kjcampbell43
Hatching
- Sep 5, 2016
- 3
- 0
- 7
Hi All,
Inspecting your coop and flock each day is critically important. I routinely look for the average number of eggs, mites, lice, foot prints, tears in the fence, netting breaches, holes under the fence, etc. We have about 34 laying hens in a very large fenced in area as well as a large coop. We have a lot of predators here. We have coyotes, skunks, fox, weasel, owls (why I have a poultry net), hawks, cats, bob cats, mountain lion and the beloved ground squirrel. Well my average number of eggs had dropped and I was busy setting a live trap for my fat ground squirrel. I was looking for rocks to pile around it when I notice one of the hens not walking so well. I stopped what I was doing and picked her up to find a string wrapped around both feet with only about six inches in between. Now I always pick up my bags and strings from the feed bags, but this string must have gotten away from me. I took and cut the string a way and she is doing fine. However, if I was not always looking and interacting with my flock, I might have missed this and she certainly would have lost a few toes if not an entire foot or her life.
Remember, they are resilient but not indestructible. Always inspect your flock every day and their living quarters. It definitely pays off in the end.
Have a great day!
Inspecting your coop and flock each day is critically important. I routinely look for the average number of eggs, mites, lice, foot prints, tears in the fence, netting breaches, holes under the fence, etc. We have about 34 laying hens in a very large fenced in area as well as a large coop. We have a lot of predators here. We have coyotes, skunks, fox, weasel, owls (why I have a poultry net), hawks, cats, bob cats, mountain lion and the beloved ground squirrel. Well my average number of eggs had dropped and I was busy setting a live trap for my fat ground squirrel. I was looking for rocks to pile around it when I notice one of the hens not walking so well. I stopped what I was doing and picked her up to find a string wrapped around both feet with only about six inches in between. Now I always pick up my bags and strings from the feed bags, but this string must have gotten away from me. I took and cut the string a way and she is doing fine. However, if I was not always looking and interacting with my flock, I might have missed this and she certainly would have lost a few toes if not an entire foot or her life.
Remember, they are resilient but not indestructible. Always inspect your flock every day and their living quarters. It definitely pays off in the end.
Have a great day!
