Should I buy eggs or wait it out?

[cheeka]

that just stinks lindz

and they will be back. again and again until you have no more free meals. I hate that aspect of predatory behavior, wish they were more nomadic, take one, move on. dogs that kill livestock can roam very far in search of meals, over a mile. it's sometimes very difficult to locate them after an attack... I remember a few years back, I was driving to work, and saw these 2 dogs running along the roadside, it's 55 mph... I thought, oh bummer, those dogs will be hit... turns out, those 2 dogs went up another half mile or so to my friends farm where they killed 14 lambs and 12 chickens. her husband shot and killed one, he grazed the other, and it took weeks to find him despite the dog having returned to it's home with a clearly visible injury. then it took months to have the dog removed and put down. I really hope you can find the owners quickly, and they should pay for replacing the birds. they should also know that you will shoot to kill if those dogs are loose on your property ever again.

I love the setup for the brood, OK. it's just wonderful, spacious... and yes, as quickly as they grow... they need every bit of room. just wait til they are a month old, and all still trying to fit under Mama! she'll be floating on top of a pile of babies... it's extremely funny to see Peach with huge chicks poking out in all directions! and the goofy happy look on her puffed up face... she loves it, so will RK!

 

[okallthis4eggs]

that just stinks lindz

and they will be back. again and again until you have no more free meals. I hate that aspect of predatory behavior, wish they were more nomadic, take one, move on. dogs that kill livestock can roam very far in search of meals, over a mile. it's sometimes very difficult to locate them after an attack... I remember a few years back, I was driving to work, and saw these 2 dogs running along the roadside, it's 55 mph... I thought, oh bummer, those dogs will be hit... turns out, those 2 dogs went up another half mile or so to my friends farm where they killed 14 lambs and 12 chickens. her husband shot and killed one, he grazed the other, and it took weeks to find him despite the dog having returned to it's home with a clearly visible injury. then it took months to have the dog removed and put down. I really hope you can find the owners quickly, and they should pay for replacing the birds. they should also know that you will shoot to kill if those dogs are loose on your property ever again.

I love the setup for the brood, OK. it's just wonderful, spacious... and yes, as quickly as they grow... they need every bit of room. just wait til they are a month old, and all still trying to fit under Mama! she'll be floating on top of a pile of babies... it's extremely funny to see Peach with huge chicks poking out in all directions! and the goofy happy look on her puffed up face... she loves it, so will RK!

I took some more pictures. They look like mice darting around under my feet. I have to be very careful not to step on them. Will post the pictures next.

 

[BullChick]

I can't believe it, yet I can. Are ya ready for this? Baby, the BR is broody again.

I went to the Marans pen (5 birds, but only 2 laying) and nothing. I said, "All that scratch this morning, and no eggs?" I then walked over to the double pen, and said, "You had better give me eggs!" Then thought, "of course they will! There are 20 layers in here!" And then I saw her. Baby in the box. It was after 4, so I didn't have much doubt. Dropping scratch on the floor got no response. 2 hours later, she is still there.
So! We are talking up to 16 eggs. I am still looking to lower my numbers as it is.


But ...Chicks are so cute! And none of the EE are laying, and my Ameraucana is gone. I have to replace her! And everyone needs blue eggs, right? And I have to let them all hatch because it ups the odds of getting an EE. Besides! Winter is coming! The chicks need each other to stay warm! I MUST let the eggs hatch, and I MUST let them all hatch! Right?
Besides, if I don't, Baby will stay broody, and not want to lay anyway! At least she is in the room with the single (albeit favorite) nest box! See? I gotta do it!

Now .... Should I let her sit? I would have to move her in all honesty. The double coop can handle 30 @ 4sq ft/bird. I have 26 in there. I can't close the door to Baby because that leaves room for only 18 in the other side. All-in-all I have room for 40 birds, and currently have 35. Space will be a problem in the spring no matter what.

 

[okallthis4eggs]

There is a door behind the larger water container that opens into the broody run. For now I am keeping them inside the coop. There is a opening between the two runs that I can close off. Right now I am letting the rest of the flock use both runs. I put Big Broody and her three chicks that are 4 months old now in the general population. They are working that out and it gives everybody extra space. When these chicks get a little older I will close off the opening between the two runs and they will have there own run and the older birds can't get to them. Golden Comets are mean. Look at RK Broody and what they did to her. I'm getting too many birds to put up with the meanies. They better straighten up and fly right

 

[okallthis4eggs]

I can't believe it, yet I can. Are ya ready for this? Baby, the BR is broody again.

I went to the Marans pen (5 birds, but only 2 laying) and nothing. I said, "All that scratch this morning, and no eggs?" I then walked over to the double pen, and said, "You had better give me eggs!" Then thought, "of course they will! There are 20 layers in here!" And then I saw her. Baby in the box. It was after 4, so I didn't have much doubt. Dropping scratch on the floor got no response. 2 hours later, she is still there.
So! We are talking up to 16 eggs. I am still looking to lower my numbers as it is.


But ...Chicks are so cute! And none of the EE are laying, and my Ameraucana is gone. I have to replace her! And everyone needs blue eggs, right? And I have to let them all hatch because it ups the odds of getting an EE. Besides! Winter is coming! The chicks need each other to stay warm! I MUST let the eggs hatch, and I MUST let them all hatch! Right?
Besides, if I don't, Baby will stay broody, and not want to lay anyway! At least she is in the room with the single (albeit favorite) nest box! See? I gotta do it!

Now .... Should I let her sit? I would have to move her in all honesty. The double coop can handle 30 @ 4sq ft/bird. I have 26 in there. I can't close the door to Baby because that leaves room for only 18 in the other side. All-in-all I have room for 40 birds, and currently have 35. Space will be a problem in the spring no matter what.

YOU have to feed them.....and YOU have to clean up the poop.........and YOU know what YOU are getting into.......However they are much more happy and healthy with more than 4sq ft per bird. Nothing another coop won't solve. What are you waiting for?

 

[lindz8504]

There is a door behind the larger water container that opens into the broody run. For now I am keeping them inside the coop. There is a opening between the two runs that I can close off. Right now I am letting the rest of the flock use both runs. I put Big Broody and her three chicks that are 4 months old now in the general population. They are working that out and it gives everybody extra space. When these chicks get a little older I will close off the opening between the two runs and they will have there own run and the older birds can't get to them. Golden Comets are mean. Look at RK Broody and what they did to her. I'm getting too many birds to put up with the meanies. They better straighten up and fly right.

My G.C's are really sweet with me, but they are very exclusive with the other birds. They will often give a quick peck if someone gets in the way of the FOOD! They are the first ones at my feet for the good junk, and my hubby laughs cause they follow me everywhere I go in the yard! He calls me chicken mama! LOL.
Doesn't SHE put them in their place?

 

[okallthis4eggs]

Quote: Roger can hold her own. But she is not their boss. The boss is a very small BO that can put any of them in their place.

 

[MalMom]

Now I'm missing a chicken. I heard what I thought was the egg song, so I waited a while then went out to get my egg, and there was no egg. Two of my chickens haven't been laying so I thought she must be hiding the eggs somewhere. I went looking for the chicken to find where they are hiding the eggs, and there is no chicken and no eggs. There are no feathers, or signs of anything. I hope she comes home. It's so strange.

 

[cheeka]

11 Eggs today and no free range again. they are doing fine with the confinement, it's so nasty and rainy, they didn't even try to come out. Peach was stalking the doorway when I got to her pen, and what I didn't see was the teeny tiny frog right at the edge... as soon as I opened the door, she snatched it! I watched her stab it and shred it into quarters, giving one piece to each of her 4 chicks. she didn't even take any for herself (it was seriously tiny, about the size of a nickel) I looked for another one, but didn't find any... I didn't look too hard to be honest... I like those little frogs, there are always a bunch by the storm cellar doors.

MalMom, hope she turns up!

MC, hatch.

OK, they are so darn cute... love the pictures!

 

[BullChick]

Half an hour ago I checked on Baby, and checked over the mini coop I was going to put her in tomorrow. I was too tired to do it tonight. I no sooner climbed into bed, than I decided not to let them hatch. Now I must ask. Would you eat an egg that was incubated less than a day?