Poll for those who have had chicken deaths

[BarnyardChaos]

what else do you call it when chickens commit suicide by going into a fenced in area holding four cattle dogs?

Yep, I've lost a few dumb birds that way, too. My fault when the dog got out of her fenced yard (and gleefully played amongst the chickens, casualties = 4), she's been rehomed. But it's just a death wish to fly over the dogs' fence into their yard. I can't fault the dogs, they are hounds, after all. Lost my favorite little bantam game cock, "Little Shit", and a stupid hen he was trying to protect.

 

[microchick]

Yep, I've lost a few dumb birds that way, too. My fault when the dog got out of her fenced yard (and gleefully played amongst the chickens, casualties = 4), she's been rehomed. But it's just a death wish to fly over the dogs' fence into their yard. I can't fault the dogs, they are hounds, after all. Lost my favorite little bantam game cock, "Little Shit", and a stupid hen he was trying to protect.

Our cattle dogs are very prey driven not to mention herd driven. We keep them in their enclosed back yard to keep them out of mischief. We took every precaution. Cattle panels lined with no climb goat fencing and topped with a hot wire. We still can't figure out where or how the roosters got in unless they flew over and cleared the hot wire. If they had hit the hot wire it would have knocked their feathers off as it is a powerful charger. I've hit it accidentally a few times, once with my head and been left with a headache that lasted for days.

Our two ten year old dogs have the run of the farm and the roosters are used to them being around. The most those two dogs do is follow them around guarding them so I figure they look at every dog as being as benign as they are. Bad judgement definitely. And very small brains.

 

[wolfinator]

1st year had a hawk attack one of my favorite bantam hens, her buddy a 5 lb Silkie/RIR cross saved her by flogging the hawk. She suffered an artery puncture but survived. She was my goto broody. I also found a Showgirl hen deceased next to the fence a few years ago, her side was partially eaten. Later a neighbor said they had seen a fox on her farm a few days earlier. Had her 5 years before she passed. I've had 3 ducks stolen by owls, now I keep poly poles up in larger pen areas. Hopefully no more losses to predators.

I've lost some to injury caused by over zealous roosters, I had to cull them. I've lost some to unknown causes too.

 

[Jo Trigalet]

I just lost all of my birds to a mink. In the past I’ve also lost hens to foxes, one even died from a mysterious disease. I’m curious to know what other people have had the most trouble with. Select any of the things below that has killed a chicken of yours!

I had a bobcat come out of the tree line and eat a chicken right in front of me. It came so close, I could see the little black hairs in its ears ! I’m still scared. My chickens stay in the run now.

 

[SummerTheAnimalGirl]

Please add bobcat! I’ve lost two to bobcats. Thanks!

 

[mchickies]

Please add bobcat! I’ve lost two to bobcats. Thanks!

Yes! I lost two hens to a bobcat within a month of each-other. The darn thing came in broad daylight and took both hens (two different times) right next to our house! The second time, we even had our front door open, so he could very clearly hear my rowdy family all talking loudly! Me and my sister take long walks around our property during the nice weather, so our "human smell" is all over the place. No fear!

I've also lost 4 hens to a pack of bears, 1 to a hawk, 1 to coccidiosis, 1 to an infection, 2 to fatty liver & heat stroke, and 4 to Egg Yolk Peritonitis, over the span of 6 years.

 

[Goose Mama]

I lost several to fly strike and being egg bound. I have had an eagle unsuccessfully swoop on my free range girls. Hand fed a cross beak that lasted about 6 months. Recently had something eat one of my girls, but not sure if it was a natural death with canabalism or an actual predator. I don't do autopsies on my girls so these are empirical guesses.
Whew! It is tough being a chicken keeper!

 

[Vicker]

Besides the usual predator deaths, I've had a drowning and an occasional other accidental death. Only one adult bird death due to sickness.

 

[Cat Ballou]

None of my poultry deaths were specifically noted on the poll: Lack of incubator success.

I started with 17 turkey eggs & 17 chicken eggs. They were due to hatch within days of each other.

Out of the turkey eggs, only half were fertilized. Then in the final 2 weeks one by one they all quit save for 1.

My chicken eggs did a lot better. They were all fertilized IIRC. I might have 1-2 quit in the 2nd/3rd week. 7 made it to hatch. 2 pipped.

It was a bit of an experiment and I had a lot to learn. I live in a van with no A/C to reduce midsummer humidity. I had to juggle keeping the eggs from getting too hot or to cold inside the incubator kept in my van.

Some pertinent background on older vans: The windshields are at steeper angles - reducing the solar oven effect by 20-40 degrees. Venting my windows also keeps the interior of the van just slightly above outside temperatures.

Another critical factor is the volume inside old, full-sized vans are large enough to create warm zones snd cool zones. The front overhead storage built into my turtletop gets as hot as an attic. I keep a cooler & a case of water just inside the back doors where they stay at about 70 degrees.

The one turkey hatched July 29th. We made it through a lonely 3 days as best we could with me working 10-hour shifts.

Then the first 3 chickens hatched. I let the turkey in the ‘bator for company as the chicks dried and provided some moistened cereal. Everything was fine on day 1 of the chicken hatch.

Day 2 brought 4 more brand new bright-eyed baby peepers. When I was on my lunch break I checked on them to find all 4 of the new hatchlings using the pan of moistened cereal as a jacuzzi. They were completely caked with it. I didn’t have time to do anything about it, so that evening I did my best to clean them up and put them back in the ‘bater to dry.

There had been too many things going on and I was behind the ball in having a brooder set up and I was still waiting for chick starter feed to come in the mail (Finally got it 2 days later). Next time I will do better about that. At least I got some experience out of it and it’s not so overwhelming now (OMG WHAT CHICK START TO GET OR NOT GET?!)

But back to my 22 chicks dying in the shell & out…The 4 newest hatchlings kept getting stuck in the pan of wet cereal (and also baby food) and getting caked with it resulting in me trying to clean them up in tepid water and letting them dry in the ‘bater. They just progressively got weaker* while the first 3 were healthy and growing.

*One seemed to have a neurological problem and walked backwards. 2 just didn’t have the strength and will to survive. One did survive and is my beautiful lavender Ameracauna cockerel “Baby” who is a doll and my favorite. He survived a dog attack and 2 hawk attacks. He’s been through so much in 5-6 months! I love him and his color but I’ll never again choose a light, solidly colored bird. I think predators have a harder time seeing darker colors & patterns so go they go for the “lowest hanging fruit on the tree.”

There were at least 2 others that pipped but didn’t hatch. I had a lot of losses and learned a lot of lessons. Obviously #1 slow down a little and get my ducks in a row.

I would prefer to have a hen hatch any more eggs, but if I use the ‘bater again I would talk to the eggs. I feel I may have lost so many turkeys because if they don’t have their mama talking to them, maybe they’re designed to not survive hatching if something happens to the mother and they’re effectively abandoned.

I would be brave enough next time to put an egg in water to see if it’s still alive. The whole process was overwhelming and I felt uncertain about a lot of things including the concept of putting a hatching egg into a container of water. I wish I had given that one last chance to some of the ones that looked like they had quit.

I was sold on the idea of fermented feed (hence the moistened cereal grains) but clearly it doesn’t work for chicks. Based on the outrageously expensive chick cakes ($20+ for a couple of ounces) I found on Chewy.com, I’d take some fermented feed, mix with a little molasses and dried grubs, pack it in silicon molds, and dry it at a low temperature.

So that is how I lost 22 birds. Oh and the turkey poult seemed to have run away. I can’t say something got him because I didn’t see it. Last time I saw him was when he was eating canned sardines with Baby - then he was gone and the chickens weren’t alarmed by anything.

 

[Debby R]

I just lost all of my birds to a mink. In the past I’ve also lost hens to foxes, one even died from a mysterious disease. I’m curious to know what other people have had the most trouble with. Select any of the things below that has killed a chicken of yours!

One to an owl, one to a bobcat, and one to unknown illness. No more free ranging but they have a big pen and I bring them a half pail of yard greens daily.