Easter Egger club!

[chikdukturkmom]

I have 2 full pitbulls. They protect my flock from everything except birds. I guess they see birds as chickens too, and wont chase them away.

 

[Sylvester017]

I have 2 full pitbulls. They protect my flock from everything except birds. I guess they see birds as chickens too, and wont chase them away.

My DDs Pit mix is a real sweetie and gets so excited to embrace every human she knows when they come on the property -- but she stops being obedient the moment she sees another animal of any kind - dog, cat, rabbit, possum, coyote, etc. She's been sprayed by skunks a few times because she won't obey her training "leave it" command. My Rotties were sweeties EXCEPT with birds. We couldn't get them to stop harassing the Mourning Doves. Love Rotts but wouldn't trust them around chickens. My first choice for chix will always be a trained guardian breed only - even then not every guardian individual will be suited as a bird flock dog. Sort of like seeing-eye service dogs that are preferred Labs but only if they pass the initial training as not every individual Lab will automatically qualify as a service animal. Our friend's have a Mountain Ovcharka that instinctively knows to stay by our side whenever a coyote or other wild animal comes to the fenceline. She stays still while timid rabbits come into the yard and bounce around her as she watches them. She's ever watchful but doesn't go crazy toward other animals nor abandons us to chase a threatening wild animal that shows at the fenceline. My DDs Pit mix and some of our Rotts would abandon us in a flash to chase a wild animal even though they've all been obedience trained. Only had one Rott out of 3 that was so nonchalant that he loved obeying commands and even ignored a threatening snarling chomping Dobie at the dog park. There's always one rare dog we get in a lifetime that can never compare to others we've had.

 

[CGinJCMO]

This is only my second year owning chickens and none have been eaten yet util 2 weeks ago. My favorite EE Light was the first to be eaten. She was flighty and escaped often. Now that same fox returned to take another. My rooster will always be remembered as a hero. The fox likely would have taken off with more if my rooster Anankos hadn't saved them. Foxes are known to keep returning. (It HAS to go.)

Two years ago, I had a fox attack. Took 5 (1 roo and 4 hens) in one evening! Last year, I never let them out of the run because a neighbor told us about seeing a moma fox with two kits playing in his back yard. I have two traps, three live trap and one snap-leg trap, and haven't caught any of them. Caught lots of coons and possums, a skunk, and even a turkey buzzard. But those foxes...can't seem to intice them into my traps.

CG

 

[Seiryu]

Since the fox attack 2 days ago the rosster's favorite, Luci has been depressed.Anankos,the rooster and Luci were inseperable, always together. Has anyone had chicken depression? I've been trying to get her to eat and drink since noticing this morning...All she does is sit in the nesting box, away from the other hens, facing the corner...And no she is not sick. It began happening after the fox attack.

 

[Lauravonsmurf]

Since the fox attack 2 days ago the rosster's favorite, Luci has been depressed.Anankos,the rooster and Luci were inseperable, always together. Has anyone had chicken depression? I've been trying to get her to eat and drink since noticing this morning...All she does is sit in the nesting box, away from the other hens, facing the corner...And no she is not sick. It began happening after the fox attack.

Yes, chickens can get upset like that, it has been observed in my town's wild birds if a best buddy chicken gets killed (usually by a car) the other bird will grieve, look for their friend in the last spot they saw them alive and so on.

 

[Seiryu]

It's breaking my heart...we took her out of her coop and put her in the baby pen we set up and she wandered lethargically over to where the rooster, her best buddy, was taken...

 

[Lauravonsmurf]

It's breaking my heart...we took her out of her coop and put her in the baby pen we set up and she wandered lethargically over to where the rooster, her best buddy, was taken...

All you can really do right now is try and keep her stress free, make sure she has water & food, if she has a favorite treat maybe try feeding her a little of that if she continues to not eat. My girls love chilled water melon. She is probably very aware her friend died so she is in birdy shock. You might want to ask the Natural Chicken Keeping thread for ideas on helping her with her stress.

 

[Seiryu]

Thank you, that's what I'll keep doing. I brought her into the house keeping her in the chickie brooder. I'm moving her to the water, making sure she drinks and she's eating a bit. In the big chicken coop she thinks she can walk up the ramp and be on the perch. She fell, unable to keep herself upright and couldn't hold onto the perch...so she stays in the house to recooperate...Will she snap out of this? As long as she eats and drinks she shouldn't die? I'm just really worried about her...it's sad and she's my favorite chicken...

 

[RanchRichey]

Just for fun... My 2 EEs at 4 weeks and 10 weeks.

1)
4 weeks

10 weeks- this pic doesn't do her justice. Her blue hue is really beautiful

2)
4 weeks

10 weeks- she is our dominant guardian/mother hen of the flock and friendly with us

 

[cabinchicky]

Since the fox attack 2 days ago the rosster's favorite, Luci has been depressed.Anankos,the rooster and Luci were inseperable, always together. Has anyone had chicken depression? I've been trying to get her to eat and drink since noticing this morning...All she does is sit in the nesting box, away from the other hens, facing the corner...And no she is not sick. It began happening after the fox attack.

So sorry for your loss! Good luck with your traps as well but you may need to beef up your fencing on your run if the fox problem goes on. Keep the flock in the run and try to make it impossible for anything to get in. I couldn't tell from your pictures but if you need to add a dig barrier please do so.Just add a foot and a half or more of fence to the bottom of your fence that will lay out on the ground from the sides. Putbrick,rock dirt over it to hold it too so it won't pop up if they find the edges. And if you haven't please put hardware cloth or welded wire over your chicken wire.