Please Help Brooding Hen Killed Last Night Have 10 Eggs 1 Week from Hatching

[curtisbirds]

I am so upset right now, I went out too my coop and everybody was fine till I got inside. My hen Henny Penny was just missing, no signs of a struggle, till I looked in her nesting box. One of her eggs, developed to the point of having it's fluff cover, was cracked open and no Henny Penny. I looked around some more and noticed one of my cats (Henny Penny's buddy Thor) was also missing so I started calling for him and heard a faint meowing from the woods. When I found him, he was covered in blood, his. He has deep bite wounds around his neck and front legs, and he has brown fur imbeded in his back claws. I got him cleaned up and have him on a course of antibiotics. He was the only one in the coop last night with the chickens, and from the looks of him he gave it a good fight, but he obviously couldn't save his friend. Well my problem is, Henny Penny was sitting on eleven, which now I have ten developing eggs. I was expecting them to hatch late next week beginning of the next, and from where the busted egg was at in developement, I think I was pretty on track. Now last night's low was 82, the eggs weren't cool to the touch when I collected them out of the nest and placed them in the incubator this morning, but I don't know how long she was off them. Do you think I still have a chance of successfully hatching her eggs? It would do my heart good if I could get atleast one because, my little roo Blondie was her boyfriend, my two roos and two hens kinda paired off, and he is just beside himself, he won't stop crowing and his entire comb is black. I figured out a long time ago whenever he gets stressed or upset his comb starts to turn black and then when he's over whatever it was his comb goes back to normal red. And He can't quite get a new girl friend yet because my pullets are only eight weeks old now. It would be nice to have some chicks from the two of them. My husband said we're putting one of our pitties in the coop tonight, so whatever came last night will know not to come anymore, we suspect coyotes. And with one of the girls being in there she'll in the least raise enough cane to alert us in the house, so I can get out there and shoot it. If someone can give me advise on the eggs I'd appreciate it, I cleaned what got on them from the cracked egg right away with warmer water just running over the ones that got stuff on them and I have them in the incubator, and I don't think I'll turn them anymore. Only thing I know to do to see if they'll hatch is to watch for a rotting smell and wait. None of the eggs smell like anything but hay right now I checked.

 

[sourland]

Sorry for your loss. The eggs should hatch. Lock your coops 'IT' will be back.

 

[Allears]

I'm so sorry about the loss of your chickens. The remaining birds must be pretty traumatised, but you must be really proud of Thor, he's very lucky to have escaped.

 

[nchls school]

Since the eggs were not real cold, yes, I think you have a good chance that some will hatch.

 

[chicklover56]

I am so sorry for your loss. If the eggs were not cold to the touch, then they should probably hatch.

 

[curtisbirds]

Thanks guys, I read about the float test, because when I attempted to candle all I saw was the edges of what looked like feathers. So I know it's for overdue eggs but I said what the heck, I just wanted to know if I lost some, so I floated them and everybody is rocking and rolling, so looks real good. Thor demanded to go back outside and the other two cats joined him and they got it locked down for the day, but we will be putting Frigga out in the coop tonight. She's a 75 lb pittbull that thinks all the chickens are her babies, she was looking for Henny Penny this morning and she tracked to the fence line along the path I found Thor, so she'll recognize the scent of the killer when it comes. I'll also be locking her in there so if only to deter the would be assailant. My male pit has been marking up the coop and pen this morning. I guess I just feel so bad because I made the other cats come in last night, they were calling for storms, and I would of had Thor in too, but he wouldn't come to me, so I gave up and locked him in the coop. I feel if I would have left all three male cats out, no predator would have came close, especially since Miracle is a forty-five pound Main Coon Tabby mix and a very intimidating sight to behold when angered. It just seems when things go wrong, it's usually because of a judgement call I made. I just dread calling my niece today to tell her, since Henny Penny is one of my rescues and was her chicken and the whole reason I rescued the birds in the first place. She is so excited about the coming chicks and that they were her chicken's babies. I see a bodyless funeral in my very near future.

 

[curtisbirds]

Well Frigga didn't like the idea of staying out all night guarding chickens, so I switched her out with Scarlet, she was fine with it. And we had no action all night. I went to the Lowes and picked up more wire and made my pen encloser seven feet high, because I could only imagine it trying to climb in. Well that night thinking every thing was much more secure, I didn't put anybody out with the chickens and because of the heat, I wanted the cats inside for a break from it. Well, the next morning I go out and Della is gone, nothing but feathers up the side of the seven foot fence, I got ******. So I went back to Lowes and bought a 12x20 poly tarp and thirty bungee cords. I started the tarp on top of the coop and went as far as it would go over the pen, then used an old canvas paint tarp to cover the rest of the pen and bungeed everything so tight, now the ceiling to my pen is maybe five feet. Miracle decided he didn't care what I wanted he was staying outside, and at two thirty in the morning both my next door neighbors and myself were woke up to the loudest commotion. I run out and both my neighbors are right behind me, guns ready lol. We discover it is coming from the woods, I flash my flashlight into the coop window and see all chickens accounted for but no Miracle. We listen and can here a cat fighting something, I just prayed, we couldn't see anything as it is pitch out here at night. Then silence, followed by something coming fast towards us, I yelled Miracle and it kept coming, out popped Miracle with tufts of fur all over him and blood. I ran to him and picked him up, it wasn't his blood. We decided we would walk the woods the next morning. So the next morning we walk the woods and one of my neighbors yell, "I think I found our killer." We go running over to find a very fresh dead large bobcat, it looked like Miracle throated him. So we buried it and I took Miracle to the vet, just to be cautious, he had a few cuts on the back of his head and a shallow bite on his belly. She cleaned them up and gave him a shot of antibiotics and a script for at home for the next two weeks and he's inside restriction for a week to heal that bite. The vet said she was amazed it didn't go the other way. And thank god it didn't. Thor is doing fine now his normal self, the vet said he was extremely lucky and put him on another run of antibiotics just in case. And since we have had absolutely no more incidents, the chickens have even calmed down. I candled the eggs and all are looking good, I should start hearing the peeps in the next couple days, so they are on lock down. Wish us luck that we will soon have twelve new additions to our little farm. Next step is fencing off the entire property to give a large space between the coop and the fence to help avoid another unwanted and dangerous visitor.

 

[aafairchild]

Wow

Your Maine Coon is actually bigger that a bobcat. I am familiar with the breed. Had one years ago. Miracle is more like a domesticated house lion. I am sorry for Henny Penny and I hope your eggs all hatch, but that kitty gets lots of TLC and treats in my book. My 11 lb cat won't even chase a mouse and likes to watch the chickens.

Alice

 

[trailrider330]

Looking forward to hearing about your new chicks and hope your issues with predators are done.

 

[curtisbirds]

Thanks Alice yes Miracle is pretty much a small lion, my vet teases him not to eat her when he goes to the vet. He has always been a baby lover, when I found my wolf hybrid as a three week old abandoned, he mothered her like you wouldn't believe, even let her try to nurse. Since we got the pullets as one day chicks he has been attached to them like they are his babies. I believe with all my heart he would lay his life for those chickens, and yes he is being beyond spoiled right now, but his favorite treat right now is sitting next to the incubator waiting on the new babies. I think the hardest part is when and if they do hatch successfully, will be keeping everyone out of my way when I move them to the brooder. My animals are not stereotypical to their natures. The rule is just like with human children, I can pick on my sis/bro but if you try it you get to answer to the whole pack. Right now my roo Blondie is having issues and he's in the inside nest, and he is surrounded by three cats and five dogs, just hoping he gets better.