I free range my chickens every day ( When we are home ). Latly I have been missing quiet a few chickens, lets just say I have lost about 12 - 20 ++. I am guessing something is grabbing them while they're way out in the pasture. Just about every chicken that I've lost these past few months has been a young pullet within a few months of laying age. I was getting pretty sick of loosing favorite chickens, young pullets and cockerels etc. I decided to move all the young chickens into the larger coop with the grown birds, they have been in there with them for about 2 - 4 days. I will have to let them out again sometime .... just don't want to loose anymore birds!
I have a few favorite sweet birds, I couldn't bare to loose one of them! I just feel so lost ... I feel awful for my chickens because I let them out and then something grabs them and I can't do a single thing about it!!! I can't keep them locked up, to me that is cruel! They enjoy running around the ranch so much! Plus it makes their eggs alot healthier. I just don't know what to do!! Sometimes I wish I didn't have any chickens so I could just start over and have a nice safe coop/run for them and I wouldn't have to worry about anything eating them. If I ever do get rid of all my chickens I would only keep around 25 because that way I could keep up with them all! Right now I have 80 - 100 + and I can't keep track of them all!!! I was just going threw my pictures of my flock and I saw my mollted houdan hen .... I haven't seen her in forever!! Something got her, and just the other day my big Blue JG roo and a Buff Orp cockeral went missing. Along with my Easter Egger pullet ... the list goes on and on!
My heart is very heavy ... I know the day is coming when I'll have to let them out ... and more will keep going missing.
I have a empty coop this is medium size .. should I keep my favorite chickens in there? Would it be very, very cruel to keep them locked up for their own safty? Should I just free range the roosters or my old chickens or something? I need some ideas!
Thanks for any ideas ... sorry about typing so much .. I just had to let it all come out!
I have a few favorite sweet birds, I couldn't bare to loose one of them! I just feel so lost ... I feel awful for my chickens because I let them out and then something grabs them and I can't do a single thing about it!!! I can't keep them locked up, to me that is cruel! They enjoy running around the ranch so much! Plus it makes their eggs alot healthier. I just don't know what to do!! Sometimes I wish I didn't have any chickens so I could just start over and have a nice safe coop/run for them and I wouldn't have to worry about anything eating them. If I ever do get rid of all my chickens I would only keep around 25 because that way I could keep up with them all! Right now I have 80 - 100 + and I can't keep track of them all!!! I was just going threw my pictures of my flock and I saw my mollted houdan hen .... I haven't seen her in forever!! Something got her, and just the other day my big Blue JG roo and a Buff Orp cockeral went missing. Along with my Easter Egger pullet ... the list goes on and on!
My heart is very heavy ... I know the day is coming when I'll have to let them out ... and more will keep going missing.
I have a empty coop this is medium size .. should I keep my favorite chickens in there? Would it be very, very cruel to keep them locked up for their own safty? Should I just free range the roosters or my old chickens or something? I need some ideas!
Thanks for any ideas ... sorry about typing so much .. I just had to let it all come out!