I think the raven is knocking off the goslings every morning. Out of 17, there are only 4 left. They are protected by 5 adults, and I do see some missing feathers on the ground where the adults have tried to protect the babies, but with no luck. So the roast goose is not going to be roast goose after all. And the Muscovy ducks were sitting on fourteen eggs, but only hatched one little gaffer who is not even a Muscovy. He is likely a Saxony cross, or because he is small, a Khaki Campbell bred by the white drake. He does have two mothers to look after him and Muscovy ducks can be vicious with their sharp claws. Hopefully he will make it. Only one Muscovy made it last year from a hatch of seven.
As far as the chickens sitting on nests, the same thing happened. Too many eggs sat on by too many hens in one nest results in some eggs getting cold and then dying. When I cleaned out the Muscovy nest, all the eggs were rotten and ready to explode. I broke them so they did not, and oh what a terrible smell. It was coming right through the shell by today and the ducks abandoned the nest finally, when this little guy was out. One other duckling hatched, but did not make it for some reason. The lone goose egg had a gosling about three quarters of the way done that had died in the shell, likely from getting cold.
So the coop was moved today and the big one will be moved tomorrow if it does not rain (looks like it will tonight for sure). The silly chickens do not know where to find their coop. It is within their vision and still was broad day light, but they circled round and round where it used to be looking for it. I gave up trying to herd them towards it and went in for the night.
It appears that those great hatches are not so great after all. Don't count your chickens before they are hatched is true enough, but with the raven around, maybe do not count them at all?
As far as the chickens sitting on nests, the same thing happened. Too many eggs sat on by too many hens in one nest results in some eggs getting cold and then dying. When I cleaned out the Muscovy nest, all the eggs were rotten and ready to explode. I broke them so they did not, and oh what a terrible smell. It was coming right through the shell by today and the ducks abandoned the nest finally, when this little guy was out. One other duckling hatched, but did not make it for some reason. The lone goose egg had a gosling about three quarters of the way done that had died in the shell, likely from getting cold.
So the coop was moved today and the big one will be moved tomorrow if it does not rain (looks like it will tonight for sure). The silly chickens do not know where to find their coop. It is within their vision and still was broad day light, but they circled round and round where it used to be looking for it. I gave up trying to herd them towards it and went in for the night.
It appears that those great hatches are not so great after all. Don't count your chickens before they are hatched is true enough, but with the raven around, maybe do not count them at all?
RSS Feed