Pennsylvania!! Unite!!

[FluffyButt789]

Sounds like everyone has some broody chickens! I have a question about my chicken Tiny. She has been sitting on the nest for longer periods, growls at me when I go in, and I noticed a lot of feathers in her box. I assume she is pulling out her own feathers to get ready to hatch out some eggs. But the thing is, she only sits for a few hours then she gets down to go join the flock outside. I'm not sure if she will ever become full-broody. And I'm not sure if I want her to because we can't have any more chickens right now. I'm just curious about her behavior. She is a 1-year old Buff Orpington.

 

[stake]

Sounds like everyone has some broody chickens! I have a question about my chicken Tiny. She has been sitting on the nest for longer periods, growls at me when I go in, and I noticed a lot of feathers in her box. I assume she is pulling out her own feathers to get ready to hatch out some eggs. But the thing is, she only sits for a few hours then she gets down to go join the flock outside. I'm not sure if she will ever become full-broody. And I'm not sure if I want her to because we can't have any more chickens right now. I'm just curious about her behavior. She is a 1-year old Buff Orpington.

FB:

Not me, I have too many boys and they are not letting the girls get comfortable enough....I had one CCL girl, (proven broody) who set three times last summer and gave up after 24hrs each time...chooks are crazy critters.....

 

[stake]

Caught this critter on video last night... hoping to catch it in a trap tonight.

(first time trying to post a video, hope it works!)

HY:

Humm....you know where he is every night....maybe you should introduce him to Mr. Remington......

 

[stake]

I doing chores in sideways rain. Not.

It stopped over by me for about 10mins....so everyone got fed....

 

[hyzenthlay]

HY:

Humm....you know where he is every night....maybe you should introduce him to Mr. Remington......

Well, that's the thing--it only seems to come once a week or so, maybe less. I'm not sure how long we'll have to leave the trap set in order to catch him.

And when we do, my 3 year old was hoping we could bring him inside for a pet. He's been checking the trap with such eager anticipation. So... I think we'll have to chart the middle course and just relocate him somewhere he won't be a bother.

 

[yoopergirl1211]

Update on my goats. Not only did I get them in horrible condition but the first vet I went too was no help at all. He miss diagnosed Stetsons eye and now its dead. Ford does have cl and vet found a small lump in Stetsons neck that we'll have to watch. Ugh. Vet wants me to keep them apart for now till Ford gets stronger (hopefully) and I am finally mad enough to report woman to animal services.

 

[fisherlady]

Well, that's the thing--it only seems to come once a week or so, maybe less.  I'm not sure how long we'll have to leave the trap set in order to catch him.     And when we do, my 3 year old was hoping we could bring him inside for a pet.  He's been checking the trap with such eager anticipation.  So... I think we'll have to chart the middle course and just relocate him somewhere he won't be a bother.

I'm sorry, because there is no way for me to comment on this without sounding preachy....

Unfortunately there is no easy solution, the fact is that 'relocating' an animal such as a grown raccoon will only produce problems for someone else. An adult wild animal who has already established a habit of seeking human locations for food will continue to do so. Bringing a wild animal inside as a pet is out of the question and that leaves very few options, unfortunately. Your 3 year old may be upset but he needs to understand wild animals aren't pets and tears now are better than the problems which could happen later if he tries to approach such an animal.
I agree with stake, quickly dispatching the animal would be my choice also.

 

[fangedknight]

I'm sorry, because there is no way for me to comment on this without sounding preachy....

Unfortunately there is no easy solution, the fact is that 'relocating' an animal such as a grown raccoon will only produce problems for someone else. An adult wild animal who has already established a habit of seeking human locations for food will continue to do so. Bringing a wild animal inside as a pet is out of the question and that leaves very few options, unfortunately. Your 3 year old may be upset but he needs to understand wild animals aren't pets and tears now are better than the problems which could happen later if he tries to approach such an animal.
I agree with stake, quickly dispatching the animal would be my choice also.

I have to agree with Fisher here. Lord knows I'll have to deal with this when my flock is finally old enough to go outside. And in this case with how many blasted raccoons there are... a dead raccoon is one less to bother your flock and that's a good raccoon. Also don't forget that you won't get in any kind of trouble for killing it because it's attacking your livestock. Game wardens can't say a thing, and they won't (because it's a raccoon).

 

[hyzenthlay]

No worries, @fisherlady , no offense taken, and I certainly wouldn't make it a pet!!! I just thought it was cute that my little guy was so enthusiastic. As for relocating, it's a bit of different situation here since we live in the city--almost all areas are human areas, so he didn't have to seek too hard to find us. If he were just looking for scraps and trash, I'd live and let live, but when he comes looking to kill my hens he needs to move along. There are vanishingly few people with any sort of livestock around here, and public parks with hundreds of acres of woods, so I'd feel pretty comfortable relocating him to the park and taking the chance he might eventually make his way back to garbage cans. If that's all the harm he does, I wouldn't treat it as a capital offense. If we didn't have chickens, I'd think it was neat to have a raccoon pass through our yard occasionally, the same way we appreciate the wild turkey, deer, groundhogs, songbirds, and 8 zillion rabbits. Without chickens, I'd even appreciate that blasted red tailed hawk nesting in my neighbor's tree. If my only option were to relocate him where he'd likely terrorize another flock, I'd have to consider other choices....

 

[Blarneyeggs]

Just sold a baby goat. Seperating a Mom and her baby is tough. Last year, the doe I bred was such a terrible mother....when her babies left, she didn't even glance over her shoulder. I will write this one down in my file labeled: 'Farming is not for sissies'.