NewStats: 3,265,527 , 8,187,093 topics. Date: Sunday, 15 June 2025 at 03:09 PM h6q3y

kay29000:


Exactly. I had huge losses last night.

Oops.

Cats?

Sorry about that.

I have had loses too. Too numerous to recount. Cats being the Culprit most of the time.

You know you have to be extra watchful when you have chics between Day old to at least 2 weeks. They are vulnerable and can't do anything on their own.

God willing you will recover the loses.

kay29000:


Exactly. I had huge losses last night.

Please tell us, what happened?

Ameboperoo:

Please tell us, what happened?

I just wrote about it above. (in the previous page of this thread...page 9)

Lukuluku69:


Oops.

Cats?

Sorry about that.

I have had loses too. Too numerous to recount. Cats being the Culprit most of the time.

You know you have to be extra watchful when you have chics between Day old to at least 2 weeks. They are vulnerable and can't do anything on their own.

God willing you will recover the loses.

Yeah.

The cats struck overnight. I have to be very careful from now on. I'm even thinking of getting a dog, cos the wild cats are numerous on my street. They have been here for decades, even before we moved in.

kay29000:


Yeah.

The cats struck overnight. I have to be very careful from now on. I'm even thinking of getting a dog, cos the wild cats are numerous on my street. They have been here for decades, even before we moved in.

One night visit by a Cat can undo 3 months of diligent work. I a Day like that. All was fine the night before, then the night visit by this Cat!

It took 6-7 3 months old chicks. You know with their poor nightly sights, they stood no chance. Dismembered them all right in my compound.

I used poison. It didn't work. Set traps, no luck either. So, I just improve on the shed security.

Dogs might help but pray that you won't get one that eat Chickens and chics too.

Lukuluku69:


One night visit by a Cat can undo 3 months of diligent work. I a Day like that. All was fine the night before, then the night visit by this Cat!

It took 6-7 3 months old chicks. You know with their poor nightly sights, they stood no chance. Dismembered them all right in my compound.

I used poison. It didn't work. Set traps, no luck either. So, I just improve on the shed security.

Dogs might help but pray that you won't get one that eat Chickens and chics too.

Lol...that's what my mom said.

Yeah, chickens poor vision at night is the reason why they go to bed once it's sun down. And it makes them an easy target for cats that have great night vision.

So sad.
Sorry for the losses.

You see why I can't stand cats!
They're such useless, wicked, destructive animals.
You'd wonder how they still exist when hardly anybody wants them.

Don't worry.
God will replenish your losses.

kay29000:
The Massacre.

We lost 6 chicks and 2 two months old chickens from our local chickens flock last night. The cats are back.

Last night, around midnight, we started hearing the loud noise of one of the hens. When I went outside, I saw it on the cactus-like tree we have in our garden. Her 9 chicks were nowhere in sight. It usually sleeps in a hidden spot in the garden with its chicks. It's the only hen that refuse to sleep in the shop. After getting it off the three, it went to sleep in the shop, while we started the search for the chicks. We found 3 alive, and 4 dead. The cats probably had taken the dead bodies of the remaining 2 away.

This morning, like 6 am, I started hearing the sound of the hen again. I came out and saw it on the tallest tree in our garden. When I looked around, I saw the 2 dead two month old chickens. Looking around, I saw all the dead bodies of the chicks I saw last night were gone. What I guessed was, the cats first kill as many as they can kill, and then come back for their dead bodies. The two months old chickens they killed were on the trail to the spot they sleep, over the fence in my next door neighbor's house. I guess they were dragging the chickens along and abandoned them when they heard me coming.

I usually watch YouTube videos of American poultry farmers complaining about coyotes and foxes killing their chickens. I even reading a thread here on Nairaland of a guy raising local chickens a few years ago, and having to abandon the project after preys ate up most of his flock. I never knew I would experience such a loss in just one night.

Life goes on. Lesson learned.

Mariangeles:
So sad.
Sorry for the losses.

You see why I can't stand cats!
They're such useless, wicked, destructive animals.
You'd wonder how they still exist when hardly anybody wants them.

Don't worry.
God will replenish your losses.

Amen. Thanks.

I also don't like cats. They're pests not pets.

kay29000:
The Massacre.

.....................................................

Life goes on. Lesson learned.

Sorry brother for your loss. Better days ahead.

Iamsane:


Sorry brother for your loss. Better days ahead.

Thanks.

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My brother u need to be very wicked and heartless and wicked when planning for something eating up your investment.

Get pieces of brbed wire. Create a box with a age. Put some fish at the end of the box. At the beginning of the box put barbed wire at different spot inside the box. Once they try to get to the fish the barbed wire will cut them till they run away from your compound. Wicked iss something we do naturally..

Lukuluku69:


One night visit by a Cat can undo 3 months of diligent work. I a Day like that. All was fine the night before, then the night visit by this Cat!

It took 6-7 3 months old chicks. You know with their poor nightly sights, they stood no chance. Dismembered them all right in my compound.

I used poison. It didn't work. Set traps, no luck either. So, I just improve on the shed security.

Dogs might help but pray that you won't get one that eat Chickens and chics too.

Local dogs is the only solution but it has to be at least 2 adults dogs that has not tasted raw chicken meat or bones before otherwise....
Poison is not the best option because your fowls may feed on it later .


Feeding is very cheap if you can produce before maggots

If you're interested in small or large scale bsf maggots production please me on WhatsApp 08120528950
Training is not free
Bsf maggots is good for chicken, fish,pigs,dry for dog food and the waste is very rich organic manure for crop farming
It is odourless production bus

BoluwGoldenFarm:
Local dogs is the only solution but it has to be at least 2 adults dogs that has not tasted raw chicken meat or bones before otherwise....
Poison is not the best option because your fowls may feed on it later .


Feeding is very cheap if you can produce before maggots

If you're interested in small or large scale bsf maggots production please me on WhatsApp 08120528950
Training is not free
Bsf maggots is good for chicken, fish,pigs,dry for dog food and the waste is very rich organic manure for crop farming
It is odourless production bus

Interesting.

Personally I will like to rear local chicken for their eggs alone which attract high price at ìyá alagbo stores

Ademat7:
Personally I will like to rear local chicken for their eggs alone which attract high price at ìyá alagbo stores

That's cool.

Lukuluku69:


Do you know you can find check/know if an egg is blank/unfertilized when the hens starts the brooding process just 4-5 days into it?

Just take a Flashlight, shine it thru the eggs while the hen is on one of her breaks to feed and water.

The Fertilized eggs will have veins or veins like the threads running thru them while the blanks will just be translucent.

Once I noticed that, I remove the blanks and sometimes use it as a decoy for other laying hens because when you have them laying, they can choose funny and odd places.

And removing the blanks also allows for no time wastage in the brooding process and also cut back on unnecessary expectations.

Bro enlight on this, the local chicken my father is rearing they lay eggs but refused to hatch many of those eggs when I ask him what is the problem he said it because they are many cocks among them disturbing those hen, could this be the reason for them not hatching more eggs

opeyemi3737:


Bro enlight on this, the local chicken my father is rearing they lay eggs but refused to hatch many of those eggs when I ask him what is the problem he said it because they are many cocks among them disturbing those hen, could this be the reason for them not hatching more eggs

@Lukuluku69, kindly answer these questions also:
Do hens allow mating after having just laid eggs?
Or do cocks force their way or let them be?

opeyemi3737:


Bro enlight on this, the local chicken my father is rearing they lay eggs but refused to hatch many of those eggs when I ask him what is the problem he said it because they are many cocks among them disturbing those hen, could this be the reason for them not hatching more eggs

In some extreme cases, to you can have situation as this.

Usually an hen will stop laying when the clutch reaches between 9-12 eggs. Then it starts running away and start to refuse mating for the onset of brooding process.

But if Cocks are many especially hybrids with high libido, they want to continue even into brooding period and brooding hens.

It is dangerous because the numerous chase can make an egg to burst within an hen and it could be fatal.

Separate the about to brood hens from the Cocks. You can tie them and allow the brooding process to start.


Sorry for the late response

Mariangeles:


@Lukuluku69, kindly answer these questions also:
Do hens allow mating after having just laid eggs?
Or do cocks force their way or let them be?

As a rule, the ratio of Cock to hens should be 1:5. It will serve all the hens even when they are All laying at The same time.

When the Cock are many, every one want to on its gene and this can to over mating of the hens. In some cases, the hen start laying just 3-4 weeks ago after hatching. The chics are left too early to vend for themselves.

1. Hens would resist mating when the clutch is 9-12 eggs already. If mating occurs it squirt the sperm out.

2. Cocks will attempt mating at any time regardless of the state of the hen.

Lukuluku69:


As a rule, the ratio of Cock to hens should be 1:5. It will serve all the hens even when they are All laying at The same time.

When the Cock are many, every one want to on its gene and this can to over mating of the hens. In some cases, the hen start laying just 3-4 weeks ago after hatching. The chics are left too early to vend for themselves.

1. Hens would resist mating when the clutch is 9-12 eggs already. If mating occurs it squirt the sperm out.

2. Cocks will attempt mating at any time regardless of the state of the hen.

Those cocks don't give a damn, they just want to reproduce at all cost. lol. It's always funny when I see them trying to mate with a hen that just stepped out with its chicks a few days ago.

Lukuluku69:


As a rule, the ratio of Cock to hens should be 1:5. It will serve all the hens even when they are All laying at The same time.

When the Cock are many, every one want to on its gene and this can to over mating of the hens. In some cases, the hen start laying just 3-4 weeks ago after hatching. The chics are left too early to vend for themselves.

1. Hens would resist mating when the clutch is 9-12 eggs already. If mating occurs it squirt the sperm out.

2. Cocks will attempt mating at any time regardless of the state of the hen.

How very interesting. 😀
I'm learning quite a lot.

kay29000:


Those cocks don't give a damn, they just want to reproduce at all cost. lol. It's always funny when I see them trying to mate with a hen that just stepped out with its chicks a few days ago.

I guess cocks will be cocks then. Hehehe

So, your balance of cocks to hens was intentional.

Mariangeles:


How very interesting. 😀
I'm learning quite a lot.



I guess cocks will be cocks then. Hehehe

So, your balance of cocks to hens was intentional then.

Yeah.

kay29000:


Yeah.

I have an experience today which is very unusual for me. My cork died overnight without any known cause. No mark to indicate rat or snake bite, no cat or dog attack, no sign of any sickness as at last night when we put them in their cage and the cage is well ventilated.
I know this used to happen to broilers but it's strange in local chicken. Have you had the experience before?

Ameboperoo:

I have an experience today which is very unusual for me. My cork died overnight without any known cause. No mark to indicate rat or snake bite, no cat or dog attack, no sign of any sickness as at last night when we put them in their cage and the cage is well ventilated.
I know this used to happen to broilers but it's strange in local chicken. Have you had the experience before?

Hmmm....sorry for the loss.

I've not experienced that. Apart from the death of a hen that we thought was local, but later found out it was a noiler.

I think maybe it ate small acting poison. That's the only thing I can think of, cos in the over a year that I have been doing this, I haven't lost a full adult local chicken before.

Ameboperoo:

I have an experience today which is very unusual for me. My cork died overnight without any known cause. No mark to indicate rat or snake bite, no cat or dog attack, no sign of any sickness as at last night when we put them in their cage and the cage is well ventilated.
I know this used to happen to broilers but it's strange in local chicken. Have you had the experience before?

They say when animals die strangely, they took something that was meant for their owner(s).

I don't know how true that is sha o.🤷🏼‍♀️

New mother hen out with her 7 chicks.

Mariangeles:


They say when animals die strangely, they took something that was meant for their owner(s).

I don't know how true that is sha o.🤷🏼‍♀️

That's what we used to console ourselves when we lost something.

I saw another one sleeping! I think this was what killed the first one.
What can I use to treat them?

Ameboperoo:
I saw another one sleeping! I think this was what killed the first one.
What can I use to treat them?

Hmm... this is odd. I've never had sick local chickens before. Even when my broilers were dying anyhow last December, the local chickens weren't affected. Maybe you can go to where they sell chicken feed that also sells chicken medicine and ask them what you can use to treat them. Just describe the behavior of the chicken to them.

kay29000:


Amen. Thanks.

I also don't like cats. They're pests not pets.

Common now! Cats are great pets and very useful too.

You cannot keep local chickens or free range chickens without providing protection. Every animal has a predator!
What do you think "kuku" (woven basket that is sealed at the top) is used for? Get some, use them to keep the birds anytime from 6.30pm to 7pm and release them in the morning around 6.45am to 7am. Or make a slightly big ground cage that is protected using mosquito net and it can accommodate more birds.

FarmerJoe:


Common now! Cats are great pets and very useful too.

You cannot keep local chickens or free range chickens without providing protection. Every animal has a predator!
What do you think "kuku" (woven basket that is sealed at the top) is used for? Get some, use them to keep the birds anytime from 6.30pm to 7pm and release them in the morning around 6.45am to 7am. Or make a slightly big ground cage that is protected using mosquito net and it can accommodate more birds.

Okay. Thanks. I still hate cats though.