Except for two months out of the year that they're in a breeding pen, all of our (MOL 100) birds are 100% free ranged. We are over a half mile from the nearest neighbor, and there is a 10,000 acre wildlife refuge to our south, 320 acres of heavy woods to our north and west, and another 1,000+ acres of mixed woods and fields to the east. There are plenty of critters out there, including Weasel, Raccoon, Skunk, Opossum, Bobcat and Coyote, (plus owls,and hawks) but we haven't lost a bird to predator in years. The secret is to get a big 'ol dog to stay with your birds. We have dairy goats and poultry scattered out in four areas, so we currently have four LGDs; a Komondok, two Anatolians and a young Fila/Anatolian cross in training. (On two acres, one dog should be plenty) You won't need an extravagant, predator proof fence, just one that will hold the dog. True, a decent started dog will run you a couple hundred at the absolute minimum, *BUT* that's considerably less expensive than trying to fence two acres to keep chickens in or raccoons and coyotes out. Try not to get a puppy unless it's at least three months old and was raised with poultry. Great Pyrenees and Anatolian are great breeds, but for the hot and humid area you're from, I'd recommend an Anatolian. Papers and pedigree aren't as important as whether they are from actual working parents and have been exposed to livestock and/or poultry. Check at the local feed store bulletin boards for ads, or ask who is raising sheep or goats in your area, as they're usually the ones with LGDs. Also, do not let anyone talk you into some Labrador/Pyrenees cross or anything crossed with Border collie; while I have no doubt that someone, somewhere has such an animal and it's just the most wonderful beast since sliced bread, the fact is both breeds are woefully unsuited to guard dog duty and without your (almost constant) supervision, will end up being more destructive to your than the local wildlife. Oh, and a good LGD will not kill your house pets, (cat or dog), and while it won't be a lap dog (it's not supposed to be), it *will* bond with your children. Afterall, from the dog's POV they're on the property, therefore, they should also be "looked after".

Geese behave much differently than chickens. First, you'll never be able to sneak up on her at night. They can see almost as well as during the day. Second, if by some chance you are able to get close to her, she'll still know that you're there. It will cause all sorts of commotion, scattering both "her" hatched babies and those that you've saved. You'll take the chance that they'll all get lost or chilled. Geese are extremely intelligent, and have social behaviors that are so much more advanced than that of any chicken flock. Probably one of two things happened with this clutch. Either she is an inexperienced mother, and her instincts were satisfied by hatching the first few, even though more were coming, or, two, there were other females who had access to her nest, and they layed after she began setting, so there are actually multiple eggs with varying hatch dates. I have had good luck both ways, introducing newly hatched goslings to a mother even several days after her true brood had hatched, or also introducing young started birds to the group when they were several weeks old. I've even had my flock take in newly hatched babies when there was no female setting. I would introduce them all to the entire flock first thing in the morning when you have a few hours to watch closely that everything is going OK. In most cases it will take only a minute or two before you know if they'll accept or reject them. I've never had well adjusted (non pet) males cause any problems with babies in my flock. The only time that there were issues was when I had too many males, and squabbles between the males who were in the group and those who were kept out have sometimes inadvertently caused problems with young chicks that got caught up in the fighting. Even that has usually worked itself out in a few minutes. All this happens in a pen of almost 3/4 an acre, and I'm sure that plenty of space is a factor in allowing everything to work itself out.

I have something new here that's unusual. I just did my final inspection for the evening and 4/5 babies were gaping. The fifth I thought was dead. It's in the nest with its head foreward and its feet pointing upward. I looked and it is still breathing. The parents have fed well today but these babies are so hungry! I'm wondering if maybe it has been poorly fed compared to the others. I have some experience w/ this. If a nestling is too weak it will gape w/o being able to cheep. If it's near dead it won't be able to gape or vocalize. Just concerning. Hope he's okay!

Lucky you to see that! Definitely broad-winged hawks! These raptors will form flocks of up to 1000 birds when they migrate south. The only other raptors in NA known to form large flocks are Swainson's Hawks but it's unlikely that you saw this species as they are more of a western species.