Recent content by Jammerz

My biggest problem is Eurasion collared doves. They will flock in and run the chickens off their feed. I shoot them with my air rifle as much as I can but dang they are plentiful. No limit and no season on them here. Used to be grackels but now it's doves!!

You might not like this but I let my dog have them. She delights in getting rodents. I do NOT relocate any animal I catch. IF the wind up in a my chicken coop, they go away. My dog does a pretty good job keeping the cats away. My previous dog (Jagd terrier) killed 4 or 5 on the back fence. A...

We had a juvenile bald eagle sit in a cottonwood tree and pick off chickens. He killed 30 in one day. My grandpa went out and shot him with his 30-30. You do what you have to do to protect your flock. ANY bird of prey will kill chickens. We also had a bobcat get into the coop one night and...

I don't have time today to read through the whole thread but I will relate my experience and successes. We have 'roof rats' they aren't nearly as big as Norway rats or sewer rats. When they were getting in my coop, I would put a Havahart box trap along the wall and bait it with nuts-usually a...

I know I used to buy a lot of stuff at Higley feed and they use(d) Privett. I have ordered from Privett twice and both time my hens NEVER laid a single egg. When they were 6 months old and still hadn't laid I culled them (made chicken pot pie). Privett called me a liar etc so I avoided them and...

Most of the roosters I have had became aggressive around females (meaning my wife and daughters). They never, ever tried anything with me. Take stick in with you and when the rooster tries to bully you, wail the tar out of him. This usually fixed all my roosters from being aggressive to people...

East Mesa

I need to thin my herd. I have 12 hens that are 16-17 weeks old. I need to sell 6 of them. I thought a buddy was going to take them but he isn't now. I am going to keep mostly my Sussex and an Easter egger. I have Golden laced Wyandotte, Golden comet, black sex links that need to go. Just too...

I just keep a pellet gun happy. I haven't had a dove in my coop in months. If a dove lands, the hens run it off. I think they will kill it if they could catch it. No pigeons thank goodness. I trapped about 6 or 7 rats and haven't had any back for a couple of months now.

Mine have finally found the backporch and I am tired of hosing it off. They are getting locked up all day now! The heat is starting in!

I have never had one die from the heat but egg production drops off in the summer. I give them lots of shade and turn the overhead sprinklers on once at day. Some breeds are better than others. Egyptians are the best but they don't lay much and are flighty. Most of the white egg laying chickens...

It's not either one. It's standard practice in most areas. You guys must live in La La land.

I have had good luck with most but I prefer Valley Farms Hatchery. I am in Arizona and it is a long ways to ship but I have always got them next day. Only lost one bird this past order of over 30. Just got stomped to death. I usually try to get the earliest shipment they will do so that I have...

I would tie a rope on the trap and throw it in the ditch for about 5 minutes then dump them in the garbage- usually how I handle skunks. She will be back otherwise. If relocated she will find someone else's henhouse. Nature is tough, you have to be tougher.

cage traps with walnut halves glued to the bait pan. I also use a couple of pieces just inside that they can eat and let their guard down. Rat bait stations are pretty safe for pets too.