were probably the least crucial anyways, and lockdown for 21 of the eggs tonight, hope they all made it

Enjoy this incredible day everyone, 60 degrees here (and still some snow on the ground!).

 

[Totalcolour]

Yeah for worms, right. Kids and I spent time hunting worms last night and feeding to the chickens. Fun for all and happy chickens. And sooo happy no power outtages. 11 days left on duckies, hoping goes well on hatch.

First duckling of the year - sadly not mine, I'm hatching for a friend, mine hatch in 2 weeks. This is an Ancona.

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