Redinator's First Hatch-Along w Bonus Broody: And Everything Thereafter

[ChickenChick46]

I leave the house for a few hours and all hell breaks loose.

On top of the 3 missing chicks I found a dead Black Sexlink in the second run. It clearly has a hole in the top of the head, so I can only assume one of the other chickens killed it.

All the younger chicks are in hiding, Kettle and Sweety are alarm calling like crazy and the local Jays are in a panic.

I can only assume there's a hawk in the trees I can't see.

I found one small gap under the fencing in the run, so a snake could've gotten in, or the chicks could've gotten out. The only snakes I've seen are small garter snakes though, and I can't imagine one of those taking 3 5 week old chicks in one night.

It definitely sounds like what my yard sounds like when hawks are close, I totally agree. I love having the blue jays around because they're great threat alarms.

I'm really sorry about all your birds. That's a lot to handle on any one day.

 

[redinator]

It definitely sounds like what my yard sounds like when hawks are close, I totally agree. I love having the blue jays around because they're great threat alarms.

I'm really sorry about all your birds. That's a lot to handle on any one day.

These are the first chicks I've lost to possible predators, so I count myself lucky. I'll have to figure out what's going on before I consider hatching anymore chicks though.

I can only assume larger hawks are coming south for the winter, but there's no way for them to get in the run. It's under tree cover and the run has a cover on it. If the chicks got out though something could've nabbed them.

I know we have an owl in the yard, but I wasn't worried about it since they've been dealing with my rat and squirrel problem and the chickens are all put up before sundown.

 

[ChickenChick46]

These are the first chicks I've lost to possible predators, so I count myself lucky. I'll have to figure out what's going on before I consider hatching anymore chicks though.

I can only assume larger hawks are coming south for the winter, but there's no way for them to get in the run. It's under tree cover and the run has a cover on it. If the chicks got out though something could've nabbed them.

I know we have an owl in the yard, but I wasn't worried about it since they've been dealing with my rat and squirrel problem and the chickens are all put up before sundown.

At least you were able to identify a gap and you can fix that. Hopefully that is the only issue. I agree that it doesn't seem likely a snake could do all that damage in one night. With the babies being just gone, it sounds like a raptor attack to me. Owl or maybe hawk. My neigbor was losing bantams every night to an owl. He's still around, I hear him every single morning before sunrise. She tried to pen them in the run, but they had only ever free ranged and roosted up high above her turkey pen, and they were really unhappy. So the surviving ones she found a new home for.

 

[redinator]

At least you were able to identify a gap and you can fix that. Hopefully that is the only issue. I agree that it doesn't seem likely a snake could do all that damage in one night. With the babies being just gone, it sounds like a raptor attack to me. Owl or maybe hawk. My neigbor was losing bantams every night to an owl. He's still around, I hear him every single morning before sunrise. She tried to pen them in the run, but they had only ever free ranged and roosted up high above her turkey pen, and they were really unhappy. So the surviving ones she found a new home for.

During the summer we only have some small hawks and I keep chicks under 4 weeks in the run. So far that's worked, I'll have to see what happens this winter to decide if I need to beef up my predator proofing.

 

[ChickenChick46]

During the summer we only have some small hawks and I keep chicks under 4 weeks in the run. So far that's worked, I'll have to see what happens this winter to decide if I need to beef up my predator proofing.

We've got Coopers, red tail, red shouldered, sharp shinned, and broad winged. Then starting around next month, Harris hawks show up and stay through winter. No shortage of any of them.

 

[redinator]

We've got Coopers, red tail, red shouldered, sharp shinned, and broad winged. Then starting around next month, Harris hawks show up and stay through winter. No shortage of any of them.

I haven't really paid attention until I got the chickens.

We have a heavily forested area just across the road from us and I hear coyotes over there often. I never see them, just hear them yipping at night and they get the neighborhood dogs going. I've seen some large vultures circling over the pines from time to time over there too.

I've seen small hawks nab a few squirrels from the trees over my yard. There's all sorts of waterfowl, an egret fishes in the ditch in our front yard . .which I thought was pretty cool until it crapped all over my car, lol. We use to have a pair of ducks roosting in our trees, but I haven't seen them since we got the chickens. I can't even begin to count the song birds.

 

[ChickenChick46]

I haven't really paid attention until I got the chickens.

We have a heavily forested area just across the road from us and I hear coyotes over there often. I never see them, just hear them yipping at night and they get the neighborhood dogs going. I've seen some large vultures circling over the pines from time to time over there too.

I've seen small hawks nab a few squirrels from the trees over my yard. There's all sorts of waterfowl, an egret fishes in the ditch in our front yard . .which I thought was pretty cool until it crapped all over my car, lol. We use to have a pair of ducks roosting in our trees, but I haven't seen them since we got the chickens. I can't even begin to count the song birds.

I bet egret poop is no joke. We've got about 3 acres, mostly surrounded by woods. We've got all the same wildlife you've got. I love it, and I love hearing it all. I'm just more vigilant now that I've got chickens. My neighbor saw a bear the other night right where our property meets hers. It's a major deer crossing path there too.

 

[redinator]

I bet egret poop is no joke. We've got about 3 acres, mostly surrounded by woods. We've got all the same wildlife you've got. I love it, and I love hearing it all. I'm just more vigilant now that I've got chickens. My neighbor saw a bear the other night right where our property meets hers. It's a major deer crossing path there too.

I'm not sure how I'd respond to seeing a bear. I'd like to think I'd have enough sense to play dead or scream and make a bunch of noise to scare it off.

In all likelihood I'd probably be mesmerized by the sight and try to pet the damn thing, lol.

 

[ChickenChick46]

I'm not sure how I'd respond to seeing a bear. I'd like to think I'd have enough sense to play dead or scream and make a bunch of noise to scare it off.

In all likelihood I'd probably be mesmerized by the sight and try to pet the damn thing, lol.

Yeah I honestly have no idea. I haven't seen one around here yet, but they did, and my husband had one run across the road in front of him one afternoon coming home from work, just right up the road from us. I know there are lots around here, and there are always reports about them popping up on the news. I think I would end up just standing there in silence and shock, lol.

 

[redinator]

The chickens finally came out of hiding. I'm going to do a head count.