A welcomed surprise... good things in bad times

We have a hen that went missing for a month. Her name is "Roadrunner", she is a very sweet bird, and she just disappeared.

There has been a fox around, that has taken a few of our birds. (I will get that smarmy bastard... ) We figured that Roadrunner was one of his victims.

Not so much.

She went broody, and hid herself under our rabbit hutches. Today we discovered Roadrunner, with ten freshly hatched chicks. We also found 5 unhatched eggs that she was no longer sitting on. We figured it was a long shot, but we put the unhatched eggs in our brooder. I honestly thought, that there was zero chance any would actually hatch.

I was wrong, and it is awesome. One has already hatched, and the chick is doing great. A second chick, is in the process of hatching... like right now. One other, is showing movement. Very cool.

Roadrunner is a banty, and 10 babies is a bit much. We also have eagles, hawks, ospreys, and ravens flying around... We didn't want to take all of her babies away from her... it's safer, but cruel to the hen... so, we brought 8 of her brood indoors... we left two outside with her. Two chicks are easily manageable, and she seems to be a good mom.

Today, was a good day

You are a lucky man, I hope those northern rockies are in Colorado. Montana is ok too. Canada...well...

originally posted by: Gnawledge
You are a lucky man, I hope those northern rockies are in Colorado. Montana is ok too. Canada...well...

N. Idaho Rockies.

We have a duck that has gone broody, over the past week. She stays in the coop, and we are going to wait and see what she hatches out.

Roadrunner, however... total surprise.

I like days like this.

a reply to: madmac5150

MM. Northern Idaho is small pickings. You are big lucky. Count those chickens.

My folks have a bevy of barn cats. They are at the high point of the predator/prey cycle, so this spring, they have 16 kittens! The mothers are all communal rearing which is good because they've lost one mother entirely, and her brood is just adopted into the horde.

Right now, my mom is having a great time watching them all shuffle around and play (run is a strong word at their age).

It won't be long before either the local bobcats or coyotes will catch on and they'll start to disappear and then the low point in the cycle will begin, but in the meantime, my folks are having a blast watching the little guys.

It is a good time to be alive.

originally posted by: ketsuko
My folks have a bevy of barn cats. They are at the high point of the predator/prey cycle, so this spring, they have 16 kittens! The mothers are all communal rearing which is good because they've lost one mother entirely, and her brood is just adopted into the horde.

Right now, my mom is having a great time watching them all shuffle around and play (run is a strong word at their age).

It won't be long before either the local bobcats or coyotes will catch on and they'll start to disappear and then the low point in the cycle will begin, but in the meantime, my folks are having a blast watching the little guys.

It is a good time to be alive.

I do my best, protecting my birds. We don't lose many.

We do have a fox around, and I witnessed the little bastard taking one of our birds. I have a pretty good idea of where it's den is. I know when it hunts, and I am just waiting for it to try again.

The coyotes stay away, because they have learned that I will shoot them. Without prejudice.

We did have a bobcat around a few months ago... I spotted him twice. I think one of the neighbors shot it... haven't seen him since early February.

a reply to: madmac5150

That is awesome. What kind of chickens are they? I like the ones who lay green eggs, very tasty.

originally posted by: Onlyyouknow
a reply to: madmac5150

That is awesome. What kind of chickens are they? I like the ones who lay green eggs, very tasty.

Mom is a banty. Mom was almost certainly a surrogate, as well. We have several roosters of different breeds, so who knows? We'll see what they look like, when they are older.

a reply to: madmac5150

That is exciting. I bet they will be beautiful.

a reply to: ketsuko

Poor little kittens and they seem to have a bleak future
as coyote food.

originally posted by: mamabeth
a reply to: ketsuko

Poor little kittens and they seem to have a bleak future
as coyote food.

That's why our fat little house goblins, are all indoor cats.

a reply to: madmac5150

Was expecting another "Dear, Alpacahouse Letter"

TBH I just skimmed the thread looking for alpaca action.

I'll show myself out.

originally posted by: DietWoke
a reply to: madmac5150

Was expecting another "Dear, Alpacahouse Letter"

TBH I just skimmed the thread looking for alpaca action.

I'll show myself out.

The alpacas have been on their best behavior, since the night of the "incident".

No orgies, no blow and no police involvement.

They do look at me weird, now... like they hate that I busted them.

Degenerate weirdos.

ETA: For those, that don't know the alpaca back-story...

It's on this site. I tried to link it, and failed. Miserably.

There was a weird alpaca orgy, a gun and a bunch of weird noises.

Look it up.

originally posted by: madmac5150

ETA: For those, that don't know the alpaca back-story...

It's on this site. I tried to link it, and failed. Miserably.

You tried? How far did you get exactly?

www.abovetopsecret.com...

#2 is nearly free. #3 has now started to emerge.

I had no hope, that any of the eggs were still viable. Amazing.

#1 is now named "Junior". He was the first egg that we hatched out inside the house. We normally buy chicks in the spring, or have broods hatched outside.

Junior is totally cute, and is getting along great with his eight siblings.

originally posted by: DietWoke

originally posted by: madmac5150

ETA: For those, that don't know the alpaca back-story...

It's on this site. I tried to link it, and failed. Miserably.

You tried? How far did you get exactly?

www.abovetopsecret.com...

Mistakes were made. People were briefed.

(That was my standard Air Force answer. It almost never worked.)

Whew you got lucky!!!! You had Alpaca-porn trauma and I had chicken massacre trauma.

WHen I was a girl I got to get the eggs.. and I loved the job of doing it. I went out to the henhouse.. it wasnt a usual house and truck.. it was like a shed. Big henhouse. I opened the door (no fancy outside access) and it was like a horror movie. Blood literally splashed all over the walls and birds with guts all over the place. I ran screaming inside and my dad said.. what did it look like.. and I said blood squirted everywhere and guts all over. He said weasels pull guts.. so we have to get that weasel. I was in AWE of my dad... he knew it what animal had killed them due to HOW it killed them. If you know what killed them, you know what animal to hunt and more importantly how to hunt it.

originally posted by: Advantage
Whew you got lucky!!!! You had Alpaca-porn trauma and I had chicken massacre trauma.

WHen I was a girl I got to get the eggs.. and I loved the job of doing it. I went out to the henhouse.. it wasnt a usual house and truck.. it was like a shed. Big henhouse. I opened the door (no fancy outside access) and it was like a horror movie. Blood literally splashed all over the walls and birds with guts all over the place. I ran screaming inside and my dad said.. what did it look like.. and I said blood squirted everywhere and guts all over. He said weasels pull guts.. so we have to get that weasel. I was in AWE of my dad... he knew it what animal had killed them due to HOW it killed them. If you know what killed them, you know what animal to hunt and more importantly how to hunt it.

I had to put one of our goats down. It was the last week of March. She had bloat, and went from bad to critical in less than 24 hours. My wife asked me to put her down, and I initially balked. Then, I saw her. She was suffering, horribly.

As goats go, she was very sweet. It broke my heart, to fire the kill shot. It haunts me.

Farming can be seriously brutal. We have a small hobby farm... the birds, goats, horny alpacas, and our horses. Losing even one animal, to us, is heartbreaking.

I'm sorry that you had to see that, as a kid. I'm an adult, and I would be sickened by it.

a reply to: madmac5150

Dad shoots things that come up around the houseyard, but the cats won't stay there. They range out all over, so when mommas take the kids out to learn the ropes of hunting and the like, the learning curve can be steep. When the local predators get to know that there's a ready supply of cat-munchies ... that learning curve gets even steeper.

It's sad, but my folks also don't need 16 adult cats either. They know it, and they understand how nature works.

a reply to: madmac5150

Congratulations! I am so happy for you.

My Brother's chickens have been laying like crazy. They have been keeping 10 families in eggs since March. They have been laying consistently. His chickens are free roaming and he is really picky about what he feeds them, and he is obsessive about feeding organic and non-GMO to his chickens. He has been lucky with the critters so far because we have a lot of chicken eating critters about.

All but four of his hens and one Roo, were incubated and raised by him. It is so funny to watch him with his chickens. He knows them all by name and they seem to know their own names. They all have different personalities. The only chance he has of having any chicks hatched by the mother chicken is for them to be as smart as Roadrunner.

Good luck with chicks. I think they will be just fine.