Arizona Chickens

[Novaleigh]

Put the feeder where it wont get rained on and put talcum or baby powder on it and get prints.

Clever!

 

[itsredcandy]

I have dogs that would keep any coyotes away. I have a 120lb Black Lab and a 95lb German Shepherd, they would chase any away. My german shepherd thinks the chicks are her "babies".. lol We used to live in Buckeye and I regularly saw and heard coyotes, my dogs chased one out of our backyard then. We were dog sitting a friends terrier mix puppy and one jumped our fence and our dogs went crazy. I've never seen a animal jump a fence faster than that coyote did.. lol So I'm not too worried about that.

That's funny, my German Shephard/Heeler mix think the chicks (now hens) are her babies too. She nit picks them when I hold them and tried to clean them, and as gross as it is, eats their poop. NASTY!! Not all of it, but plenty enough to gross me out. She even goes into the run and coop to catch the doves that go in there. She's killed a few but most get away.

 

[Novaleigh]

I inadvertently thwarted the doves from dining on my chicken feed! I originally intended to put a feeder in the front yard for my chickens, so they would have something to eat on the front half of our near 1 acre property. I didn't refill the ground feeder on the back half of my property, since the chickens were still finishing up the feed from the coop feeder in the back half of our property. So, they still had plenty of feed to eat, and I wanted them to finish up the feed from the coop before it went bad anyhow. The doves were so used to dining on the ground feeder that, when it was gone, they thought that perhaps all the food was gone and moved on. Now my chickies migrate between the coop and the front property feeder at their leisure..and the doves are not to be found! YAY! Yes, yes, a long winded way to say "I duped the doves".

 

[itsredcandy]

I inadvertently thwarted the doves from dining on my chicken feed! I originally intended to put a feeder in the front yard for my chickens, so they would have something to eat on the front half of our near 1 acre property. I didn't refill the ground feeder on the back half of my property, since the chickens were still finishing up the feed from the coop feeder in the back half of our property. So, they still had plenty of feed to eat, and I wanted them to finish up the feed from the coop before it went bad anyhow. The doves were so used to dining on the ground feeder that, when it was gone, they thought that perhaps all the food was gone and moved on. Now my chickies migrate between the coop and the front property feeder at their leisure..and the doves are not to be found! YAY! Yes, yes, a long winded way to say "I duped the doves".

Actually, the doves aren't around as much any more. They used to come eat what the chickens scratched out of the treadle
feeder. Now I have big rocks in there so the chickens can sweep the feed out. They still come looking and snacking on the bugs in the yard but not nearly as many. I also don't keep the food in the run anymore because I was starting to get maggots on the ground where the food was left to get wet.

 

[Novaleigh]

Actually, the doves aren't around as much any more. They used to come eat what the chickens scratched out of the treadle
feeder. Now I have big rocks in there so the chickens can sweep the feed out. They still come looking and snacking on the bugs in the yard but not nearly as many. I also don't keep the food in the run anymore because I was starting to get maggots on the ground where the food was left to get wet.

I still have a great deal of doves. They line up on the power lines and the phone lines, peering down on my property. They look forlornly at the place they used to dine, and still try swooping down to see if there are some morsels left. It took a few days for the doves to slowly give up. There are still a few doves who hope the food source will return...but they too are getting the hint that it is "gone". I am delighted. My neighbor, though? Oof. If I make a sound on my side of the block wall...a huge flock of doves erupt from their yard. Sooooo many!

 

[Billiam]

Dove season starts September 1st!

 

[itsredcandy]

Dove season starts September 1st!

Can you shoot and toss? Do you need a permit? Shooting allowed in city limits? Hmm

 

[AZBootsie]

Quote:

Agreed!! It's nasty and yes, my dogs enjoy their chicken poo treats too.

Without dogs my chickens would have been coyote bait a long time ago. I quit locking them in the coops this summer, my sleep schedule is so bad it's hard to get the pop doors opened every morning. I do make sure everyone is back in their runs before nightfall. The coyotes could jump my fence easily. I haven't seen it happen yet .....knock on wood!!!. Cookie Monster (big male dog) "marks" his territory constantly, so far the coyotes respect his property. I am hoping that if the coyotes ever do stealth jump the fence in the middle of the night, breaking into the run would be noisy enough to alert the dogs. The threat of predators is a constant...anywhere and everywhere. You just have to figure out what works for you, balance time, materials, cost and effort against the risk. Then hope for the best.

 

[Fuzzybird]

Our place here in Wittmann flooded again last night! Had to be worse then last time for it took out the fence on the down stream side of the wash we have through the property.

 

[itsredcandy]

Our place here in Wittmann flooded again last night! Had to be worse then last time for it took out the fence on the down stream side of the wash we have through the property.

Oh no. Hope all your animals are safe.