Gotta love deals - Page 2

Had to go get some.

Dog Days of summer. That's my boy! German Shepherd/Red Heeler mix

The happy home is 7 pallets long or roughly 20-25'. There are 5 hens and 5 drakes. The drakes will have to go soon but I wanted to flush out their systems with what I feed and lots of water as they did not even have tubs where they were before I cut and wrap them. First day I got 2 good eggs and one that was small and thin shelled. Second day I got 4 good eggs and today I got 5 good ones.I guess it was the stress from the drive that did that. One is laying a larger egg than the other 4 which are all about the size of a chicken egg for now.

View from outside the prison.

They really go through the water. This was 2 hours after the second filling for the day.

Looking down the outside. The pallets that are set crosswise keep the walls up. Plus they provide shade when the sun is at different angles. Will widen the pen one more pallet after I get done with the logs. Those are for the cabin so I do need some room to work on them. Right now the pen is 3 pallets wide. Plus an additional 2 pallet by 2 pallet section at the far end on the right.

The 24 hour home 2 pallets x 2 pallets. I will turn that into the house for the winter months.

View from the other end of the pen.

Still have two more tubs to put in there until I pick up a kiddie pool.

The dogs keep the coyotes away. No wolves in this area yet... I can secure them from one predator which is a mountain lion but the other one no way.... I have seen 2 different Grizzlies in the same week so unless I pour concrete nothing pretty much will stop them if they are determined. If the ducks start making a ruckus then the dogs alert me. I have had the chickens for a while with no issue. Nearest water is about a 1 mile away. I know that is within easy range but we just do not have the same things that you have down there. The chickens run free, even at night. Besides, these are not pets. When farming you always expect losses so  you carry more stock than you need to cover those losses. That is the harsh reality of things.

Where I am, predators very rarely come near homes because they get shot at. There is more range for them than there are people. I am sure that I will have losses of one time or another but they are just doing what they have to to survive like we are.

If you notice, my dog has no collar. The reason for this is that I do not want him to catch a collar on anything if he is having to defend himself or escape. That sucker even goes after the bears when I scare them away. I guess he is making sure that they put in for a change of address. Going to also get a Pyrenees soon to add to the defenses. Maybe even a Caucasian Ovcharka, I have not decided yet.

That and when they free range there will be no protection except me and the dogs.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cheapchicksfarm 

Nice pen please post a pic when you finish the house part.

They are some nice looking Pekins what a score I am jealous 

Sure will. It will be a couple of months though. I have to get the cabin built and the rabbit house first. It will be a while before the snows come anyhow.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Miss Lydia 

Grizzlies, wow and we have been visited by blk bears, still this bear is very bold, we have shot at him and so far he hasn't been back. I was mainly talking about at night, my flock free ranges during the day so I know losses come with doing that, I was mainly looking about your housing situation since most preds come around at night. Where are you by the way?  Good you have a dog brave enough to chase a grizzly I think LOL  What you have made is such a good use of recycled wood pallets. good idea. 

Well we have those too but this lot was vacant for about 5 years so they probably did not know that anyone was here. I have not had any night prowlers around with the dogs running loose. They seem to do a good job keeping things away. Especially the Border Collie/Australian Shepherd cross. He hears anything at night and starts to bark. If the ducks start to make a ruckus then he barks and they both go down the hill to investigate. That is another reason I pick up all the roosters that I can, they are the sacrificial lamb and protectors so to speak. I have 20-30 chickens at any one time free ranging day and night so those would be easier pickings over the fenced in ducks. They roost pretty low to the ground. There is also plenty of food in the wild for the predators to eat (chimpmunks, rats, mice, rabbits etc.). We are within a 120 acre subdivision where everyone has at least 20 acres and that backs up to thousands of acres of BLM and state land and I am located pretty far from those boundaries. There are people with ducks that free range and goats that are staked out and they have no issues either and they are closer to the BLM land. The big cats tend to stay away from the houses. As long as there is plenty of natural prey, there will not be a major problem.