Old and Rare Breeds

[Hangtown Farms]

Maybe you have been reading too many posts on BYC. Real breeders make real strong birds.....and usually don't medicate. There is no reason that any breed can't be strong if they are bred correctly. If these heritage birds don't perform they will die out. So IMO this is not a donkey/racehorse situation with accomplished breeders. The birds that aren't disease resistant and don't perform well end up planted in the garden here.

Roosting in trees is just inconvenient to racoons......they will push them off the tree and kill them in the dark on the ground. You may think you don't have some of these predators, but once you put some birds on the ground you will find out that you probably have a lot of them around. I have something killing 25 lb geese and I thought it couldn't be a raccoon....but guess what....it is. The time is correct in this photo, but the year etc I don't set. Now that I know what it is I should have it by tomorrow morning. you need to have some kind of security if you raise chickens....you can't count on them getting away from a predator.



Walt

Walt time for a Daniel Boone hat

 

[fowlman01]

Walt time for a Daniel Boone hat

I'm trying. didn't get him last night and no birds were bothered. The coons here a very smart. so sometimes it takes a bit. I guess I have to put the electric fence back up.

w.

 

[NYREDS]

Maybe you have been reading too many posts on BYC. Real breeders make real strong birds.....and usually don't medicate. There is no reason that any breed can't be strong if they are bred correctly. If these heritage birds don't perform they will die out. So IMO this is not a donkey/racehorse situation with accomplished breeders. The birds that aren't disease resistant and don't perform well end up planted in the garden here.

Roosting in trees is just inconvenient to racoons......they will push them off the tree and kill them in the dark on the ground. You may think you don't have some of these predators, but once you put some birds on the ground you will find out that you probably have a lot of them around. I have something killing 25 lb geese and I thought it couldn't be a raccoon....but guess what....it is. The time is correct in this photo, but the year etc I don't set. Now that I know what it is I should have it by tomorrow morning. you need to have some kind of security if you raise chickens....you can't count on them getting away from a predator.



Walt

If you had a "good Roo" he'd protect your birds from the 'coon. I know that's true as I've read it here several times.

 

[Hangtown Farms]

If you had a "good Roo" he'd protect your birds from the 'coon. I know that's true as I've read it here several times.

No match for a coon but you would here it that is for sure. What you need is a Redbone Coon Hound and a 410 shotgun

 

[ChickenCanoe]

If you had a "good Roo" he'd protect your birds from the 'coon. I know that's true as I've read it here several times.

If during the day, perhaps, but at night the roo is a sitting duck just like the hens.

It's amazing the animals that come out at night, mostly right at dusk. I've seen all the usual suspects but I didn't realize how many till I started with chickens again after moving here. I go out to lock up at night and a family of coons is already shimmying down the branches of a big tree, one on the coop roof and another going down the wall. I got there just in time. I set a trap regularly and usually get either a coon or possum virtually every time. That's about every week or 2.
Neighbors told me there were coyotes about. I heard them but never saw one here. My dog wanted to go out in the middle of the night a couple weeks ago and when I opened the door there were 3 deer in the front yard. I saw something big trotting down a busy road(except at 3am) in front of my house. When it came under the street light I realized it was a coyote bravely trotting down the North bound lane.
I have lots of fox also and I'm right in the heart of the 'burbs.

 

[fowlman01]

If you had a "good Roo" he'd protect your birds from the 'coon. I know that's true as I've read it here several times.

Yeah.....well this guy is killing 25lb mean nasty geese.......Including one Egyptian male, but I don't think he would bother the Egyptians again. I think the Egyptian got some licks in and the coon didn't eat him and left. He just died from the wounds. One of my Egyptians put a foxes eye out, but he also died the next day. I caught the fox the next day.

If an Egyptian goose can't beat up a raccoon, no roo on earth is going to stop them. They can kill my O Shamo's and Asils
The electric fence does the job., so I just need to fix mine. There is no greater sound on earth than the sceam of a coon while he is being lit up.

The point of this story is ........don't count on your chickens to outdo the predators........it is an extreme mismatch.

Walt

 

[Yellow House Farm]

Walt sometimes coons work a three day circuit, coming every third night. I've found this to be true.

Best of luck!

 

[preventec47]

I have found that the best bait for coons in a live catch trap is any kind
of food in a bowl with some of the juice from a can of tuna drizzled over the food.

That strong fish smell must really carry in the wind.

I dispatch them with my $85 Daisy 1000 .177 pellet gun with one shot into the
brain. Never failed for instant lights out. I picture an X drawn between both
eyes and the ears and the pellet straight into the skull.

 

[NanaKat]

Sure hope you kill the bugger, Walt.
We live in the open country...no forested areas near the house... but have trapped raccoons and opossums in live traps over the years. I set them in the garden to draw them away from the pens. One opossum had six babies on her back. Currently we are trying to kill a skunk that is frequently smelled near the house and barn in the late evening. I don't go out without a loaded gun this time of year. With Purple Martin poles in the yard, we fortunately have not had owl attacks and a flock of crows have chased off the hawks so far. Coyotes are plentiful in our area and several ranchers work together to eliminate as many as possible.

 

[preventec47]

With Purple Martin poles in the yard, we fortunately have not had owl attacks and a flock of crows have chased off the hawks so far.

Why / How does Purple Martin poles in the yard affect Owl Attacks? Are your purple martins sacrificial bait ?