Ameraucana thread for posting pictures and discussing our birds

[FVRM]

Question: Does any predator other than a fox or a dog dig into a pen?

I want to put my 11 week old chicks in my parrot aviary. It is completely safe unless something could dig in. I was going to put them in a big dog crate at night. I thought I might need to cover the crate vent holes and door with small wire, but realized the only thing that is getting in would be a fox. A fox (or a dog) doesn't have hands to reach into the crate the way a raccoon could.

The ground is really hard and the aviary sits on 12" patio squares. Nothing has ever dug in after my parrots or their spilled food, but I realize my parrots aren't anywhere near the ground at night tempting Mr. Fox.

What kind of predator (south central Texas) can dig in? (I've never seen any evidence of rats.)

Thanks.

you have coyotes?

 

[DrFarmersDrWife]

Question:  Does any predator other than a fox or a dog dig into a pen?

I want to put my 11 week old chicks in my parrot aviary.  It is completely safe unless something could dig in.  I was going to put them in a big dog crate at night.  I thought I might need to cover the crate vent holes and door with small wire, but realized the only thing that is getting in would be a fox.  A fox (or a dog) doesn't have hands to reach into the crate the way a raccoon could.


The ground is really hard and the aviary sits on 12" patio squares.  Nothing has ever dug  in after my parrots or their spilled food, but I realize my parrots aren't anywhere near the ground at night tempting Mr. Fox.

What kind of predator (south central Texas) can dig in?  (I've never seen any evidence of rats.)

Thanks.

Im in south south Texas. We have wild cats here, Jaguarundi, bob cats and coyotes. I have only had trouble with hawks so far. BUT it's been a rainy spring so I figure predators are well fed and so stay out of my acres.

We laid flat paving stones/ saltio tile around the bottom outside of the pen to prevent digging. That might be an easy fix for now.

Good luck!

 

[jajeanpierre]

Im in south south Texas. We have wild cats here, Jaguarundi, bob cats and coyotes. I have only had trouble with hawks so far. BUT it's been a rainy spring so I figure predators are well fed and so stay out of my acres.

We laid flat paving stones/ saltio tile around the bottom outside of the pen to prevent digging. That might be an easy fix for now.

Good luck!

Thanks. The aviary is sitting on 12" paving stones, so it isn't an easy dig to get in.

I was worried about something grabbing the chicks through the dog kennel, but I think--please correct me if I'm wrong--that anything that can did is not likely to have a hand dexterous enough to grab something through the kennel door. In order to get to the chicks, they have to dig under.

Yes, I'm sure we have coyotes, but I don't think they can get the chick in the locked dog kennel.

That's my concern. The only thing that can get in the aviary will be something that is digging under 12" pavers. Can anything that can dig get my chicks in a big dog kennel? Raccoons don't dig, do they?

My parrots are out in the aviaries 24/7, but they are high off the ground.

Here's a picture of the corner of the aviary taken about a month ago. You can see the pavers and how narrow the wire spacing of the aviary is. The wire is 12.5 gauge, so nothing other than my (&#*$* Scarlet macaw is taking it apart. It defies the Laws of Physics that a beak made of keratin can snap 12.5 gauge wire more easily than I can using a big pair of side cutters. If I didn't see it my self I wouldn't have believed it could be done.

 

[DMRippy]

Quote: YES THEY DO! I saw a picture where a raccoons dug a hole through 3/4 thick plywood to get to the roos inside. They are very smart, strong and patient.

 

[chickenlady099]

Yes

Thanks! We got them from good stock!

Owen has been working with Mr. Roo, the black one, everyday. Liam choose the hen, which he named Little Brownie, as his show bird. He is a little more unsure, but has been working on holding her correctly and just being friendly. 

Would you be able to sex the younger wheatens (yours and the LF we got from debbie) if I take some good pics? Many have started to feather out. 

 

[pips&peeps]

From what I understand psittacines can carry disease that is very harmful to poultry and it is a good idea to keep them separate and practice very good bio security.

 

[jajeanpierre]

From what I understand psittacines can carry disease that is very harmful to poultry and it is a good idea to keep them separate and practice very good bio security.

Actually, it is the other way around. Chickens carry some gut bacteria that parrots should never be exposed to. I can't remember the names/class--I spoke to an avian vet about it who also is an expert on chickens. Lots of zoos keep things like chickens or pheasants in the bottom of their aviaries to clean up. Parrots waste a phenomenal amount of food.

 

[Thespoiledchicken]

Thanks. The aviary is sitting on 12" paving stones, so it isn't an easy dig to get in.

I was worried about something grabbing the chicks through the dog kennel, but I think--please correct me if I'm wrong--that anything that can did is not likely to have a hand dexterous enough to grab something through the kennel door. In order to get to the chicks, they have to dig under.

Yes, I'm sure we have coyotes, but I don't think they can get the chick in the locked dog kennel.

That's my concern. The only thing that can get in the aviary will be something that is digging under 12" pavers. Can anything that can dig get my chicks in a big dog kennel? Raccoons don't dig, do they?

My parrots are out in the aviaries 24/7, but they are high off the ground.

Here's a picture of the corner of the aviary taken about a month ago. You can see the pavers and how narrow the wire spacing of the aviary is. The wire is 12.5 gauge, so nothing other than my (&#*$* Scarlet macaw is taking it apart. It defies the Laws of Physics that a beak made of keratin can snap 12.5 gauge wire more easily than I can using a big pair of side cutters. If I didn't see it my self I wouldn't have believed it could be done.

What is the wire spacing on your aviary?

It looks thin but I would still worry about raccoons trying to pull the chicks through

I occasionally use my parrot aviary for chickens also (when not in use by my parrots). Raccoons never seem to bother my parrots but chickens on the ground have been killed and pulled through easily by raccoons. My spacing does seem larger than yours (?) but I would still worry...

I completely covered the bottom 2' with hardware cloth and that solved the problem- you may want to do the same.

 

[pips&peeps]

Parrots and other psittacine birds are especially dangerous because they can carry exotic Newcastle disease virus and show no clinical signs.

 

[Thespoiledchicken]

Parrots and other psittacine birds are especially dangerous because they can carry exotic Newcastle disease virus and show no clinical signs.

My parrots get yearly checkups and have been tested for most everything so no worries.

And honestly at $1,000.00 a bird I am more concerned about what my chickens could potentially pass to my parrots