We've been getting 12 or 13 every day from 16 hens, who'll be one year old May 1st. Our best day was 15. My two easter eggers lay almost every day. When we give away or sell our eggs we put one, and one only, green egg in the carton, always in the upper right hand corner. These are mostly...
It seems tat the girls are conscious of the change in the light levels as we progress through winter. The temperature here still isn't above freezing during the day, and I don't add extra light. My totals for each of the last three weeks are 14/22/35. We just got another 14" of snow today so...
Pound for pound, a weasel is one formidable predator. A short-tail weasel CAN sneak through 1" mesh chickenwire. Check out "weasel box" on Youtube and you'll see just how easy a trap is to make. Weasel are VERY cagey and will avoid an open run if at all possible in favor of sneaking "through...
7/16 yesterday. Considering several are mid-molt, low temps are in the single digits, and the wind during the day has been averaging close to 20 MPH daily, I'm not complaining. Poor cold girls! Some hot oatmeal yesterday was VERY appreciated.
I've heard this before, and it's always baffled me. Wood is wood, whether it's been pressed into briquettes or not. Burning it completely will consume any residual additives such as wax. The smoke it generates hasn't proven harmful to generations of backyard barbequer's, so I can't see how...
Instead of a live trap, let me suggest you use a 140 conibear. It will kill the skunk almost instantly so it is less likely to have a chance to spray. Not a guarantee, but MUCH easier than carrying around a cage-full of potentially irritated skunk! Good luck either way.
Sorry to disagree, but forget live traps. Here's the gold standard for coon catching. It made by Duke; it's called a "dog proof". It's known as a "Duke D P" for short. It costs less and is much a much more effective trap than a live trap as it doesn't spook the animal. Bait it with...
There's nothing really odd or worrisome in that. Some individuals bodies just behave differently than others, just like people. When the days start getting lighter longer she may increase frequency. So long as she's healthy, happy and producing I'd just enjoy her. I have several SS's...
And good shooting makes safe livestock. Wild or domestic, predatory animals that run game or livestock WILL die of an overdose of high velocity lead. I don't care one bit about the "motivation" of the canine, any more than I would care about the motivation of a person caught in the act of...
Excellent! I too am a big fan of conibears. Right now I have a mink box set and a running pole set using 140's, a weasel tripod set using a 120, and two weasel boxes (Sleepy Creek long springs, not conibears). No takers yet, but give it time and I hope to thin-out the threat. Congrats on...
My 16 girls (and one roo) were hatched on May 1st this year. Each afternoon when I get home form work I've let them out for an hour or so of supervised free-ranging. They wait by the inner door to the coop, I open the outer door first, stand in the "hallway" and open the inner door...
It's hard to tell for sure, but weasel is my best guess. They can get through a TINY hole and will typically bite in the neck area. The good news is they are fairly easy to trap. Check out Youtube for "weasel box." Sorry for your loss, good luck trapping.
Yup, same here, relocation is not legal. Check out "weasel box" on Youtube and see a cheap and easy way to "relocate" an ermine....permanently and legally.
Texas Fudge
14oz package shredded cheddar
14oz package shredded Monterrey jack
chopped green chilies and/or salsa, to taste
6 eggs.
Blend both cheeses and chillies together and layer in a greased 9X9 pan. Scramble six large eggs, and drizzle over cheese. Bake at 375 for 30 minutes...
I've never caught two at once, so I'm not sure if one would "learn" from the others misfortune or not. The traps are cheap enough so I'd set both. Keep them far enough away from each other that the don't' entangle if you do catch two. Once caught they'll try to run/climb/dig, do anything...
F&T trapping supplies is where I buy my trapping gear. They're out of Minnesota and have a nice website.
The trap is a steel tube that spikes to the ground. They run less than $15 each. At the top of the tube is a spring-loaded loop that, when tripped, snaps down on the wrist of the...
"The dog is just doing what dogs do."
Yeah, well I'm a farmer and I'm just doing what farmers do, protect our livestock. Dogs that run game and livestock will NOT be down for breakfast.
Personally, I don't use live traps. For coon a Duke brand dog proof (aka a "DP") is an inexpensive and very effective trap. They are small, unobtrusive, and will ONLY catch coon, possum or skunk, any of which I'm happy to be rid of. A .17HMR completes the "relocation."