Pennsylvania!! Unite!!

[AnneInTheBurbs]

Well::

Bater has hatched three so far...one Bared Holland, one Dorking and one CCL.....one Dork piped and didn't make it.....another pip is looking iffy......who knows....

Yay! New chicks! Did you ever get your fox?

Good luck on your hatch. Did any more hatch yet?

Just have to say again, I love your batam Langshans. If I every have more property, I hope to get a few more. They are both broody right now and the one had some peeps under her this morning. Excellent mamas!

Yesterday morning I went out to let the girls out and counted them as they hopped out to enjoy a beautiful day of free ranging while my fiancé and I cleaned the house and worked on the bazzilion things that needed to be done around the house. Well when I counted them I was one short which I quickly determined was one of my leghorn roosters. I thought it was strange but figured maybe he got lost in the woods and didn't make it back for bed last night or maybe he became part of the food chain... I wasn't thrilled about losing him who would be but I know that realistically I take a risk when I let them free range. Well around noon my fiancée starts screaming for me to come outside. And low and behold there is a red fox being chased off by him. It didn't deter him that in had my golden retriever out or that he was outside at all. :/ which makes me a little nervous as I have a two year old and four year old that are usually down by the coop feeding the chickens and trying to catch them throughout the day.... Anyways I tried to bribe the girls in after the fox was chased off and had no luck they were hiding in the brush. So I chained the golden retriever at the coop (she can't be off leash or she takes off ) and the chickens all layed with her the rest of the day... My final loss for the day was an additional 5, two hens and three more Roos... Now six chickens to one fox within 24 hrs isn't the part food chain I want to play. At this rate my girls would be wiped out in a matter of days! So we followed feather trails didn't really find anything but I guess we will set up some traps. And I will start looking for replacement chicks. The girls are locked in today. And tomorrow when I'm home all day I will open my run back up and put the dog down there for the day but I'm definitely hesitant to let them free range again till we catch him. Ugh. This part of chicken owning sucks!!!!

Sorry for your loss. That stinks.

Southern Chester Co PA here!

Welcome to the fun. Bucks county here. What would you like to add to your flock? What do you already have?

Leg traps baited with canned cat or dog food or tuna/salmon work pretty well to get them to hold still to administer the lead poisoning.

Lol, I see what you did there.

I wish I could take some off or your hands or buy some keets, but you are too far away for me and I don't have an incubator yet.  Yet...hee hee.

So, just some thoughts that might stir some fond memories for those of you who have been doing this a while:

Things I am learning about chickens:

1. Small chickens can rush you like NFL linebackers if they think you have something that they might want to eat.

2. It is a slightly scary, yet pleasant surprise that first time one of your chickens decides it likes you enough to fly up and hitch a ride on you.

3.  You know that one roo?  That one you don't really care for a whole lot?  He must have a sense about that, because he is the one who suddenly decides that curling up in your hands and going to sleep every time you pick him up is a good strategy.  Yes, I've fallen in love with my first roo. I have a few, but Henry has decided to distinguish his little self among the group. (Smart little devil.)

4.  It's amusing when friends or family arrive and say things like, "What's wrong with that chicken?"  (What chicken?)  "The one laying down?!?"  (It's just laying down.)  "Are you sure it isn't sick???"  (Yep, just laying down.  They do that.)  Good thing they didn't see them when they were tiny and always looked dead every time they stretched out to sleep!

 

[AnneInTheBurbs]

I heard peeps the morning from under my broody and saw a little head pop out.

@dheltzel. Yesterday I came home from work to find Broody #2 on Broody #1's nest, and vice versa. When I went to switch them back, I found one chick that had started to hatch but had been squished. Another one looked like it was trying to hatch, but I don't know if it was a goner yet, I just plopped the correct broody on top. So out of 8 eggs, two never developed, two died, and I have one live chick so far. Will be taking a "lunch break" to check on them and see if we have any more peeps. So glad I have the weekend to observe!

Also, this morning, when I checked the nest boxes, Broody #1 was on her eggs/chicks in the one box. Next door, broody #2 was in her eggs, along with 2 other chickens trying to lay in her box!
We only had one Rhodebar egg break I think. It's time for a bigger chicken coop....

 

[fisherlady]

Yeah that's what we were thinking. I never would have had imagined losing five in one day to a fox but desperate times....

Sorry to hear about the losses... very rough day for you!

Good luck in the hunt for the fox!

Thank you so much silkiesen! Feel better for sure.

Our 'teeny bopper' grow out coop looks like a world class pillow fight arena right now.... I think I could have stuffed a new mattress with what I cleaned out yesterday, and that is a weekly thing!

I wish I could take some off or your hands or buy some keets, but you are too far away for me and I don't have an incubator yet. Yet...hee hee.

So, just some thoughts that might stir some fond memories for those of you who have been doing this a while:

Things I am learning about chickens:

1. Small chickens can rush you like NFL linebackers if they think you have something that they might want to eat.

2. It is a slightly scary, yet pleasant surprise that first time one of your chickens decides it likes you enough to fly up and hitch a ride on you.

3. You know that one roo? That one you don't really care for a whole lot? He must have a sense about that, because he is the one who suddenly decides that curling up in your hands and going to sleep every time you pick him up is a good strategy. Yes, I've fallen in love with my first roo. I have a few, but Henry has decided to distinguish his little self among the group. (Smart little devil.)

4. It's amusing when friends or family arrive and say things like, "What's wrong with that chicken?" (What chicken?) "The one laying down?!?" (It's just laying down.) "Are you sure it isn't sick???" (Yep, just laying down. They do that.) Good thing they didn't see them when they were tiny and always looked dead every time they stretched out to sleep!

Love this!

So did anyone else here ever about panic the first time they saw a bird laying in the yard with one wing and one leg stretched out and looking about dead??? .... until you realized they just like to sun themselves?? LOL

 

[stake]

I heard peeps the morning from under my broody and saw a little head pop out.

@dheltzel . Yesterday I came home from work to find Broody #2 on Broody #1's nest, and vice versa. When I went to switch them back, I found one chick that had started to hatch but had been squished.

Another one looked like it was trying to hatch, but I don't know if it was a goner yet, I just plopped the correct broody on top. So out of 8 eggs, two never developed, two died, and I have one live chick so far. Will be taking a "lunch break" to check on them and see if we have any more peeps. So glad I have the weekend to observe!

Also, this morning, when I checked the nest boxes, Broody #1 was on her eggs/chicks in the one box. Next door, broody #2 was in her eggs, along with 2 other chickens trying to lay in her box!

We only had one Rhodebar egg break I think.

It's time for a bigger chicken coop....

Anne:
Haven't got the fox yet....still on the watch....my hatch is looking like your hatch.....broody hatched three and left the eggs....one of her babies was looking good yesterday but not this morning......probably won't make it....had x5 hatch in the bater and one is not looking good...another made it to the pip and quit....still hearing chirps from the bater so its not over yet...but I am not getting a good feeling overall...c'est la vie.....

 

[AnneInTheBurbs]

Sorry to hear about the losses... very rough day for you!   Good luck in the hunt for the fox!
Our 'teeny bopper' grow out coop looks like a world class pillow fight arena right now.... I think I could have stuffed a new mattress with what I cleaned out yesterday, and that is a weekly thing!

 

Love this!


So did anyone else here ever about panic the first time they saw a bird laying in the yard with one wing and one leg stretched out and looking about dead??? .... until you realized they just like to sun themselves??  LOL

Absolutely! Especially because they get that trance look in their eyes when they do it! Since its been nice out, sometimes I see three or four of my girls just plopped down in the grass or the shad just hanging out, and napping. I assume everyone's chickens do this too. Doesn't everyone like a little nap now and then?

 

[stake]

Yesterday morning I went out to let the girls out and counted them as they hopped out to enjoy a beautiful day of free ranging while my fiancé and I cleaned the house and worked on the bazzilion things that needed to be done around the house. Well when I counted them I was one short which I quickly determined was one of my leghorn roosters. I thought it was strange but figured maybe he got lost in the woods and didn't make it back for bed last night or maybe he became part of the food chain...

I wasn't thrilled about losing him who would be but I know that realistically I take a risk when I let them free range. Well around noon my fiancée starts screaming for me to come outside. And low and behold there is a red fox being chased off by him. It didn't deter him that in had my golden retriever out or that he was outside at all.

which makes me a little nervous as I have a two year old and four year old that are usually down by the coop feeding the chickens and trying to catch them throughout the day.... Anyways I tried to bribe the girls in after the fox was chased off and had no luck they were hiding in the brush. So I chained the golden retriever at the coop (she can't be off leash or she takes off

) and the chickens all layed with her the rest of the day... My final loss for the day was an additional 5, two hens and three more Roos... Now six chickens to one fox within 24 hrs isn't the part food chain I want to play. At this rate my girls would be wiped out in a matter of days! So we followed feather trails didn't really find anything but I guess we will set up some traps. And I will start looking for replacement chicks. The girls are locked in today. And tomorrow when I'm home all day I will open my run back up and put the dog down there for the day but I'm definitely hesitant to let them free range again till we catch him. Ugh. This part of chicken owning sucks!!!!

CMF:

Sorry to hear....I have lost alot to foxes over the past 6mos.....all day time attacks...they are a PIA.....it might be worth your effort to try to find their den.....trapping or shooting them hasn't worked for me.....know that they will be back and over time will adapt to whatever you do to chase them off.....my two cents....

 

[stake]

Southern Chester Co PA here!

Howdy!.

 

[cmf12230]

CMF:

Sorry to hear....I have lost alot to foxes over the past 6mos.....all day time attacks...they are a PIA.....it might be worth your effort to try to find their den.....trapping or shooting them hasn't worked for me.....know that they will be back and over time will adapt to whatever you do to chase them off.....my two cents....

I will have to do some research on what to look for. We have a few acres of woods around us I wonder what there range is?

Leg traps baited with canned cat or dog food or tuna/salmon work pretty well to get them to hold still to administer the lead poisoning.

I thought of doing that I'm just a little worried I will be hurting any of the neighbors cats or dogs that happen to roam the property.... But I seem to be getting the same feed back that its hard to get them in the humane traps....

 

[msladyhawke]

Yay! New chicks! Did you ever get your fox?
Just have to say again, I love your batam Langshans. If I every have more property, I hope to get a few more. They are both broody right now and the one had some peeps under her this morning. Excellent mamas!

I'm glad you like them! They have neat personalities. My very first bantam hen is still alive, her name is "Violet". She knows her name and comes when I call her name. Sometimes she just follows me around outside.

 

[therainfam]

Welcome to our little online gabfest!

Feel free to join in, ask questions, join the fun.

What breed do you have or wish for?