Australia - Six states..and that funny little island.

[Anniebee]

appps .... gave an ovation ( no problem anyway ) to the wrong post ..... which was an answer to your update on Carl by cwrite ...

Here is what my ovation said :

"Super news - answers my question here ... fantastic

"

Hope it all continues well for you both.

Cheers ........

 

[cwrite]

Teila, I'm all for heaps of build pics & yay for starting. You are now committed to all the work.

I shall enjoy watching the progress. ; )

Fancy, that peaked roof on your new coop is very cute. That type of roof falls under the superior wood skills category - to be obtained at some point and just admired from afar until then.

 

[Anniebee]

Oh, bad luck that you've got foxes in your area. We do have them here in some areas, luckily not near me (touch wood).

I like to be a role model.... The epitome of self-control and self-restraint. It is so heartening that others are also resisting temptation.

potato chip .... never ever underestimate a foxes' range and its' ability to find food. If you have them in 'some areas' you have them in all areas.

But you know what to do to protect your chickens.

As I mentioned in a previous post, a family member lost 4 of his 7 chickens to a pair of foxes on the hunt. Because he was out one evening and had forgotten to lock them up. He was devastated. He lives in the eastern suburbs of Melbourne - ( we are quite a ways further out east than that ) - in a designated rural area - but built upon to a degree, within a rain forest. Many natural and dumped ferals abound here - but they are also prevalent in the suburbs. Especially in awkward weather conditions e.g.. ... kangaroos will invade suburban Melbourne, when we have drought.

My sister lives within a bulls' roar of the Melbourne City Business district ( CBD ) in Kew, and has had to call on snake catchers 4 times now - to get rid of snakes that have little 'slither-abouts' ( perhaps when bored

) ..... and gaze longingly at her through her french windows. They like the heat bounced back from the floor to ceiling windows - and show their pleasure with a lot of grinning at my terrified sister. ..... They live not far from the Yarra River, which is where the snakes gather. And that's where they venture from.

Having said all this, maybe Victoria is a rougher part of Oz than at first thought ? LOL

And I do so like your restraint, and your adherence to being a role model. .... will sit and think about all that, awhile.

Cheers .........

 

[User395221]

If you have them in 'some areas' you have them in all areas.

Not really, Perth is a poster-child for urban sprawl. A lot of new suburbs used to be "country". When they develop them, they are stuck in the middle of "countryside". They get more country wildlife than you'd ever see in the concrete-y areas. Our bush pockets in town don't have roos or any "country" animals. You will have them in the outer suburbs, semi-rural or new suburbs. It's like the difference between, say, St Kilda and Box Hill (yeh, I don't know Melbourne very well and it's ages since I was there). You might get a fox running up Chapel Street, but not as likely to be there as to be somewhere with lots of bushland and gardens.

 

[LuckysMum]

LuckysMum .... I am wondering if your beautiful shepherd, Bear - thought he was doing you a favour in letting the chooks out. They are intelligent enough to think through something like that - and it wouldn't surprise me.

However, it is something he has to be untaught - in a gentle way. Dear dear soul he is - possibly thought " Look Mum - I did good ".

Re : your comments about butcher birds ..... bottom line is, I wouldn't trust them at all. They are mostly seed eaters, but also like meat - kill small lizards etc., so would never let little chicks roam, just to be on the safe side. A wee chick would be easily picked up with that hooked beak they have. They are not naturally aggressive from all accounts, but when hungry ....... ??? Wouldn't trust them at all.

...........

MyHaven Happy Birthday love your new birds.

Annibee Yes Bear is a dear. He let them out again today. If I'm outside he will lay in his kennel as soon as I'm inside he's out sitting with all our chickens and the big chooks. But if my granddaughters Piper 3 and Mia 7 are in the run with them he watches everything. The they like to catch the silkies and put them on her lap against the will sometimes, they tend to jump straight off. The 7 year old has my white silkie perching on her arm she thinks shes very clever. But Bear won't leave the run even if I'm there when their in the run not sure who he's protecting. But both times he's let them out has been after the girls have gone home and I'm not around. Maybe he thinks they deserve some space after they've gone. Haha I must say I was worried at first I thought he might hurt the chicks.
It worries me if he lets them out and I'm not home that other birds might get them I don't know if he'd think to protect them.


appps hows carl?

 

[IamSamSam]

Butcher birds are omnivore but get their name because they kill and eat meat. They also store it in tree caches for later and WILL kill anything that is up to 2 -3 times its own body size. I have trained my cattle dog to chase All birds off

 

[IamSamSam]

Apps sorry to hear Carl is not well is it a second bout or on going from the first instance last year ?

 

[appps]

Apps sorry to hear Carl is not well is it a second bout or on going from the first instance last year ?

It's a second bout and she had a second crop surgery. She seems quite well in herself and is eating really well again just this last week but it's just not translating into a proper poop. I thought she was coming good at the end of the week so thought I'd give her another day or two on these water soluble probiotics since I knew she was definatly getting those and the on her food ones were a bit hit and miss but I don't think it's translated into solid poops like I thought it was going to. I'll check her cage this morning (my son locks them up so didn't see last night) and do that vet trip this morning I think unless there is something solid in there.

 

[appps]

potato chip .... never ever underestimate a foxes' range and its' ability to find food.   If you have them in 'some areas' you have them in all areas. 

But you know what to do to protect your chickens.  

As I mentioned in a previous post, a family member lost 4 of his 7 chickens to a pair of foxes on the hunt.   Because he was out one evening and had forgotten to lock them up.   He was devastated.   He lives in the eastern suburbs of Melbourne - ( we are quite a ways further out east  than that ) - in a designated rural area - but built upon to a degree, within a rain forest.    Many natural and dumped ferals abound here - but they are also prevalent in the suburbs.   Especially in awkward weather conditions  e.g.. ... kangaroos will invade suburban Melbourne, when we have drought.   

My sister lives within a bulls' roar of the Melbourne City Business district ( CBD ) in Kew, and has had to call on snake catchers 4 times now - to get rid of snakes that have little 'slither-abouts' ( perhaps when bored   ) ..... and gaze longingly at her through her french windows.   They like the heat bounced back from the floor to ceiling windows - and show their pleasure with a lot of grinning at my terrified sister.   .....  They live not far from the Yarra River, which is where the snakes gather.   And that's where they venture from. 

Having said all this, maybe Victoria is a rougher part of Oz than at first thought ? LOL     

And I do so like your restraint, and your adherence to being a role model.   .... will sit and think about all that, awhile.   

Cheers ......... 

Yes suburbia is no deterrent for predators. We live 2 minutes from our town centre in a built up area and have lost chickens to foxes and goshawks.

 

[satay]

Have you tried Feedmania at Caboolture? They have a poultry market every Sunday. You should have seen the colours of the Pekins this morning.

No D'uccles today though.

A friend of mine was there yesterday. She normally has Duccles, lucky for you she must have not had any young ones to take. She would have had polish i'm sure.