OK - this is a rather surprising issue, since we've had hens now for nearly ten years, but here goes.
First the bad news. Locked the coop Wednesday night. Opened it on Thursday morning to find every single bird dead - a mink somehow got in. Two roosters, fourteen hens wiped out in a single night.
Obviously the first consideration is revising security. How did it get in? How can we prevent it in the future? (Appropriate traps are arriving tomorrow - humane, live capture in case anything else wanders in accidentally. I make no such promise if we get the perpetrator, however…)
In the meantime, we have a few days' eggs collected that haven't been cleaned or otherwise disturbed, so we're getting an incubator (also arriving tomorrow) and hoping we can salvage something from the disaster.
The problem is, we suddenly realised we've never actually raised chicks without a broody to help and an established flock for them to join. Even our very first hen (a refugee from a similar attack who simply moved in!) was a year or two old. So I suppose what I'm looking for is pointers (many of which I don't doubt will be to existing threads!) as to how to show the "new kids" the ropes. We're considering getting a "foster hen" - a silkie would be probably the best choice? - to take them on when they hatch, but she'd still have to get to know the terrain herself.
Sorry if this is a bit vague and rambling - it's still all rather raw and we're all a bit in the about the next step.
Any advice will be gratefully appreciated!
First the bad news. Locked the coop Wednesday night. Opened it on Thursday morning to find every single bird dead - a mink somehow got in. Two roosters, fourteen hens wiped out in a single night.
Obviously the first consideration is revising security. How did it get in? How can we prevent it in the future? (Appropriate traps are arriving tomorrow - humane, live capture in case anything else wanders in accidentally. I make no such promise if we get the perpetrator, however…)
In the meantime, we have a few days' eggs collected that haven't been cleaned or otherwise disturbed, so we're getting an incubator (also arriving tomorrow) and hoping we can salvage something from the disaster.
The problem is, we suddenly realised we've never actually raised chicks without a broody to help and an established flock for them to join. Even our very first hen (a refugee from a similar attack who simply moved in!) was a year or two old. So I suppose what I'm looking for is pointers (many of which I don't doubt will be to existing threads!) as to how to show the "new kids" the ropes. We're considering getting a "foster hen" - a silkie would be probably the best choice? - to take them on when they hatch, but she'd still have to get to know the terrain herself.
Sorry if this is a bit vague and rambling - it's still all rather raw and we're all a bit in the about the next step.
Any advice will be gratefully appreciated!
