The 9th Annual BYC Easter Hatchalong!

[mlm Mike]

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Those are cute!

 

[mlm Mike]

I'm sorry. I thought I had a mink problem. I had something killing my birds, lost 15 in 1 evening between 4-6pm in the fall. Bodies everywhere with broken necks, but a couple were headless. It was horrible. Then it started picking off 2-3 every few days a few months later. I would find the body because it couldn't get the birds through the fence. My dog and I stalked it, and I saw it a couple of times, but it was so darn fast that my eyes couldn't focus on it. It was smaller than a chihuahua, so the only thing I could think of was a weasel. Then I was informed by a wildlife biologist that we don't have weasels here.

It turns out it was a mother bobcat teaching her young to hunt. I can tell you a baby bobcat can kill and carry a chicken (rooster) 5-10 times their size. Bobcats will not stop once they find food. I ended up losing 23 birds total.


Awwww, they are adorable!

Thanks!

I remember that, it was just awful.

 

[mlm Mike]

Of course, my first pip is at the wrong end, I mean, at the end. Tomorrow is day 20. Figured I would get some pips by tonight. I hope the rest do this right.

 

[maddysmamaw]

Any ducks hatching yet?

Mine go into lockdown tonight.

 

[maddysmamaw]

Eggs on lock down. Out of 22 I had I clear and three blood rings. There was one I was not sure about, but I left it in. 18 total went into lockdown. Now the real waiting begins.

 

[CapricornFarm]

Yes yes I must enter these.

Thanks everyone for the support about the eggs and the advice for the cracked eggs. Unfortunately/fortunately none of the cracked eggs had any development to begin with so it's all on these two little eggs. I think it's actually only two but I'm giving number 3 the benefit of the doubt.

If we only get two hatchlings I will probably contact the breeder and add some more to the group.


In other news some good some bad...

I had some roses arrive in the mail today. That is bare root rose plants. It seems awful early to be planting roses in southern Wisconsin yet. Can anyone advise me on this? We ordered them and they were supposed to come when it was okay to plant them but we're still getting down to the 30s and I don't want them to die.


Now for the other news. Ugh. We had a predator attack last night before lock up and bed check.

*******Warning this description gets pretty graphic!!


It would appear something actually entered the coop and drug out and killed a pullet right out front of the door. Note: it may have killed and then drug the pullet out.

The bird was intact except her head and neck had been pulled off. These lay beside her body. There was very little blood. We have in the past had problems with fox, coyote, possum, and one time with a raccoon.

Her crop may also have been taken I don't remember to be honest.

It was raining and it seems to be raining every time we have a mink attack but I'm not really sure. We set traps both leg hold and havaheart and hopefully we get something.

We will be building a mink trap asap.

We have seen our mink pick up and carry off carcasses. It also has never killed more than one bird a night if it still had access to the carcass of the first. Our raccoon attack was circumstantial evidence and only quail in a tractor coop were killed. We have very few if any resident raccoons as the area has been cleared for farming. I have only seen two raccoons while living here one of which was the sickly one that we suspect killed the quail that I put down last fall as it wasn't acting right and had no fear.

In truth I'm very frustrated and playing the if only game, though I'm trying not to. Like if only I had locked the birds up sooner but that isn't fully accurate because she may have been killed on her way to the coop. All I know is my flock is terrified.

I hope you can get rid of that varmint!

 

[CapricornFarm]

Everybody starting to get their brooders setup? Any nice brooder setups anyone would like to share pics of?

This is the brooder i made. The top is double hinged and folds over to make it secure. The box inside it to prevent my heat lamp from causing problems.

 

[tjo804]

I wonder if I might ask a couple questions since so many hatchers are huddled together. I am doing my first incubation. I am on day 2 but googling for info. I read that ...

1 If the temp is on the low side in incubator you will have a better hatch rate for Pullets, if it is on the high side you have a better hatch rate for Cockerels.

2. I read that it is not uncommon for Bantams to hatch a little earlier than expected. My Rooster is a Bantam Cochin and the Hens are Not. would they (I mean other than Mutts) be expected to be Bantam or LF?

Thank you for any assistance. If I can get this right this time I may have to join the fun next year! Good Hatches to all!

 

[ronott1]

Eggs on lock down. Out of 22 I had I clear and three blood rings. There was one I was not sure about, but I left it in. 18 total went into lockdown. Now the real waiting begins.

 

[maddysmamaw]

First time using a still air