Sitting with a cup of coffee. (coffee lovers)

[chickisoup]

Horrid, horrid, horrid!


So glad all are safe, but WHAT DID IT!!!


Actually... I lost one cockerel today -sigh- not sure why... Kids think maybe he wedged his head under a fence and then panicked and killed himself.

he was found right up against the fence, but not stuck in it.. The kids were just guessing. Tiny bit of blood on his neck feathers, but no clear wounds.

did you check for puncture marks? sounds like a weasel is a possibility.

 

[chickendreams24]

Oh my goodness! I'm so glad all of your girls are okay. You totally had me reliving my experience a couple weeks ago when I walked out and a hawk was sitting on our porch railing. I remember how still it was with not a bird in sight and I thought the worst. There were a few scattered feathers under the porch railing mostly silkie feathers. Know my silkies favorite place is next to the porch I too began a frantic search. Worried about the big flock and the silkies/their hatch mates' flock I decided to find the little first. So I began a half spring around the house scanning with my eyes it didn't take long, there a quarter of the way around the house huddled as close as they could get cowering under a single weed of all things lay my 6 silkies, bantam barred cochin, and my self blue oegb. The two silkie roos standing behind the pullets covered by the single measley weed. Despite all the problems people hear about because of silkies having problems seeing my two silkie roos protected the flock of littles with only meager cover(my hydrangeas had been knocked out for the year by a frost a couple of days before) As soon as they saw me they chirped and ran to huddle by Mommy. I was touched that I was Mommy and safety(Did I mention they were my first hatch and sweet as puppy dogs?)

I changed tactics feeling sure the littles were safe I began searching and calling for my big flock(17 birds of various breeds including one silver laced wyandotte roo and one black wheaten or bbr oegb roo not sure which he is to be honest) I called a few times before they came running from under our big pine tree a ways from the house. I counted 1,2,3...16. I counted again and again 16. 16. 16. I feared the worst. One of our four silver laced wyandotte pullets, Paisley, was missing. I searched harder and harder. I looked in all the outbuildings and the coop. Looked around all their favorite places and under the pine tree. I couldn't find her. I looked through the whole property. Nothing. I searched in the garden and under every tree. Still nothing. Combines came to pick the strip of soybeans on the headlands of the field around the house. They walked the field and looked for Paisley first. Again turning up nothing. I felt sure the hawk had grabbed her but I couldn't find her body. After yourself of looking and calling I gave up discouraged. I decided to wait until I had help from the rest of the family that wasn't home at the time. I was not hopeful.

At bed check that night I counted sixteen. My Mom counted again and told me she got seventeen. No way she counted someone twice Paisley was gone for good. 1,2,3,4,5.....16,17. What?! I counted again. Then I went through each wyandotte by name, Twitch(roo), Sophie, Jabber(Jane), Cosette.. And Paisley! What?! Yes she had come home. I still don't know where she was. She promptly got picked off the roost and looked over by flashlight. She was perfect if perhaps a little ruffled and a little frightened. She got a very long hug placed back on the roost with the other 16 and we went to bed. O still didn't believe it until I saw her run from the coop the next day. I am very proud of my roos for taking care of their girls and although we hadn't planned on roos this last year I'm glad we got them. The two boys in the main flock were straight run accidents.

I'm so glad that you found all of your girls too.

 

[chickisoup]

Thank you Chickendreams!

and I am so glad all your babies were ok! Wish we could have silkies but I am just a bit too far north I think. Don't think those fluffy little ones would do very well up here. We also have way too many flying type predators that would find them tasty little morsels. Found out today that my neighbor shot a Red Tail hawk that was attacking his flock. Told him I'd be careful who I told that to!

 

[chickisoup]

 

[chickendreams24]

You're welcome chickisoup *hugs*(wish I could do the little emote)
Where are you at? BC I'm in south central Wisconsin and although this is our first year with chickens our silkies have done fine so far with the weather. I do bring them in when it rains just because they haven't quite figured that out yet lol. But our permanent coop is not finished yet but getting there is going to be well insulated but still ventilated. Of course I'll be worried about them until I know but once they're sleeping with the bigger flock I think they'll do great. They actually do better with the cold I think that my little self blue oegb she's very small but just cuddles right in with them.
I've also developed a friendship on BYC with @Fernie she's way up north in Wisconsin and they have silkies. So don't say never. Although for winter and bad weather days I do want to make mine a portable run not quite a chicken tractor but somewhere they can forage when they're three feet of snow or three inches of rain.

 

[BantamFan4Life]

 

[chickisoup]

You're welcome chickisoup *hugs*(wish I could do the little emote)
Where are you at? BC I'm in south central Wisconsin and although this is our first year with chickens our silkies have done fine so far with the weather. I do bring them in when it rains just because they haven't quite figured that out yet lol. But our permanent coop is not finished yet but getting there is going to be well insulated but still ventilated. Of course I'll be worried about them until I know but once they're sleeping with the bigger flock I think they'll do great. They actually do better with the cold I think that my little self blue oegb she's very small but just cuddles right in with them.
I've also developed a friendship on BYC with @Fernie she's way up north in Wisconsin and they have silkies. So don't say never. Although for winter and bad weather days I do want to make mine a portable run not quite a chicken tractor but somewhere they can forage when they're three feet of snow or three inches of rain.

We're about an hour and a half above Wausau in a very rural area that can hit -35 in winter w/o the windchill and have had frosts every month of summer in the past. We also have a large number of acres that connect to hundreds of acres of county state and federal forest land and have about every predator you can think of in the lower 48 and a few from Canada in the winter months. An all around not so inviting environment for small delicate birds.

 

[Kelsykin]

Yes, I am way up here in Northeast WI. Silkies I have found will adjust to the climate. We have lost them in the past to a weasel that has been taken care of.

 

[Alaskan]

Horrid, horrid, horrid!



So glad all are safe, but WHAT DID IT!!!



Actually... I lost one cockerel today -sigh- not sure why... Kids think maybe he wedged his head under a fence and then panicked and killed himself. he was found right up against the fence, but not stuck in it.. The kids were just guessing. Tiny bit of blood on his neck feathers, but no clear wounds.

did you check for puncture marks?  sounds like a weasel is a possibility.

That was my guess too.

 

[Alaskan]

Chicken dreams... Scary story! Glad it all turned out well.