Mama Hen

A Sad Morning

Well, I got up this morning, grabbed the coffee pot and walked to the sink.  Turned on the faucet and looked out the window, and saw FEATHERS Everywhere!  I set the pot down and went outside, and something got our chickens!!!!!  We had 17 chickens, and now we only have 12.  That is 5 chickens gone!  We are very upset.  We think it was a pack of wild dogs that we have heard about, because a single animal will not take off with 5 chickens.  It is possible that the others have just run away trying to escape, and that they might come back, but we don’t think that is likely.  We walked all over the area calling them, and got no response.  This is bad too, because it is summer.  We usually don’t lose hens until the winter when food sources are scarce.

So needless to say this afternoon, I will be working to reinforce the hen house, because once an animal finds a food source, they’ll keep coming back.  I am also loading my shotgun and keeping it handy…

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08:34 AM, Tuesday, August 5, 2008 .. Posted by Jonash2004

Awwww, I'm so sorry. My mom has had problems with what she thinks is a mink getting into her hen house the last few years, as opposed to a weasel which would kill all the hens at once. She really, really had to do some re-inforcing! She finally got it stopped this year, praise the Lord!

It is so sad to lose hens - eggs and meat! I hope you get the predator(s) stopped.

Ashley

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08:48 AM, Tuesday, August 5, 2008 .. Posted by homesteadinthemaking

We had a similar incedent this weekend. We are on the lookout with shotguns in hand, also.
Trixi

Sister's in Chicken Massacre

11:20 PM, Monday, August 18, 2008 .. Posted by joyfulnoises

Well I am so sorry to hear about this. But like the title says we are sister's in chicken massacres this year. I also had a small backyard flock of 10 hens that I had gotten at 1 day old. After raising them for 2 months and getting them out in the pen outside. I lost 2 one night, we think from a weasel. And then one of them turned out to be a rooster so it had to go since I have a suburban homestead in town. And then the dreaded day of the massacre, my little dog got into the pen somehow and killed 4 more. Leaving me only 3. I was very sad. Since then I have bought 7 adult hens from a man in town here and 4 of them are laying already. Keep your head up! I am thinking of you.