Something really weird is happening

[chilling in muscadine]

I do like the baby monitor or should I say chicken monitor idea and now Jim has the great idea with the flour. If I was you I would get up super early in the morning and be waiting with my AR-15. What ever it was that had you chickens to scared to come to eat, it must of been bad. I would rather do that then go out and find one or more dead birds. So many times we don't get any warning there is a problem. You should be happy you got a warning before anything happened so that you can fix the problem. Good luck and let us know what happens.

 

[mjdtexan]

Quote:
I was out there with an old 22 six shooter very early this morning. I didnt see any activity. The pullets were calm when I opened the big door to check on them. I made the coop out of an old Morgan building. Its pretty tough. Very thick floor. The floor is plywood. The rest of the building is sheet metal. I dont think something will chew through but if it does I will lay down ceramic tile. Predators are not going to chew through ceramic. If they do I will gift wrap 20 pullets to that bad boy. I didnt want to be skulking around in the night with the AR-15. I dont speak the same language as any of my neighbors and I didnt want to alarm them. Occasionaly there will be an English speaker visiting them and thats how I get my neighbor news.

 

[the1much]

Quote:
haha,, everyone of my neighbors speaks spanish,, most of odessa does

,, people here now know im a crazy yankee,, so when they stop to buy chicks,, they always bring a translator haha, problem is,, even the translators have problems understanding my grunts and hand gestures lol

 

[momofdrew]

Quote:
hey that's how my kids know there IS A TOOTHFAIRY.....
We make a flour trap for her. She ends up walking in the flour and then leaves little foot prints all over.....They love setting up the tooth fairy trap....
(and to this day neither of them have ever realized that barbie and the toothfairy have the same size feet

)

OMG that is genious I am soooo going to do that with my DS but with GIJo feet I guess

LOL be sure you clean the toy off after so no tell tale flour on the bottome of the shoes... learned that on CSI

 

[chilling in muscadine]

Quote:
haha,, everyone of my neighbors speaks spanish,, most of odessa does

,, people here now know im a crazy yankee,, so when they stop to buy chicks,, they always bring a translator haha, problem is,, even the translators have problems understanding my grunts and hand gestures lol

Whats the matter Jim, you can't find anyone that speaks hippie around where you live.

 

[chilling in muscadine]

Quote:
I was out there with an old 22 six shooter very early this morning. I didnt see any activity. The pullets were calm when I opened the big door to check on them. I made the coop out of an old Morgan building. Its pretty tough. Very thick floor. The floor is plywood. The rest of the building is sheet metal. I dont think something will chew through but if it does I will lay down ceramic tile. Predators are not going to chew through ceramic. If they do I will gift wrap 20 pullets to that bad boy. I didnt want to be skulking around in the night with the AR-15. I dont speak the same language as any of my neighbors and I didnt want to alarm them. Occasionaly there will be an English speaker visiting them and thats how I get my neighbor news.

I wouldn't let my guard down. Whatever it was you can bet it will be back. Why don't you try the baby monitors then that way you want have to stay with them for hours waiting for it to show up. I hope you find out what has spooked your chickens so you can fix it. Good luck.

 

[bluie]

What kind of latches do you have on the nest boxes? Apparently, coons can undo most kinds of latches. I have padlocks on mine. Also, the other day, my chickens were acting weird, afraid to come out from under the coop into the run. Turns out, a little sparrow had gotten into the run, and I had closed it up. I opened the run door, little bird flew out, relieved chickens came out into the run. I agree, if they are acting weird, something is going on.

 

[Guinea Goonie]

Your peeps probably heard or saw something or the weather has stirred them. I always trust my peeps reaction and if you can, put a baby monitor in their coop. If you have a building that is not completely predator proof, ie, have holes to the outside in ANY way you have a predator.

I have a portable building and I even have the eve vents blocked. You would be amazed at what can get into your coop. I am sure the chicken wire has saved them if you do have a predator. A screen to the outside world will not keep a determined predator out. Be sure all you chicken wire is secured and put boards down at the bottom so a coon can not reach in a pull a peep out through the wire. IT DOES HAPPEN.