IA here

[Black Cochin Bantams]

Quote:
Years ago when we moved to the country something similar happened to us. A dog came through and wiped out our Bantam light Brahma's. They were my daughters 4H birds. Looked and looked and could not find any of quality anywhere so got into Cochins. My daughter woke me as I had been working 3rd shift. Don't know who the dog belonged to but he didn't make it a hundred yards from the chicken house. Shoot, shovel, shut up solves some of these situations. . If you know the owner of the dog you should collect big time. Birds have value plus the value of the chicks and eggs they would produce. Also call the law about livestock killing animals. In Iowa they take it seriously.

 

[destinydot6]

Quote:
Years ago when we moved to the country something similar happened to us. A dog came through and wiped out our Bantam light Brahma's. They were my daughters 4H birds. Looked and looked and could not find any of quality anywhere so got into Cochins. My daughter woke me as I had been working 3rd shift. Don't know who the dog belonged to but he didn't make it a hundred yards from the chicken house. Shoot, shovel, shut up solves some of these situations. . If you know the owner of the dog you should collect big time. Birds have value plus the value of the chicks and eggs they would produce. Also call the law about livestock killing animals. In Iowa they take it seriously.

have to agree if the dogs on farms go after live stock then they should not be there!I took 9 bearded silkies to my sisters in crescent and they vanished! lots of dogs there hanging around and wonce they get into someones yard and messes with other animals, then nobody seems to know where they come from!

 

[pbjmaker]

OK the drake has his wing clipped now and a new name - Dodger. He is fast, strong and thinks on his feet.

 

[sammileah]

Quote:
Not duck dodger

 

[ARose4Heaven]

This is why my chickens are "pastured" vs "free-range" I have a 1 acre pasture for my hens, and the fence is electrified. I haven't had any predator losses since the electric went in.

I did find a dead hen yesterday. This is starting to become common. I have several 4+ y/o hens that were "rescued" about 3 years ago from a large egg production facility. I think they are just "spent". They are one by one dropping off. Not having any losses from my other hens that were raised here.

 

[Tiramisu]

Im sorry to hear that kari

If you want eggs I can collect some up and send them. Did you lose all the ones that you got from the show?
I know the pullets are getting mated because their backs are missing a bit of feathers, almost thinking of investing in some hensavers..my aussie has had a bare back since december and I want to see feathers there already!

I might be posting pics later...I have to go through and see what pictures I took first lol.

 

[karimw]

Thanks everybody for your kind words! I have a pretty good idea where the dogs came from but I don't know for sure. They had been here a couple of times recently and we had called the owner to come get them (he lives over a mile a way). They came through again this morning and I called him and asked could he PLEASE keep the dogs at home. I told him what happened and he was very sad about it and offered to pay for the birds to make it right. I did decline because honestly I have seen more dogs than just his running around the past couple of weeks

My DH even chased another one off today while I was at work. Still, the ladie that owned our farm before this raised Australian Shepherds and nearly all the fences are designed to keep dogs in. There must be a weak point somewhere that we are going to have to resolve. I believe my big flock is fairly safe because they would have to go through a pasture full of dog hating horses to get to it. I was just suggesting to my husband that we get a flock protector like a llama or donkey.

I would like to get some more chicks or eggs soon and I am planning to call Curtis to see if he has some hens he would be willing to sell me. I lost all the ones I got from him.

 

[sammileah]

Well Tj says no osceola auction. But I talked to a guy who I've bought chicks off of before. Who's going to talk to some ppl and look for dorky ducks.

 

[Tiramisu]

Well so much for pics

It's taken like 20 mins and all aren't even uploaded yet...and all the internet is going so slow >.<
I forgot, one of the Ia blue chicks died

I think the older b-cups and the 2 mixed ones that are bigger might have pushed it around too much, oh and the silkies too. :\\ those Ia blues are such small chicks, it's the same size as the b-cup that hatched with it, but the mixed ones are about twice it's size lol.

 

[pbjmaker]

Quote:
Do you want me to look for some Indian Runners for you? You could PM me your cell number and if there are any I could call you. I don't think Mike's phone has picture messaging though.

I must have wrenched my back in the last couple of days because today it keeps locking up. I have never had a sore back like this before. I'm hoping it is better by tomorrow for the auction...

Oh and my Ia Blues MIGHT be laying. I have a new shaped egg out there today. I got 7 eggs today and can only identify 5 of them fo' shizzle.