Wednesday, September 4, 2013

Missing hen

We're down to four hens again. In the three years since I collected four pullets from breeder Paul Healy, I added two more pullets bought from a woman north of Hobart a couple of years back and last summer we bred four more hens (and eight roosters). Over those three years, we've lost:

  • Two hens to goshawks (I think)
  • One was run over on the road outside our place
  • One was found simply stone cold dead in the shed
  • Another was found dead on the nest but still warm

And then yesterday one simply went missing. When I went to lock the chooks up, only four hens and Russell the rooster showed up. I'm hoping that she has disappeared into the bush to sit on some eggs and will reappear with a clutch of chicks, but based on the track record above it's not all that likely. Shame, it was so nice seeing Russell followed by his six ladies a couple of months ago. Poor missing hen.

2 comments:

  1. I hope she turns up. I had 5 and bought 5 new ones.
    Then i chopped the head off one of the old useless ones (not personally, got next doors dad to do it).
    Over summer 1 of the older ones and 4 of the newer ones dropped dead, not sure why.
    So Im left with 4 and now keeping my eye out for some new ones.

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    Replies
    1. It's not just me then :-) I am planning to hatch more eggs in the incubator but can't do it until December unfortunately due to work and a holiday.

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