Arizona Chickens

[SherrieT]

Well I no longer feel like I was being so paranoid about the amounts of wire I used on and around my hoop house.

12:30 last night get woken up by the sound of 4 or 5 dogs that had dug under my main fence and were trying to dig their way into the coop.

They tore off the tarps but were unable to get to the chickens due to the curtain of wire around it. Going to shore up the main fence. Don't want them to get even that close again

Sherrie

 

[Puffycheeks]

Quote: These seem smaller then a silky chick. One really is tiny. Get pictures in soon.
Lets get those chix pix!!!

 

[CheyAut]

Since the topic of coyotes was brought up...

We had Nigerian Dwarf goats. They were in the back corner of our 2.5 acres. We are just west of Sun City, east of Surprise. Several months back coyote(s) killed my oldest goat. We left one of our leonberger mixes outside at night for awhile, until she figured out how to get out the gate and scared a neighbor (she's friendly with people, but a big black dog can be frighening if you don't know that). So we stopped leaving her out. Then, months later, coyote(s) came back and killed my favorite goat. We left the dog out at night again (we fixed the problem with her getting out the gate). But, the goat pen was on the property line fence, and the inside fencing was cattle panels. It was 16ft wide. That next night, WITH the dog with her head through the cattle panels barking her head off (she couldn't get in), the coyotes killed another goat. WITH our dog RIGHT THERE. They didn't leave until my husband ran out when he heard her barking like crazy. He let the goats out of ther pen to be better protected by the dog, and we set to finding the rest of them a new home.

After they were rehomed we still left Philly out at night. We breed miniature horses, and the foals are smaller than the goats. But ONE night I didn't put her out. They came and dug under our chicken pen, killed all 6 chickens, both turkeys, all 4 guineas, and 5 out of 7 ducks (but one of them later died due to his injuries). So dog is out at night ALL the time.

My husband leaves for work at 4, and would bring Philly back in at that time (she is a good guard dog but she is a house pet, doesn't like to be out all the time). One morning at about 8am I let my malamute, 2 largest Mini Aussies (one is actually standard sized) and one of my toy Aussies out, then I went to go get the puppies out of their pen to let them out.. and heard the coyote commotion. I'm not sure if they were on my property or the one next door (my horse trailers were blocking my view) but I know my dogs chased them off, saw them leaving the neighbor's fence and out into the open land behind us, three of them (one was limping). Of course then I panicked about my toy aussie, but he was by the house thank God. So, no little dogs outside if I'm not with them and sure the bigger dogs are out first, plus the husband leaves Philly out when he leaves for work now.

But as of yesterday we took in two dogs my friend rescued, they're Anatolian/Pyrenese. They are outside 24/7, so HOPEFULLY we'll be safe now. Plus Philly and her sister Denver (she's even more of a house dog... she's a couch potato lol) when they're out, I don't think a coyote will want to mess with us... at least, that's the hope!

And, I REALLY miss my birds. LOVED them. And I hate not having chickens. We will get more. For now, we have the surviving duck, got him a duck friend, and my friend just gave us a turkey. Plus I ordered 6 ducklings, whcih are supposed to ship this week

 

[Puffycheeks]

Since the topic of coyotes was brought up...

We had Nigerian Dwarf goats. They were in the back corner of our 2.5 acres. We are just west of Sun City, east of Surprise. Several months back coyote(s) killed my oldest goat. We left one of our leonberger mixes outside at night for awhile, until she figured out how to get out the gate and scared a neighbor (she's friendly with people, but a big black dog can be frighening if you don't know that). So we stopped leaving her out. Then, months later, coyote(s) came back and killed my favorite goat. We left the dog out at night again (we fixed the problem with her getting out the gate). But, the goat pen was on the property line fence, and the inside fencing was cattle panels. It was 16ft wide. That next night, WITH the dog with her head through the cattle panels barking her head off (she couldn't get in), the coyotes killed another goat. WITH our dog RIGHT THERE. They didn't leave until my husband ran out when he heard her barking like crazy. He let the goats out of ther pen to be better protected by the dog, and we set to finding the rest of them a new home.

After they were rehomed we still left Philly out at night. We breed miniature horses, and the foals are smaller than the goats. But ONE night I didn't put her out. They came and dug under our chicken pen, killed all 6 chickens, both turkeys, all 4 guineas, and 5 out of 7 ducks (but one of them later died due to his injuries). So dog is out at night ALL the time.

My husband leaves for work at 4, and would bring Philly back in at that time (she is a good guard dog but she is a house pet, doesn't like to be out all the time). One morning at about 8am I let my malamute, 2 largest Mini Aussies (one is actually standard sized) and one of my toy Aussies out, then I went to go get the puppies out of their pen to let them out.. and heard the coyote commotion. I'm not sure if they were on my property or the one next door (my horse trailers were blocking my view) but I know my dogs chased them off, saw them leaving the neighbor's fence and out into the open land behind us, three of them (one was limping). Of course then I panicked about my toy aussie, but he was by the house thank God. So, no little dogs outside if I'm not with them and sure the bigger dogs are out first, plus the husband leaves Philly out when he leaves for work now.

But as of yesterday we took in two dogs my friend rescued, they're Anatolian/Pyrenese. They are outside 24/7, so HOPEFULLY we'll be safe now. Plus Philly and her sister Denver (she's even more of a house dog... she's a couch potato lol) when they're out, I don't think a coyote will want to mess with us... at least, that's the hope!

And, I REALLY miss my birds. LOVED them. And I hate not having chickens. We will get more. For now, we have the surviving duck, got him a duck friend, and my friend just gave us a turkey. Plus I ordered 6 ducklings, whcih are supposed to ship this week

So sorry

 

[Gallo del Cielo]

Phottoman, great story of your new rooster. Thanks for sharing.

SherrieT, Awesome job with the wire! That is fantastic that they couldn't get in; all that hard wire work really paid off.

CheyAut, What a terrible time with coyotes. I'm so sorry about your losses, it must have been heartbreaking. Good luck with the Anatolian/Pyrenees, it sounds like they'll earn their keep.

 

[flower]

Thanks Mama Hen Chris. I got smart and found some articles also about just hatched chicks. I will put them in a brooder tomorrow. I still can't believe I actually hatched Seramas! I have such little luck lately in hatching.

I have a few Seama crosses and have found them to be tough as in sturdy, very curious and easy to make into friendly little birds. Size can be a disguise !

 

[Arizonachicken]

Great Picture of MamaHen! You must have a zoom type digital camera. Love to have one!
Blue Bell is always a great hit with people. Not sure if I will ever get turklets from her tho. She has so many down days now. Survived a lot of trama in her 4+ years. Two illnesses, two dog attacks, sweet old girl.

This reminded me of a story: A famous photographer was having dinner with some friends. Everyone was commenting on his beautiful photographs and how he must have a fancy, expensive camera. After the meal, he complimented the chef on a delicious meal and said "You must have a nice oven".

 

[AZChickenQueen]

Congrats on the "first egg" from Miss Nellie! The pic made me smile, which I need to do right about now, as I lost my little silver leghorn today, not to a coyote but to one of my own dang dogs!!

I feel like it was my own stupid fault - dogs were in the yard but not close by(we have over an acre) and I opened the gate to one of the chicken yards to put out some scratch. BAM! Little hen just made a beeline right past me, squeezed through the narrow opening (I was shutting the gate) and ran right into the yard where one of the dogs got her lickety-split. Nothing to be done but dispose of the poor lil' thing and I just feel so horrible.

I have no idea what possessed her to do that! The food was INSIDE the yard! I have also noticed that the other silver leghorn I got with her (which is a rooster) likes to try to bum-rush the gate so now I am wondering - is this a leghorn thing? My other breeds of hens don't seem to do this, and they are in areas that are plenty big...Guess I have a new rule: no dogs out in the back when we're going in and out of the chicken areas.

 

[notinoz2007]

Quote: haha i love that. you do have talent with pictures i must say, a good camera is just a bonus. i have a regular digital and my parents have this fancy nikon super camera that i always borrow, its a sharper image sure, but i still have no clue about lighting and angles and such, lol.
love your pictures.

Congrats on the "first egg" from Miss Nellie! The pic made me smile, which I need to do right about now, as I lost my little silver leghorn today, not to a coyote but to one of my own dang dogs!!

I feel like it was my own stupid fault - dogs were in the yard but not close by(we have over an acre) and I opened the gate to one of the chicken yards to put out some scratch. BAM! Little hen just made a beeline right past me, squeezed through the narrow opening (I was shutting the gate) and ran right into the yard where one of the dogs got her lickety-split. Nothing to be done but dispose of the poor lil' thing and I just feel so horrible.

I have no idea what possessed her to do that! The food was INSIDE the yard! I have also noticed that the other silver leghorn I got with her (which is a rooster) likes to try to bum-rush the gate so now I am wondering - is this a leghorn thing? My other breeds of hens don't seem to do this, and they are in areas that are plenty big...Guess I have a new rule: no dogs out in the back when we're going in and out of the chicken areas.

sorry to hear about your loss. i am going to google silver leghorn now, i bet she was a beauty. my chickens rush the gate a lot as well. i think because they enjoy eating every speck of green thing in my yard and the POND! my brahma reached the hyacinth almost a foot from the edge and ate all the tops off (does anyone know if those will come back?) they zoom past my legs during feeding time and then want back in because they see everyone else eating and all they have now is dirt, lol. they used to fly at the gate together and it would open. it was freaky, and i had to move it over so the latch was more secure. fortunately for me most of my chickens are bigger than my dogs, lol

 

[Mama Hen Chris]

Congrats on the "first egg" from Miss Nellie! The pic made me smile, which I need to do right about now, as I lost my little silver leghorn today, not to a coyote but to one of my own dang dogs!!

I feel like it was my own stupid fault - dogs were in the yard but not close by(we have over an acre) and I opened the gate to one of the chicken yards to put out some scratch. BAM! Little hen just made a beeline right past me, squeezed through the narrow opening (I was shutting the gate) and ran right into the yard where one of the dogs got her lickety-split. Nothing to be done but dispose of the poor lil' thing and I just feel so horrible.

I have no idea what possessed her to do that! The food was INSIDE the yard! I have also noticed that the other silver leghorn I got with her (which is a rooster) likes to try to bum-rush the gate so now I am wondering - is this a leghorn thing? My other breeds of hens don't seem to do this, and they are in areas that are plenty big...Guess I have a new rule: no dogs out in the back when we're going in and out of the chicken areas.

Thank you.

I am so sorry about your little one.

Never know what is going on in their minds. So heartbreaking when things like this happen. Don't beat yourself up over this. Was just an unfortunate accident. Is always your favorites too. I have lost 7 this past year to illnesses I could not fix. I know how you feel.