ALABAMA!!

[kimberly35042]

Hey everyone! Just joined BYC and from Alabaster, south of Birmingham. Anyone near me?

WELCOME! I'm in Calera. We are neighbors!

 

[Tomtommom]

Seems like we've got a party going on in Shelby county!

 

[kimberly35042]

Hi everyone -- I don't post in the local forum nearly enough. Nice to see you all again!

 

[kimberly35042]

Seems like we've got a party going on in Shelby county!

AH HA! Another neighbor! Hiya!

 

[jdywntr]

Buhl is about half way between Northport and Gordo, just west of Coker. I have not ventured into waterfowl.....................yet.

I'm butting in but you HAVE to get into waterfowl. I was not so fond of geese but LOVE my ducks. Frankly, if I had to choose between ducks and chickens, I'd pick ducks any day. Chickens, are well, kind of dumb. At least mine are. The ducks are watchful but I have Muscovy so they are quiet.

I may look into guineas. I processed all of my geese (after they were attacking my ducklings) and lost my first older hen to a hawk yesterday. I processed the geese a few weeks back and did change the area that the birds could range in but still. The chickens are now listening and responding to the calls of the crows in the area. Nothing like seeing 18 chickens all high tail it into the coop at the sound of crows cawing.

 

[Wisher1000]

We have a creek in the woods and I am afraid the ducks or geese would be taken by a predator on the hike from the coop to the creek ( and I couldn't keep them penned and deny them access to the creek, that would just be mean!)

I have had guineas for several years and have raised and given away over a hundred keets in the last couple of years. I rehomed the last three a few weeks ago and will likely not get any more. They are comical and interesting and bug eating machines but they are also loud and obnoxious and the females are prone to hiding nests and being taken by foxes.

I raised a peafowl to about four months old and sent it back to the breeder's last week. I have been offered a pygmy doe bred back to a pygmy buck but I don't have a place for that just yet.

I only have chickens and dogs at the moment. My 13 year old lab killed one of my BO hens today, the hen flew over into the pen with him. I also have a 6 month old Dach-Russel who loves to chase them but has yet to figure out what to do if she catches one. I am trying to train her to leave them alone but she thinks they are wonderful squeeky toys!

 

[jpayne615]

I'm in Montevallo, so not very far away. I used to live in Maylene

Hello jpayne615, welcome to the BYC Forum.

I am in southern Jefferson Co. between Helena and Tennehill St. Park.

WELCOME! I'm in Calera. We are neighbors!

It is a Shelby County party! Haha. Kim, we are neighbors because I actually live in Saginaw, which is right between Alabaster and Calera. Tmoore, I actually work in Helena so that's not far at all! Tomtommom Montevallo is just right down the road as well. Good to have like minds close!

 

[jpayne615]

Wisher, was the peafowl mean? I've always heard they can be vicious. And sorry about your BO hen. We've been trying to train our dog not to chase the roosters as well... a lesson hard learned apparently.

 

[jdywntr]

We have a creek in the woods and I am afraid the ducks or geese would be taken by a predator on the hike from the coop to the creek ( and I couldn't keep them penned and deny them access to the creek, that would just be mean!)

I have had guineas for several years and have raised and given away over a hundred keets in the last couple of years. I rehomed the last three a few weeks ago and will likely not get any more. They are comical and interesting and bug eating machines but they are also loud and obnoxious and the females are prone to hiding nests and being taken by foxes.

I raised a peafowl to about four months old and sent it back to the breeder's last week. I have been offered a pygmy doe bred back to a pygmy buck but I don't have a place for that just yet.

I only have chickens and dogs at the moment. My 13 year old lab killed one of my BO hens today, the hen flew over into the pen with him. I also have a 6 month old Dach-Russel who loves to chase them but has yet to figure out what to do if she catches one. I am trying to train her to leave them alone but she thinks they are wonderful squeeky toys!

We also have a creek in a wooded area. Its a little bit of a hike from the coop, 200-300' or so from their run (I'm terrible about guessing measurements). Its mostly open until the woods and I've put up some shelters. As a note, most ducks and geese can do fine with just a kiddie pool.

I've heard that about guineas. Actually, our landlord, who used to live on this property, had guineas and said that they used to get taken after the females would hide a nest. I do think I'd like something that makes more noise when a predator is spotted. The geese were great about watching the sky.

I'm sorry for the loss of your BO. Thats what I lost too. My hen used to wander off by herself alot though. Good luck with the dogs. My little dogs leave the birds alone and I'm training a Great Pyr to protect the birds.

 

[Wisher1000]

Wisher, was the peafowl mean? I've always heard they can be vicious. And sorry about your BO hen. We've been trying to train our dog not to chase the roosters as well... a lesson hard learned apparently.

No, the pea was not mean. It was shy but wouldn't hesitate to defend itself. I guess once it got used to the chickens, it might have been. I kept it in a pen alone with it's foster mother (the hen that hatched it) and it would defend her against my puppy and other chickens. It was funny, it would get in front of the hen and flare out it's wings and tail to hide her!

Here are some pics....



That is the pea as a chick in my avatar, she was a curious little thing.



After these pic were taken, the hen plucked all of the crest feathers out of the pea's head! "No child of mine is going to have a mo-hawk!"