[Polished Arrow]

Well, yesterday was a distressing day as the entire 'flock' of our 4 week old chicks - the first we have hatched ourselves, from our own hens' eggs) were systematically beheaded and had their hearts removed by our local raven/s.  It was a shocking sight - like something from a horror film tbh) to return to after cleaning up the barn, and truly sad, as it is such a waste.

We had reused the same pen we made to keep the ducklings in - just moved it a few metres to a new patch of grass.  The raven never once attacked the ducklings, and they went out younger as the weather was better then, so we were very surprised by this.  We will start again with the hatching - and next time will have a complete cover over the pen rather tan the half cover we had this time (against cats and dogs!).

I know we can't expect to get them all, nor to stop nature from taking its course, but as we have other free range poultry we have decided to try to cull some of these predators.

Meh. 

[chrismahon]

A horrendous tale PA. We have crows around here. When we put the chicks out in an open run, before we built secure rearing units, I put 6 foot garden canes into the ground at random about 2 feet apart in the run. The theory was that nothing could land or take off without crashing into them. We didn't lose any chicks. The crows just sat and watched them from the trees.

[Polished Arrow]

Ah, that's a helpful hint... And it makes good sense, too.  I might use that in the duck pen as I am concerned that the ravens may have a blood lust now and go after them as they are not yet full grown.

[Brijjy]

Ravens are such ferocious killers of chicks and it's awful to see the damage they do to cast sheep as well. So sorry to hear about your losses. I had a similar thing last year when all 12 of my araucana poults was eaten by a fox. It really does make you feel crappy. However as they say, we live and learn and I am sure you will get lots of good tips off this forum to help you stop it happening again. 

[Sylvia]

I made a pen consisting of plastic trellis, 3ft. high, fastened to plastic electric fence posts. I cover this pen with pond netting and, so far, have had no trouble. It's a bit of a fag to go in the pen, you have to bend double to fill drinkers, feeders, clean out etc. but it's not for long

[suziequeue]

Where was the mummy hen??

Judging by the way ours carries on, I don't think the raven would have had a look-in if it had got anywhere near her chicks....

[Hermit]

We have ravens, Black Backs etc so we have made a permanent baby run.It is a normal hen run and shed with a scaffolding frame with a fishing trawler net over it all. We get jokes that the marquee wont keep the rain out but it works for flying youngsters  such as turkeys as well as chooks . When we have no babies it get left empty to clean the ground and grow new grass, a permanent nursery .

[PetiteGalette]

We always put our chicks out under netting. You can get cheap offcuts on ebay from the only British net producer in Cornwall. It is knotted heavy duty pigeon netting and lasts for years. This year, as we have had so many lots of hatchlings (and more coming on in the incubators) we have bought a different colour (stone) for the hatchlings run - it's easier to find among the black netting destined for the turkeys, the runner beans, the peas, the squash, and the cabbage patch!

[Polished Arrow]

We always put our chicks out under netting. You can get cheap offcuts on ebay from the only British net producer in Cornwall. It is knotted heavy duty pigeon netting and lasts for years. This year, as we have had so many lots of hatchlings (and more coming on in the incubators) we have bought a different colour (stone) for the hatchlings run - it's easier to find among the black netting destined for the turkeys, the runner beans, the peas, the squash, and the cabbage patch!

Thanks, one and all for your kind comments.  We now have a broody Light Sussex so hope that she will do a better job than we did (we incubated the last lot).


PetiteGalette - do you have a link for this cheap netting offcuts?  I searched on Ebay and didn't seem to find anything fitting that description 

[chrismahon]

www.ropeseller.co.uk was the one I found Polished Arrow. About a quarter of the price of Harrod Horticultural so I will be trying them out. They are based in Devon, so I'm not sure that's who Petite Gallette meant.

[Bramblecot]

Sorry to hear about your chicks - the rats got all mine
Our town industry is net-making - Bridport , Dorset - and there are at least five local companies still supplying all types of netting.  Here are some names for a start and I know at least two have e-bay shops
bridportnets.co.uk
huck nets
knowle nets
coastal nets (coastalnetsuk on e-bay) 01308 427885
collins nets (e-bay?)
Some of them have factory offices where you can pick up off cuts, and some also sell gamekeeping/poultry equipment.

[Hermit]

We are lucky here there are quite a few places with old fishing nets free to collector.

[sabrina]

Due to the fact we have loads of Buzzards any chicks we have go out in a netted run to protect them. I have lost ducks that were 12 weeks old to the Buzzards, the crows come into the barn and steal my chicken eggs so i have to keep the double doors shut in the morning,

[FiB]

wow that is a sorry tale - big sympthy Lots of good advice at a a pertinant time for me.

[Polished Arrow]

Thanks, one and all, for your kind comments and helpful advice 


I have a clutch of eggs to pop into the incubator tomorrow morning.  If our broody is still broody by the time they are hatching, I am going to try to get her to do the last 24 hours and then look after them...  Whatever, their run will be covered.