Wheaten and Blue wheaten Marans Discussion Thread

[tom e]

Mine started about two weeks ago. I have about 20 hens of various ages, the youngest being the three wheatens that I kept. Wouldn't you know it? Our very first predator attack and of all birds it took one of my little wheaten gals.
Found feathers in the coop, and the bird dragged to beside the house. Only her head was eaten.

I had been lazy, in three years I never had to lock the coop at night. It finally has caught up to us I guess.

 

[whidbey]

Mine started about two weeks ago. I have about 20 hens of various ages, the youngest being the three wheatens that I kept. Wouldn't you know it? Our very first predator attack and of all birds it took one of my little wheaten gals.
Found feathers in the coop, and the bird dragged to beside the house. Only her head was eaten.

I had been lazy, in three years I never had to lock the coop at night. It finally has caught up to us I guess.

Usually a head kill like that is from a raccoon, sorry for your lose,

 

[tom e]

Thanks whidbey. That was what I was thinking as well. I stayed up the night after to stake out the coop from the window that faced it, but he never came back. My plan was to leave the coop and window open (I was in the dark just behind the curtains reading my kindle) so that the chickens would alert me when he came back. It's too dark out there to see otherwise. Had a bright flashlight tied to the front of my rifle, and was thinking maybe he'd freeze when that bright light hit him. Unfortunately the wind kicked up at about 2AM, and I had to close the window, so I locked up the coop as well. I'll try again some night soon. In the mean time, I am locking up the coop.

 

[knjinnm]

There are threads on BYC about building traps to catch predators.
One guy described catching a female raccoon, leaving it in the trap to attract several males which he killed as they walked around the trap trying to get inside with the female.
Eventually he killed the female when the males stopped coming around.

 

[berkeleysprings]

coon for sure. sory for your losss. my coop in run is Coon proof now so I don't have to kill them anymore. so you're trapped with a piece of salmon if you can get ahold of any .

 

[tom e]

I believe it is a raccoon, because it seems to fit their profile. But oddly enough I've never seen one out here, even though I've seen lots of skunks and possums, even coyotes and one bobcat, lots of hawks and owls. Even on the roads around here I've never seen one killed, but lots of skunks and possums.

Maybe the raccoons are just sneakier. It makes sense that we would have them I guess if we have the others.

My coop is actually very secure also. But I had fallen into the habit of just leaving the door open so the birds could get out early and grab the snails. I got to liking the freedom of just letting them come and go as they please. I don't think I had shut it in about 2 years now.

Maybe this is just a wake up call. I probably have every reason to think that now they know where the birds are, those days are over.

 

[Daloorashens]

Finaly just starting to get eggs after 2½ months .12 girls =3 eggs 6+ years in the makeing. . another month and the hatching begins

Yay!!!!

Sorry about losing your bird, tom e, always very frustrating!!

 

[jbarrett]

Hi y'all I just wanted to stop by and say hello! I have been saving my money now for about a month and finally got enough money saved up from doing a few lawn jobs around my part here in Florida.....Anyway I am trying to get a rare breed and heritage breed poultry business going and I have Swedish Flower Hens as one rare breed Coronation Sussex and Campines Ok now to the Marans I just saved enough to buy a bunch! I got 6 Wheatens 5 hens and a rooster, 4 black coppers 3 hens and a roo, 4 splash 3 hens and a roo!! I am very excited I got these from a lady who is friends with Bev Davis so my birds are of the Bev Davis lines of Marans! I dont have any pictures yet but sure will be postin them!

 

[Bangarang64]

Hi jbarett,

I'm in Florida too.
I'm curious, did you get your Wheatens from a breeder in Inverness? That's where I got mine and they also were from a friend of Bev Davis. I though it was interesting because the parents of my birds were originally owned by Bev herself.

 

[jbarrett]

As a matter of fact I did! My father and I wen to pict them up 2and days ago! Real nice lady awesome looking birds...the parents are the same then because I got the babies too!! O cant wait for them to grow up...what about you?

Hi jbarett,

I'm in Florida too.
I'm curious, did you get your Wheatens from a breeder in Inverness?  That's where I got mine and they also were from a friend of Bev Davis.  I though it was interesting because the parents of my birds were originally owned by Bev herself.