Jsmith75
In the Brooder
I hadn't been here in a bit as raising the flock was going good. Then it all went to crap. Out of our 6 ducks (2 Rouen, 4 Peking) only one is female (one of the Peking). I ended up out of all 10 chickens with 2 roosters and boy those 2 were obnoxious crowing. We aren't supposed to have roosters in town and we were concerned our neighbors would complain I wanted to keep hei hei and remove or find a use for souffle as hei hei crowed for reasons (we want out of the run, someone laid an egg, feed us and potential predators) souffle was just all day from 4am till he fell asleep we couldn'tkeep collarson them they were really good about get everythingwe tried off. Husband decided he would take them to our campsite along the river. I wanted to keep hei hei. I was right to want to. We slaughtered to of the ducks ans smoked them (they tasted amazing and it wasnt as weird as i expected to eat what I raised for the first time).We went on vacation for a week in the mountains and had my neighbor and daughter watching the house and flock.
Then life went to shit. I got a call that my brother had suddenly been put on hospice he didn't have much time (he was 41 fighting cancer was expected to make a recovery and lost him to complications and I wasn't able to get home and he passed before I could find a flight home) the night before we returned something (raccoons) got 3 of our chickens my daughter and neighbor thought maybe they got loose from the yard but when we got home I suspected predators.
We live smack in the middle of town pop 34,000 but had seen several when my hubs forgot the chicken feed outside and they decided to have a raccoon family party. So we fixed up the back fence which eas the neighbors but they just let the privacy fence fall and left it so we put it back up and made sure the chickens were going into the coop at night. I didn't think they would go into the run, into the coop, I was wrong they did and they got my pancakes my only Ameraucana and my spoiled chicken child, I woke the next day to nothing but her feathers all over my yard. I was pretty inconsolable between my brother and my chickens and blamed not having the roosters even though keeping one would of eventually led to unhappy neighbors and possibly fines. We set up locks on the run to the coop and started setting a live trap in front of the door. In 7 days we caught 5 raccoons and one opossum. All were relocated out of town.
So we were down to 4 hens and only one was laying eggs 3 male ducks and one female we have to periodically separate cause the boys won't leave her alone!
So I ordered chicks I'm nervous about them being shipped with the postal issues but the hatchery has assured me they overnight and they aren't too awful far. My mail delivery has assured me they will notify me as soon as they are at the office to pick up and they are all Ameraucana lol. One of my hens has become suddenly lovey. We thought we weren't getting eggs but turned out she had found a hiding spot and was not only sitting on her eggs but everyone's! I thought somehow we'd lost her i was searching my yard in tears thinking raccoons had gotten her during the day time and my husband found her hiding spot in a little corner hidden under a tarp edge behind a hay bale with 8 eggs duck and chicken! When he took me to her she let me pick her up which she never had before. Now when I greet her in the mornings she stomps her feet flattens herself and makes happy little chicken noises till I pet her or pick her up and hold her.
We have to make some run adjustments for winter and hopefully the new chicks will be able to move outside once we get them before it gets cold and the others will accept them.
I need like 5 emotional naps
Then life went to shit. I got a call that my brother had suddenly been put on hospice he didn't have much time (he was 41 fighting cancer was expected to make a recovery and lost him to complications and I wasn't able to get home and he passed before I could find a flight home) the night before we returned something (raccoons) got 3 of our chickens my daughter and neighbor thought maybe they got loose from the yard but when we got home I suspected predators.
We live smack in the middle of town pop 34,000 but had seen several when my hubs forgot the chicken feed outside and they decided to have a raccoon family party. So we fixed up the back fence which eas the neighbors but they just let the privacy fence fall and left it so we put it back up and made sure the chickens were going into the coop at night. I didn't think they would go into the run, into the coop, I was wrong they did and they got my pancakes my only Ameraucana and my spoiled chicken child, I woke the next day to nothing but her feathers all over my yard. I was pretty inconsolable between my brother and my chickens and blamed not having the roosters even though keeping one would of eventually led to unhappy neighbors and possibly fines. We set up locks on the run to the coop and started setting a live trap in front of the door. In 7 days we caught 5 raccoons and one opossum. All were relocated out of town.
So we were down to 4 hens and only one was laying eggs 3 male ducks and one female we have to periodically separate cause the boys won't leave her alone!
So I ordered chicks I'm nervous about them being shipped with the postal issues but the hatchery has assured me they overnight and they aren't too awful far. My mail delivery has assured me they will notify me as soon as they are at the office to pick up and they are all Ameraucana lol. One of my hens has become suddenly lovey. We thought we weren't getting eggs but turned out she had found a hiding spot and was not only sitting on her eggs but everyone's! I thought somehow we'd lost her i was searching my yard in tears thinking raccoons had gotten her during the day time and my husband found her hiding spot in a little corner hidden under a tarp edge behind a hay bale with 8 eggs duck and chicken! When he took me to her she let me pick her up which she never had before. Now when I greet her in the mornings she stomps her feet flattens herself and makes happy little chicken noises till I pet her or pick her up and hold her.
We have to make some run adjustments for winter and hopefully the new chicks will be able to move outside once we get them before it gets cold and the others will accept them.
I need like 5 emotional naps
Sorry for your losses. It's been a rough year for all.
