Keeping Chickens Free Range

[ChickyChickens]

What about the ecological balance in our backyard flocks.  :/   I can fully understand them not wanting wholesale slaughter of hawks, but it just isn't right for people to not be able to defend their own livestock.

We are in Spring here! ! And yes, the chicks are fine now! !

Be very careful around the hawks!

I have heard of people trying to scare hawks away from their flocks with shotguns, on the theory the noise will drive them away by simply shooting into the air.

This does not always work, from what I am told.

If the hawk is in mid dive for the prey, (AKA your chick) the loud noise can disorientate the hawk and screw up his sense to the point they misjudge the distance to the ground and they hit the ground instead of the prey, breaking their poor necks.....


My dream is for someone in power to decide we can defend our flocks from these flying beasts!    I doubt it will ever happen.

I shoot them here! ! But only if they are a problem! We are allowed to here! !

  Gracious, CC thank goodness he was distracted, missed, whatever.  Cold weather means loss of ready prey for carnivores, thus they get hungry, More gutsy.    
 Is the por thing over the shock?
        :cd It's gorgeous outside  today. Took down the temp shelter for what turned out to be for the PR's. BOTH ARE MOLTING!  When I uncovered them, with hard boiled egg and bread in hand, they made no bones about what came first--F-O-O-D!! Not sure why they didn't come out to partake in dishes of warm water, bread, c corn, etc.    Found the golf ball but doesn't seem to be encouraging much, with Molting, only 2 POSS. layers. 
 able to set out the waterer but IN the sun…..
  Hope others are enjoying the warmer or at least know it is ON IT'S WAY!!

 

[duluthralphie]

The whole issue with not shooting raptors evidently grew out of a treaty with Canada to protect migrating Canadian Geese. The prohibition to shooting hawks, etc. was amended to that treaty later. I don't know if it was an issue of people not being able to tell the difference between a hawk and a goose (seems unlikely) or if so many migrating raptors were being shot that it upset the ecological balance in Canada.

So its the Canadians fault!!!!

ROFLMBO!

Interesting, I never knew that. I just assumed it was some PETA do gooder that was finding a reason for us to not kill an animal. I am with Aprrael, I do not want the wholesale slaughter of any species, but I would like the right to protect my domestic livestock.


BTW If it makes them feel better about us being able to protect our flocks, I would be willing to eat roasted Eagle and Hawk... Anyone know what Hawk tastes like?



Which reminds me of a time many many moons ago. I lived near Grand Portage for several years (FAR north eastern Minnesota) We were in a bar discussing the wolf problem. Too many wolves and they were killing decimating the area. There was a very old Native Gentleman there. One of the guys asked him if he had ever eaten wolf. Which was not far fetched question because he had grown up on a subsistence lifestyle. The old guy just nodded his head and said "yep"

Someone else asked him what it tasted like. He simply replied "like dog only wild"......

 

[dpenning]

Anyone know what Hawk tastes like?

Um, since everything else does..... and you are what you eat..... my guess would be CHICKEN!

 

[jtn42248]

What about the ecological balance in our backyard flocks.

I can fully understand them not wanting wholesale slaughter of hawks, but it just isn't right for people to not be able to defend their own livestock.

I agree with you 100 percent. I own guns in order to defend my home if needed. That defence extends to my animals. Not just my dogs but to any animal I have committed to providing a safe environment in which they can live and be at peace. I have dispatched four legged predators that did not have the good sense to leave the area when I fired a warning shot. I have seen a pack of coyotes circle and attack a calf and literally rip it limb from limb and, had I been armed, I would have shot at least one of them. I want to respect the law as much as any sane person. But, if I am ever armed and there is a flying predator attack on my flock I am not going to ask for a breed ID first. It may be a crow or an owl or a rabid starling but it is going to at least get shot at if not actually shot. I will not go online and brag about it, I will not put a Youtube video online with my kill. I will simply dispose of the carcass and move on with the care of my home and flock. If I get is some sort of trouble for protecting my home I will go to court and fight it and let a jury of my peers (farmers) decide my fate.

Sorry for going on and on, but...

 

[Aphrael]

I agree with you 100 percent. I own guns in order to defend my home if needed. That defence extends to my animals. Not just my dogs but to any animal I have committed to providing a safe environment in which they can live and be at peace. I have dispatched four legged predators that did not have the good sense to leave the area when I fired a warning shot. I have seen a pack of coyotes circle and attack a calf and literally rip it limb from limb and, had I been armed, I would have shot at least one of them. I want to respect the law as much as any sane person. But, if I am ever armed and there is a flying predator attack on my flock I am not going to ask for a breed ID first. It may be a crow or an owl or a rabid starling but it is going to at least get shot at if not actually shot. I will not go online and brag about it, I will not put a Youtube video online with my kill. I will simply dispose of the carcass and move on with the care of my home and flock. If I get is some sort of trouble for protecting my home I will go to court and fight it and let a jury of my peers (farmers) decide my fate.

Sorry for going on and on, but...

No need for apologies AFAIC. I completely agree. Anything that wants to hurt my animals and doesn't take a warning to heart has forfeited any rights it had in my opinion.
I just saw a baby opossum running across the snow and under my shed this morning.

It got away before I could get it, but I'll be watching for it and the rest of the family now. It was small enough I know there is at least a momma and maybe siblings around too.

Got rid of the dang skunk and now I get possums.

ETA: The barn cats take care of the mice, rats and voles. But I think a possum is a bit much to ask of them.

 

[dpenning]

No need for apologies AFAIC. I completely agree. Anything that wants to hurt my animals and doesn't take a warning to heart has forfeited any rights it had in my opinion.
I just saw a baby opossum running across the snow and under my shed this morning.

It got away before I could get it, but I'll be watching for it and the rest of the family now. It was small enough I know there is at least a momma and maybe siblings around too.

Got rid of the dang skunk and now I get possums.

ETA: The barn cats take care of the mice, rats and voles. But I think a possum is a bit much to ask of them.

Maybe you just need bigger cats.

 

[Aphrael]

Maybe you just need bigger cats.

maybe so!!!

 

[chicksurreal]

We don't have possums here (that I have ever seen), but someone dumped a feral Maine Coon cat out here that has decide to make our property it's home, probably because I feed everything that comes around here. He could probably take a possum, he's huge!

 

[hennible]

Main coons are awesome cats.

 

[chicksurreal]

Main coons are awesome cats.

I absolutely love him. He still won't let me get too close to him, but he's slowly coming around. He used to run if he ever saw me looking at him, but now he waits patiently for his food, even though he stays a good 10-15 feet away at all times. He seems to be healthy, just very wary of humans. Poor guy.