Post by morabilityranch on Jun 23, 2007 8:53:08 GMT -5
Good Morning everyone, well I did not catch mr snake last night I guess he was still full from the night befores dinner maybe he will come through tonight. To answer TSSP question of how did you miss the chickam ? I just put it up here last night so you did not miss it for long. I PM'd you the recipe for killing a snake given to me by old timer at feedstore yesterday. As far as other critters using henhouse as fast food drive through I use live traps at night inside when I know I have a varmit coming through and put canned cat food inside live traps I set sevarl at a time and tie long ropes to handles so if your varmit is a skunk you can pull trap from henhouse and be safe not to get sprayed and you need long ropes and think out when you lay it out how easy and quick and safely you will be able to get trap out if you do catch a skunk , coons and cats are not so much to worry about but you have to be prepared for in case you get a skunk. I also have a airedale dog and they are about the best varmit control I have ever had except for getting snakes since I got my airedale a year ago I have not lost one chicken in the henhouse before Roadie arrived I was always finding feathers and remains of a nights kill and always setting traps it was just something I did nightly as routine. Since Roadie arrived and I noticed varmits were not coming through I have not set a trap in 6 months and still not lost a actual chicken but then sneaky snake arrived and is getting the eggs but I hope to rid myself of him too 
To answer the other question about how I get the hens to set on bought eggs, I have fake marble eggs I leave in nesting boxes when the hens are laying I gather real eggs and we eat those and I leave the fakes in place when the hens think they have a clutch and decide to start setting I can then oder eggs from ebay or get some from another person locally and just place them under hens and remove fake eggs, I have never had a hen abandon the nest doing it this way. My hatch rate has been as good with ebay eggs as it is when I let the hens set on there own eggs. Peakock eggs are always a little touchy to try to hatch but I have to try I always wanted white Peakocks. My bantams in the past have hatch turkeys, phesants and all types of chicken eggs. I like to use outside eggs that way when you keep hens or roosters they are not related to anything so keeps them from inbreeding. I will try to get my cam in a better viewing spot and I will be taking cover off in a few days after hens get adjusted to new surroundings and I am sure they will stay in tub with thier eggs , this is the tub they picked in hen house and have been setting in but sometimes changing suroundings will amke them leave the eggs and I dont want to take that chance.
To answer the other question about how I get the hens to set on bought eggs, I have fake marble eggs I leave in nesting boxes when the hens are laying I gather real eggs and we eat those and I leave the fakes in place when the hens think they have a clutch and decide to start setting I can then oder eggs from ebay or get some from another person locally and just place them under hens and remove fake eggs, I have never had a hen abandon the nest doing it this way. My hatch rate has been as good with ebay eggs as it is when I let the hens set on there own eggs. Peakock eggs are always a little touchy to try to hatch but I have to try I always wanted white Peakocks. My bantams in the past have hatch turkeys, phesants and all types of chicken eggs. I like to use outside eggs that way when you keep hens or roosters they are not related to anything so keeps them from inbreeding. I will try to get my cam in a better viewing spot and I will be taking cover off in a few days after hens get adjusted to new surroundings and I am sure they will stay in tub with thier eggs , this is the tub they picked in hen house and have been setting in but sometimes changing suroundings will amke them leave the eggs and I dont want to take that chance.
..LOL.. My chcikens are all mixed type little featherfooted bantams and some have the phoenix breed in them and I have a batch of 8 4 month old hens that are out of a borrowed rhode island red rooster of a friend so I keep a interesting mix of chcikens. My favorite chicken is the mille fluers they are so tiny and are calico colored thats why I bought these eggs off ebay. If you ever want some fertile bantam eggs that are mixed let me know I get about 1 dozen eggs a day that are fertile I can send them to you to set under some of your hens or put in a incubator if you wanted some I have 1 rooster and I can send pics of him and all my hens. My rooster is one that had a phoenix dad and small featherfooted cochin cross old english bantam mom I picked out the prettiest rooster to keep for future flock sire... LOL.. and sold the rest of that batch of chicks I am going to let some of my hens set on eggs after I get the snake that will be chicks out of him. PM me with your address if you want eggs sent to you. It is fun to find other chicken owning people and be able to trade eggs around to keep new blood in the flocks you own.