A few weeks ago, a mink killed 16 of our ducks in one night, and injured all ten of the survivors. He came back a couple nights later and I killed him. Biggest one I've ever seen.
A few nights ago, I heard a commotion and went outside to see another mink killing a drake. I shot him and drew...
Someone just gave me half-a-dozen nearly-mature ducks that are supposedly random mixes of Cayuga, khaki Campbell and Rouen. I can see the khaki Campbell in a couple, but the others sure look like Swedish to me. Their black feathers do have that green Cayuga sheen, though. What sayeth the flock...
I'd read that broody chickens would hatch ducks, and I had some broodies and a bunch of fertile duck eggs.
So, I put ten eggs each under three hens. They hatched today.
All three hens killed almost all their ducklings. We only saved a total of two.
Every week or two I find another dead hen. Not a mark on any of them. It's happened in two out of three coops. The birds aren't old. The weather's not severe. I'm at a loss.
NATION
Backyard Chicken Movement Grows
Dave Thier
Contributor
(Jan. 28) -- In a recent Atlantic article, reporter Sarah Elton's key source took weeks of convincing to come clean. She was terrified of what would happen if her illegal activities were discovered. She only agreed to an interview...
Been putting big pieces of cardboard under the roosts. When a thick layer of droppings accumulates, I put the cardboard around fruit trees, with mulch on top to make it look presentable and to keep it from blowing away. The cardboard suppresses weeds and the manure fertilizes. (Before anyone...
A friend of mine has a few mutt chickens that lay small white eggs. I've been sneaking into their coop and putting huge dark Marans eggs in the nest box.
They just called and asked us to meet them for lunch. We always talk about our chickens, bees, gardens and orchards. I'm looking forward to...
Last week there were four bears sniffing around the coop (posted about it here):
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=180565&p=1
Last night a red fox was trying to get into it. Seems like every time I fell asleep, the chickens and dog went nuts. I got glimpses of it...