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My peeps said:
I just lost 5 birds on Monday. My favorite bearded silkie, 2 serama's,, 1 mixed silkie/serama rooster and my little Easter Egger. I'm guessing the door didn't latch properly when I closed them in for the night. After this winter things seemed to shift around. Whatever it was only left feathers behind. No blood at all. It was small enough to squeeze through the door (top latch was latched but bottom one was not. The door couldn't open all the way). We found one body deep in the woods partially eaten. When we had a raccoon or possum problem with our old coop they left the birds behind. Any guesses? Oh, and it left our broody and all her eggs in one piece. I'm guessing it fit into the run but not the actual coop....even though there were tons of feathers in the coop too.


Anyway, Mother's Day is fast approaching and my brother in law made me this. He has them for sale in his store. He also makes custom coop signs or any other sign you can think of! Check it out https://www.etsy.com/listing/227707177/carved-rooster-trivet?ref=listing-shop-header-0
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Sorry for your loss.
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My peeps said:
I just lost 5 birds on Monday. My favorite bearded silkie, 2 serama's,, 1 mixed silkie/serama rooster and my little Easter Egger. I'm guessing the door didn't latch properly when I closed them in for the night. After this winter things seemed to shift around. Whatever it was only left feathers behind. No blood at all. It was small enough to squeeze through the door (top latch was latched but bottom one was not. The door couldn't open all the way). We found one body deep in the woods partially eaten. When we had a raccoon or possum problem with our old coop they left the birds behind. Any guesses? Oh, and it left our broody and all her eggs in one piece. I'm guessing it fit into the run but not the actual coop....even though there were tons of feathers in the coop too.


Anyway, Mother's Day is fast approaching and my brother in law made me this. He has them for sale in his store. He also makes custom coop signs or any other sign you can think of! Check it out https://www.etsy.com/listing/227707177/carved-rooster-trivet?ref=listing-shop-header-0
Click to expand...
Sorry for your loss. My guess would be a weasel is the culprit.
 
emorems0 said:
Hey neighbor! My husband works in Conway, we live about 20 minutes west of Beaver. We do have australorps, but we don't have any extras... Actually hoping for a broody to expand our flock (in which case, we may have extras). But that is entirely up to the hens, we aren't hatching/brooding any more chicks. I'd rather let a mother hen do it.

We also have RIRs and just got a bunch of cornish roasters for processing and Delaware and Dark Cornish for eventual breeding of meatier birds that can actually reproduce on their own. American Blue meat rabbits as well. And 3 little girls who love our growing 'farm'.
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Thanks for the welcome neighbor. I'm a bit north of you depending on were in Conway you are and which back roads you have to take you're probably 10-15 minutes away.
 
My peeps said:
I just lost 5 birds on Monday. My favorite bearded silkie, 2 serama's,, 1 mixed silkie/serama rooster and my little Easter Egger. I'm guessing the door didn't latch properly when I closed them in for the night. After this winter things seemed to shift around. Whatever it was only left feathers behind. No blood at all. It was small enough to squeeze through the door (top latch was latched but bottom one was not. The door couldn't open all the way). We found one body deep in the woods partially eaten. When we had a raccoon or possum problem with our old coop they left the birds behind. Any guesses? Oh, and it left our broody and all her eggs in one piece. I'm guessing it fit into the run but not the actual coop....even though there were tons of feathers in the coop too.


Anyway, Mother's Day is fast approaching and my brother in law made me this. He has them for sale in his store. He also makes custom coop signs or any other sign you can think of! Check it out https://www.etsy.com/listing/227707177/carved-rooster-trivet?ref=listing-shop-header-0
Click to expand...


So sorry you lost some of your birds. How many does that leave you with? :hugs
 
Hiya! From PA - I've already introduced myself and then got quiet again a years ago and hundreds of pages back. :) Im from NW PA, 2hrs above Pittsburgh, so I don't think many of you are actually neighbors. We've got a big state.
I have a question! I was reading just a bit ago, I believe here on this thread about someone sending someone else eggs. I have no experience with shipped eggs and I'm receiving some probably today. Please, is there anything I need to know? I thought I had read about letting them rest for a certain amount of time or something but I can't get any solid tips. Don't want to screw this up. Thanks!
 
Yayah said:
Hiya! From PA - I've already introduced myself and then got quiet again a years ago and hundreds of pages back. :) Im from NW PA, 2hrs above Pittsburgh, so I don't think many of you are actually neighbors. We've got a big state.
I have a question! I was reading just a bit ago, I believe here on this thread about someone sending someone else eggs. I have no experience with shipped eggs and I'm receiving some probably today. Please, is there anything I need to know? I thought I had read about letting them rest for a certain amount of time or something but I can't get any solid tips. Don't want to screw this up. Thanks!
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Most people let them rest fat end up for 12-24 hours before setting. Some incubate shipped eggs standing up in cartons if air cells are loose. I lay all of mine on their sides & do not turn the first 2 days, then only turn once per day for 3 days. That gives air cells time to stabilize before going to turning 3 times per day. You can do the same standing them up in cartons fat end up. Cut the bottoms out of each carton cup for more air flow. Just turn by tilting eggs from 1 side of the carton to the other. Lots of options, none are wrong. The key is to allow air cells time to stabilize my minimizing turning for a few days.
 
SilkieSensation said:
Most people let them rest fat end up for 12-24 hours before setting. Some incubate shipped eggs standing up in cartons if air cells are loose. I lay all of mine on their sides & do not turn the first 2 days, then only turn once per day for 3 days. That gives air cells time to stabilize before going to turning 3 times per day. You can do the same standing them up in cartons fat end up. Cut the bottoms out of each carton cup for more air flow. Just turn by tilting eggs from 1 side of the carton to the other. Lots of options, none are wrong. The key is to allow air cells time to stabilize my minimizing turning for a few days.
Click to expand...

I've only hatched shipped eggs a few times, with some success, and had no idea I needed to do anything different (an egg is an egg, right?). But now I know a lot more and am expecting a shipment for the first time in years. I'm very excited and in much the same place that you are, reading all I can.

My plan is to let them set a day as silkie mentioned, then candle them to evaluate the state of their air cells and make a decision after that about how to treat them. If the air cells are good, I intend to put them in the auto turner immediately and treat them like any other eggs. If the air cells are damaged in any way (or if some are, I can split them into 2 groups easily), then they get started with the air cell up, per silkie's advice.
 
dheltzel said:
SilkieSensation said:
Most people let them rest fat end up for 12-24 hours before setting. Some incubate shipped eggs standing up in cartons if air cells are loose. I lay all of mine on their sides
Click to expand...



I've only hatched shipped eggs a few times, with some success, and had no idea I needed to do anything different (an egg is an egg, right?). But now I know a lot more and am expecting a shipment for the first time in years. I'm very excited and in much the same place that you are, reading all I can.

My plan is to let them set a day as silkie mentioned, then candle them to evaluate the state of their air cells and make a decision after that about how to treat them. If the air cells are good, I intend to put them in the auto turner immediately and treat them like any other eggs. If the air cells are damaged in any way (or if some are, I can split them into 2 groups easily), then they get started with the air cell up, per silkie's advice.
Click to expand...

I skip turning the first 2 days on all shipped eggs regardless of how the air cell looks. I have found shipped eggs do much better with less turning. The less I turn them the first week, the better they do. I do not have auto turners so that isn't an issue. I've also tried the carton & didn't like them. Others love them. Hatching really is trial & error to see what works for you.
 

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