I started 10+ years ago with 4, then took on some ex commercials, then a few growers/POLs, then started raising day olds and hatching a few when hens went broody as I'd somehow acquired a cockerel..
Usually have between a dozen and 48 at different times of year (raising chicks, tho most of those were sold on as growers along with eggs to pay for feed). They just about broke even if you didn't include fencing the run, coop replacements, feeders etc..
Sadly a fox got 9 of my current 15 on Thursday/Friday so my Friday 13th discovery was the senior cockerel dead of probably a heart attack after failing to protect his girls. Several feather piles around but no other bodies so they've all been taken to feed growing cubs I imagine.
Have had an attack like this before a few years back and survived by totally free ranging so they all had a chance of getting away rather than being cornered. The girls that roosted in trees and were wily about coming down too early, kept going but one was picked off every few nights until the 3rd week of April and the rest then left alone.
This time I was just devastated and asked a friend to take in the remaining 6 either until the foxes give up on this place (for the year at least), which should be a month or so, but the way I felt yesterday, could be possibly permanently. She collected the remaining 2 Welsummers, 1 Rhode Rock, 1 ancient Scots Grey and 1 Bluebell yesterday morning but the dratted cream legbar got away and as she's very flighty I just left her to fend for herself rather than try and drive her back after failing twice as she'd had enough stress.
She laid a wee blue egg yesterday and is hiding up in the same spot today, not sure where she spends the night but not in the coop for sure so I cleared it out today and left it to air. Will either try and fix it and creosote while vacant, or let it be a garden ornament of the decaying kind, depending what happens.
It is SO quiet here without the constant chattering, announcing, crowing and calling to found food noises. It is depressing. I only replaced the run last year and can't afford a roll of chainlink deer fence at the mo, so not sure which way I'll go. They're so happy here and they make me happy too, but their lives can be too short or 7-8 years and I am getting weary of the pain of losing them - esp as one of my 10yo cats died a month or so ago and I'm in that place of feeling they're better off with someone else.
Topic: New hens (Read 5605 times)
