Arizona Chickens

[a little chiken]

I'll listen......IF they get past the dog! (It's about 25 feet from my front gate to my front porch. Getting there is only half the fun. Depending on my mood, and depending on the dog's mood, you still have to make it back to the gate).

LOVE IT>

Like I posted I will let them pay me to listen and I will even listen intently. I have 5 LG dogs and good luck opening my gate without permission. Then they stand at the gate and wait for us to come out dogs barking up a storm.

 

[chicksurreal]

so sry for your loss.

Thank you.

 

[chicksurreal]

Think more along the lines of ocotillo. When planted close together, the thorns will keep most stuff out (n/a for hawks and owls, though). It also has the advantage of not needing much water. Back in the day, it was planted to make corrals. Another advantage is that clipped branches can be directly planted, and will grow when watered.
I still prefer steel fence and electric wire, though.

Thanks! I'd never thought about that, good information!

 

[carnivore]

LOVE IT>

Like I posted I will let them pay me to listen and I will even listen intently. I have 5 LG dogs and good luck opening my gate without permission. Then they stand at the gate and wait for us to come out dogs barking up a storm.

I've never had anybody brave enough to open the gate. And the dog really is a pussycat, he just looks big, mean, and loud.
For those of you who have met me, you know I wear hearing aids on both ears. I take them off at home, and without them, I am totally deaf. If you want to stand at my front gate with the dog going nuts, go for it, and have a nice day! There is a pretty good chance I'll never know you were there, unless I happen to look out a window.

 

[chicksurreal]

I've never had anybody brave enough to open the gate. And the dog really is a pussycat, he just looks big, mean, and loud.

We've actually had people drive onto our property, but they don't dare get out of their vehicles...

 

[Sill]

PHOTO-BOMBED BY A CHICKEN!

I was taking pictures of Jenny yesterday, because she is 9 weeks old now, and getting BIG!







While snapping pics of Jenny, I got photo-bombed by Lorenzo!



He does love attention!

Oh, it's the prairie swan!

Lorenzo is too funny, what a pose.

 

[AnotherKim]

Yes, the heat is when they take a break from laying.. Our girls love frozen grapes.. When it is over 115' we get ice blocks.. Spoiled brats..

Darn! I never thought of frozen grapes! What a good idea.

 

[Syl in Tucson]

I dont doubt you on the carcass hanging thing for RURAL coyotes. But city-fied URBAN coyotes are what were being discussed here. And you cant exactly go hanging decomposing animal carcasses inside city limits and especially not in an HOA.

how about carcasses of HOA presidents? Lol...

 

[kevs-chickadees]

So it sounds like there are few options for dealing with the city coyotes. 1 fortify your coop, and keep small animals/pets inside. 2 trap and relocate them. 3 eliminate them somehow. A lot of people won't have the $ for option 1 and so are left with either not having chickens or small pets or constantly loosing them. 2 sounds like an upfront cost but might be worth it all though sounds like a pain to relocate, or option 3. Its funny to read on other threads from people in other parts of the nation and #s 2 and 3 become options 50 something. I believe the population is just to many. Its like bird problems up here. The fake owls/hawks dont work, cd's and streamers are worthless, I could put up nets but they damage the trees and at $15 a net times 15 trees is $225 a year. Thats for the cheap nets that can't be reused. All this just to watch the population continue to spiral out of control? No thanks

 

[carnivore]

So it sounds like there are few options for dealing with the city coyotes. 1 fortify your coop, and keep small animals/pets inside. 2 trap and relocate them. 3 eliminate them somehow. A lot of people won't have the $ for option 1 and so are left with either not having chickens or small pets or constantly loosing them. 2 sounds like an upfront cost but might be worth it all though sounds like a pain to relocate, or option 3. Its funny to read on other threads from people in other parts of the nation and #s 2 and 3 become options 50 something. I believe the population is just to many. Its like bird problems up here. The fake owls/hawks dont work, cd's and streamers are worthless, I could put up nets but they damage the trees and at $15 a net times 15 trees is $225 a year. Thats for the cheap nets that can't be reused. All this just to watch the population continue to spiral out of control? No thanks

I think the only real option is fortifying your coop/run. No matter how many you capture/relocate/snuff, there are always more. I will not let predators dictate whether I keep chickens or not.
Keeping your own chickens for meat/eggs doesn't make a lot of economic sense, unless you're looking at quality of product. Spending even more to keep them safe may not make much economic sense either.
You really only have 2 options:
1) raise chickens and spend the bucks to keep them.
2) don't raise chickens.