My green was 23 weeks, and brown is like 30 weeks if it makes you feel any better!
Those are so pretty!
Thank you so much for your forgiveness!
I appreciate you and the kind words you always give all of us on here.
I won’t leave the thread.
I’m trying to think of things you could do that may help the situation.
I know you said in a response to someone else that you have removed the feed from outside?
I think you had said you kept it out at all times?
Are there any rodent proof containers you have or could purchase with tight covers that you could keep it in?
I keep our feed in our large shed and I bought a thick plastic bin with a locking type lid that I put it in.
No signs of rodents at all.
My scratch is kept in the bag inside a small galvanized metal garbage pail with lid. This is kept on the back deck.
As far as the actual feeders: after the birds go to bed for the night I put both feeders in the shed and take them out in the morning.
If there were any signs of rodents I would move them to the garage or even the house overnight.
The key is heavy duty containers with tight fitting lids.
Always do your best to clean up any foodstuffs the birds don’t eat by the time they start going to roost.
I think rodents are more active at night.
Actually this is what we do with the waterers overnight in winter so they don’t freeze.
We carry them to the garage since it’s insulated and they don’t freeze.
In the morning they go back out.
It’s working very well so far although this week temperatures are going to drop even more.
9 degrees F is the projected low Thursday night!
We also have two heated buckets plugged in on the deck that they drink from.
They’ve not frozen yet.
Thursday night will be a test for them for sure.
I feel the burden of proof should be on them.
I strongly feel there’s someone who is just a busybody in the neighborhood and just doesn’t want anyone to have any animals.
The sort of person that has nothing better to do than spy on people and cause trouble for them.
People leaving out cat/dog food could cause vermin!
In the US, cat food attracts raccoons and opossum, feral cats, rodents.
I even had a blue jay fly right next to our back door where the cat food was kept on a chair and start eating it.
Angus saved Frodo again from Oliver today.
I had put Frodo outside to get some sun and grass while I cleaned his crate.
I heard Angus making noise so I looked out the garage side door to see what was going on.
He was looking towards the side of the house.
I peeked around the HVAC unit and saw Oliver.
I was about to go back inside when Angus started running toward Oliver.
Ollie lifted his wings in a show of submission to Angus but he was not deterred by it.
Angus chased Ollie away but he kept looking at something over by the chimney.
Then I finally saw Frodo.
He had crammmed himself into a crevice between our kindling box and the chimney!!
He was hiding with his tail sticking out.
Angus kept looking down at him like he was concerned.
I actually had to pry him out of there.
Once I did that Angus finally moved back to the group.
(The irony here is that when they were about 4 months old Frodo actually chased Angus into a corner where he hid in much the same way!)
Frodo’s heart was racing; he was very scared.
I don’t know what Oliver did but I suspect he tried to breed Frodo (he seems to think Frodo is female or he wants to dominate him) and was standing on him.
Frodo is too small and skinny to get Oliver off.
Angus has been pretty diligent about keeping Oliver in line.
Last evening as the flock was getting ready to go into the coop for the night Oliver was trying to grab and breed some of the girls.
He seems to usually target the ones with bigger red combs and wattles but sometimes he just seems to go for whoever is closest or that he can sneak up on.
I actually saw him breed my bantam Bootsie yesterday so I know sometimes he’s successful but the girls usually complain about it so that Angus hears.
This is normal behavior for a young male with no females of his own so I don’t interfere much.
Angus interferes for me
Angus and his 3 girls had already gone in to the roost.
I keep the larger door open to give them more light to see by.
So right in front of me Oliver lowers his head and in a sort of crouching walk snuck up on Lucy who’s back was turned.
He quickly grabs the back of her head and steps on her back and gets himself into position.
She’s squawking but not screaming loudly.
Nevertheless, just as he was completing the act, Angus launches himself off of the 5’ high roost and flies several yards, lands and leaps on Oliver pushing him off Lucy all in just seconds
Oliver runs away and Angus shakes himself and goes back to the roost.
Boy I tell you guys...this chicken tv is entertaining!
Oh I love them!
Thank you! I must admit, Diamond is my favorite...don't tell the othersOh I love them!
This is making me want bantam EEs.
How does Amber even see?
I’ll always love bantam Cochins
You have an adorable little flock!
But she's also the friendliest and makes such sweet little sounds when I come out. She and Amber are the first ones to run out when I open the door too. Amber's the second friendliest. The 3 EEs still don't like to be picked up.
Wow, what stunners, they are beautiful, love their colours and markings
