Shadrach's Ex Battery and Rescued chickens thread.

[fluffycrow]

Hi friends, anyone with experience with possible emergencies involving chickens eating pointy things, could you please look at my thread? https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...let-just-swallowed-plastic-toothpick.1677467/

I’m scared out of my mind

Oh my, that’s very scary. I have no experience with this, but I would consider a vet (if not livestock, then exotic, if any are available).

Hope she passes it with no issues, or that she gets the help she needs in time

 

[Perris]

x2 Fingers crossed for you both

 

[fluffycrow]

Apologies for the back to back posts, and the reaction spamming as Skyeknight put it.

A lot has happened here, not all positive.

The Elven bunch have continued to grow under Galadriel’s care.
Unfortunately, about a week and a half ago, something got into the coop, and took two cockerels from the bunch, as well as a lot of eggs from the nest.
The next night, I had taken mum and her brood to the storage room to keep them safe, but it got three of the brooder chicks.
The same day, while ranging, a big fox came by and took one of the hens. Galadriel somehow managed to keep her, and all of her remaining chicks safe. The fox attack also left one other hen with a leg injury.

So now we were dealing with two predators. One during the day, that would take all of the birds, and one at night that would take all the youngsters.
The third morning after the first attack, Galadriel refused to return to the coops. She stuck to the first level, near the house, the first hen to do so.

As the whole coop got redone, mum and her bunch got a lot of experience foraging up near the house, but now that the renovations are done, they have returned to the coops.

Admittedly, I’ve yet to let them free range, as it turns out that there’s a whole fox family camping right below the property, and there’s still one hen who would just not be able to escape the foxes. I’m hoping the jail time will be short, as none of us are happy about it.

A few photos from the last few weeks and days

before the attack. From the chicks pictured, the white cockerel is the survivor

near the house

the injured hen, before the attack

in the raised garden beds

“You never told us there was food up here too!”
Alternative title, proof that it can sometimes be windy and cloudy in Greece

 

[Molpet]

Apologies for the back to back posts, and the reaction spamming as Skyeknight put it.

A lot has happened here, not all positive.

The Elven bunch have continued to grow under Galadriel’s care.
Unfortunately, about a week and a half ago, something got into the coop, and took two cockerels from the bunch, as well as a lot of eggs from the nest.
The next night, I had taken mum and her brood to the storage room to keep them safe, but it got three of the brooder chicks.
The same day, while ranging, a big fox came by and took one of the hens. Galadriel somehow managed to keep her, and all of her remaining chicks safe. The fox attack also left one other hen with a leg injury.

So now we were dealing with two predators. One during the day, that would take all of the birds, and one at night that would take all the youngsters.
The third morning after the first attack, Galadriel refused to return to the coops. She stuck to the first level, near the house, the first hen to do so.

As the whole coop got redone, mum and her bunch got a lot of experience foraging up near the house, but now that the renovations are done, they have returned to the coops.

Admittedly, I’ve yet to let them free range, as it turns out that there’s a whole fox family camping right below the property, and there’s still one hen who would just not be able to escape the foxes. I’m hoping the jail time will be short, as none of us are happy about it.

A few photos from the last few weeks and daysView attachment 4225550before the attack. From the chicks pictured, the white cockerel is the survivor View attachment 4225551View attachment 4225552near the houseView attachment 4225553the injured hen, before the attackView attachment 4225554in the raised garden beds View attachment 4225555“You never told us there was food up here too!”
Alternative title, proof that it can sometimes be windy and cloudy in Greece

Sorry for your losses

Foxes are sneaky and wait for me to go in. I had 2 attacks ln September and lost too many.

 

[Shadrach]

Apologies for the back to back posts, and the reaction spamming as Skyeknight put it.

A lot has happened here, not all positive.

The Elven bunch have continued to grow under Galadriel’s care.
Unfortunately, about a week and a half ago, something got into the coop, and took two cockerels from the bunch, as well as a lot of eggs from the nest.
The next night, I had taken mum and her brood to the storage room to keep them safe, but it got three of the brooder chicks.
The same day, while ranging, a big fox came by and took one of the hens. Galadriel somehow managed to keep her, and all of her remaining chicks safe. The fox attack also left one other hen with a leg injury.

So now we were dealing with two predators. One during the day, that would take all of the birds, and one at night that would take all the youngsters.
The third morning after the first attack, Galadriel refused to return to the coops. She stuck to the first level, near the house, the first hen to do so.

As the whole coop got redone, mum and her bunch got a lot of experience foraging up near the house, but now that the renovations are done, they have returned to the coops.

Admittedly, I’ve yet to let them free range, as it turns out that there’s a whole fox family camping right below the property, and there’s still one hen who would just not be able to escape the foxes. I’m hoping the jail time will be short, as none of us are happy about it.

A few photos from the last few weeks and daysView attachment 4225550before the attack. From the chicks pictured, the white cockerel is the survivor View attachment 4225551View attachment 4225552near the houseView attachment 4225553the injured hen, before the attackView attachment 4225554in the raised garden beds View attachment 4225555“You never told us there was food up here too!”
Alternative title, proof that it can sometimes be windy and cloudy in Greece

It's tough to lose so many in a short period of time.

 

[fluffycrow]

Sorry for your losses

Foxes are sneaky and wait for me to go in. I had 2 attacks ln September and lost too many.

Thank you, and I’m very sorry for your losses

 

[fluffycrow]

It's tough to lose so many in a short period of time.

Thank you. The losses could have been worse, that’s for sure.
How the seniors survive is still beyond me, as one is pretty much incapable of flight, as all her flight feathers have been frayed from two years old and onward.

I’m very sad to take away their ranging, but I don’t know what to do.

I’ve been following the “let nature do its thing” advice more and more, but can’t help seeing how a fox that visits twice daily (much less a family), will make quick work of the birds. The property I can give to the chickens is limited. Two acres, and that’s only if they utilise the space close to the house. I don’t have acres upon acres for them to switch locations in the case of an attack. Tree space is also an issue, but I’ve never seen the chickens in trees after an attack; they’re usually hiding in the bushes.

Predation like what happened early last summer, where one or two youngsters simply got picked off seems natural, and somewhat desired. But I don’t think that’s what the foxes are after.

An LGD has always been in the plans, but every year I’m reminded of just how helpful one might be.

Edit to add: I am definitely not forgetting that 5 out of the 6 losses happened INSIDE the coop. That’s no one’s fault but mine. Yes, coops do give a false sense of security for the tender, as Perris put it, but the coop has yet to be broken in by a fox. Confinement will never be my end goal, but every attack does make me wonder how to have ranging chickens with a fox family below, and getting to a point where there are chickens left to tend to.

Perris’s hypothesis about why no fox tries to mess with their flock comes to mind. It certainly seems possible, Big Red did go after the pseudo guard dog, after all. Mainly thinking (typing?) aloud, right now

 

[MrsNorthie]

Apologies for the back to back posts, and the reaction spamming as Skyeknight put it.

A lot has happened here, not all positive.

The Elven bunch have continued to grow under Galadriel’s care.
Unfortunately, about a week and a half ago, something got into the coop, and took two cockerels from the bunch, as well as a lot of eggs from the nest.
The next night, I had taken mum and her brood to the storage room to keep them safe, but it got three of the brooder chicks.
The same day, while ranging, a big fox came by and took one of the hens. Galadriel somehow managed to keep her, and all of her remaining chicks safe. The fox attack also left one other hen with a leg injury.

So now we were dealing with two predators. One during the day, that would take all of the birds, and one at night that would take all the youngsters.
The third morning after the first attack, Galadriel refused to return to the coops. She stuck to the first level, near the house, the first hen to do so.

As the whole coop got redone, mum and her bunch got a lot of experience foraging up near the house, but now that the renovations are done, they have returned to the coops.

Admittedly, I’ve yet to let them free range, as it turns out that there’s a whole fox family camping right below the property, and there’s still one hen who would just not be able to escape the foxes. I’m hoping the jail time will be short, as none of us are happy about it.

A few photos from the last few weeks and daysView attachment 4225550before the attack. From the chicks pictured, the white cockerel is the survivor View attachment 4225551View attachment 4225552near the houseView attachment 4225553the injured hen, before the attackView attachment 4225554in the raised garden beds View attachment 4225555“You never told us there was food up here too!”
Alternative title, proof that it can sometimes be windy and cloudy in Greece

Sorry for your losses and hope you can encourage the predators to move on. :-(

 

[Shadrach]

Two hours today. It was warm for a bit.
I got the old spare coop emptied of the tools, meds and feed and transferred everything to a storage box I bought. I think I've got legs sorted for the new coop when it arrives. Not entirely sure how I'm going to fit the legs to the coop yet.
Hopefully I'll get the old coop out of the run and dismantled tomorrow and some weeding done in the back left corner. I also want to get the blue drum that I'm composting chicken shite in out of the run.
I remembered to adjust the opening and closing times for the coop door today.

Air balloons just above the treeline.

 

[Shadrach]

Thank you. The losses could have been worse, that’s for sure.
How the seniors survive is still beyond me, as one is pretty much incapable of flight, as all her flight feathers have been frayed from two years old and onward.

I’m very sad to take away their ranging, but I don’t know what to do.

I’ve been following the “let nature do its thing” advice more and more, but can’t help seeing how a fox that visits twice daily (much less a family), will make quick work of the birds. The property I can give to the chickens is limited. Two acres, and that’s only if they utilise the space close to the house. I don’t have acres upon acres for them to switch locations in the case of an attack. Tree space is also an issue, but I’ve never seen the chickens in trees after an attack; they’re usually hiding in the bushes.

Predation like what happened early last summer, where one or two youngsters simply got picked off seems natural, and somewhat desired. But I don’t think that’s what the foxes are after.

An LGD has always been in the plans, but every year I’m reminded of just how helpful one might be.

Edit to add: I am definitely not forgetting that 5 out of the 6 losses happened INSIDE the coop. That’s no one’s fault but mine. Yes, coops do give a false sense of security for the tender, as Perris put it, but the coop has yet to be broken in by a fox. Confinement will never be my end goal, but every attack does make me wonder how to have ranging chickens with a fox family below, and getting to a point where there are chickens left to tend to.

Perris’s hypothesis about why no fox tries to mess with their flock comes to mind. It certainly seems possible, Big Red did go after the pseudo guard dog, after all. Mainly thinking (typing?) aloud, right now

I would be inclined to kill the fox in such circumstances should that be possible. It's sad when it has to come to this but sometimes it is necessary if one wants to keep chickens. It doesn't matter in many cases whether the chickens are out and about or in a run. Not many runs are secure enough to keep a determined fox out. As you know, there is a resident vixen at the field. So far neither she or her suitors have shown any interest in daytime hunting thankfully.

I've never seen a rooster chase off a fox. They may act as an extra deterrent but to deter doesn't mean stop. There was a fox that got into the run at the field around seven years ago. I don't know how many hens died but Henry and a couple of hens survived.