Who is with me?

[starryeyes]

Yep it was coons we saw them they came bk for seconds. As for the silkies yea we think that was a weesel.


Starry

 

[riqui1]

Starry - I am very sorry that you have been going through this, as well!! I know mine was a coon because of the bloody tracks on my deck, but I know that I also spotted weasels out by our pond a few months ago. I knew I was going to have to be diligent. I just never thought they would open the dog crate!! Now I know...

 

[riqui1]

Wait...weasels will just take the heads?! What is that all about?! That just seems wrong!

 

[walkswithdog]

Quote:
And that's why I said check the dang hygrometer, mine was more than 20% off at first...

 

[countrybum]

Well I quit using my hygrometer, it was driving me crazy. I now just have a bowl with sponges inside for humidity and my hatchlings seem to be coming out fine, to fine I may add. Out of all the eggs due on the 3rd 4th and 5th, I lost one of each.

So far out of the ones due on the 9th, all but 2 are hatching as of this morning. I think the 2 are going to come when actually due (the 9th).

I am sorry to hear about everyones predator experience. In the beginning (4 or 5 years ago) I had the same experience. So I also learned the hard way, even when I was finishing my coop something got to my birds and I have a nine foot fence around them, so imagine that. I never thought anything would attempt to climb into this, but it did and then climbed out after killing about a dozen birds.

Predators no matter which one it is will climb and dig into your pens or coops. The safest thing to do is have a coop for your critters at night with a wire mesh bottom and a door that closes securely and teach your birds to go back in.

The bottom of my coop is the mesh wire with small squares and I have fine rock piled on top of it, believe me nothing is getting in my coop and my birds are safe.

Good luck to everyones hatchings and riqui, do not give up you just have to out smart the critters.

As for shipped eggs? They always seem to end un shrink wrapped or not hatching so you did really good with yours. You had a very honest person ship you eggs, a lot of people throw in a few good eggs with old ones and you are lucky to get 1 to hatch.

WWD, I am very tempted to try Marans one more time. How are yours coming or have you not candled lately?

 

[chickie_mama]

CB, I am very tempted to do as you and just make sure my tray is filled with water in the center section and then during the last three days when I put in hatcher, to fill up the reamaining resevoirs.

 

[walkswithdog]

Some of them I'm pretty sure will hatch, the cracked one has a HUGE air cell so I dunno... Mostly copper blacks and wheatens with one shot at a GCM.

I'll try again in Fall if I fail again. Of 11 maybe five are where they should be. Darn dark eggs... so they're all still rolling...

 

[riqui1]

I had all of my reservoirs filled AND a sponge in there and had a hard time keeping the humidity up. I was trying to figure out what to do, in case I run into that problem again... Of course, until I am done calibrating my hygrometer, I really don't know how far off I was...

 

[nhnanna]

To calibrate, put 1/2 cup of salt into a cup or bowl. Add 1/4 cup of water and make a paste. Put that and your hygrometer into a large plastic bag and let it sit over night. It should read 75. If it doesn't, add or subtract the difference and mark it on your hygrometer so you won't forget. Good luck.

 

[nhnanna]

Quote:
I try to put the dish with sponge right under a vent hole when I lockdown. Then I have a piece of aquarium tubing that goes into the vent hole to the dish with the sponge so I can add warm water with an eyedropper if needed.