Australia - Six states..and that funny little island.

[Anniebee]

Well my leghorn has bitten the dust. I noticed she was missing the other night, I did my best to look everywhere in the dark but no luck, then I got a text in the morning from a lady down the road asking if I was missing a white hen, her dog had killed it

she was such a good layer!! The lady has offered to buy me a new chook to replace, I told her it was ok but she's insisting, ive decided to wait till spring but I need help deciding what breed to get. What's everyone's favourite large breed? Is like to have some variation in egg colour, I currently have 3 isas, 2 Sussex, 2 Pekins and a barnevelder.

So sorry to hear that ChristieB .... it is so very sad to lose any pet, but to a dog is particularly horrible. My condolences ... I hope no other of your chickens get out and about. ....

It is time I cut my girls wing feathers again - they are nearing the ends of their moults = full on wing feathers which means " gee Mum look - I can fly - whoopee do ". .... Ain't going down THAT path. .. Climbing trees is absolutely not my thing !! One of our next door neighbours' chickens got out a while back - came to visit my lot ... thank heaven I found her, before anything happened.

It is very kind and generous of your neighbour to want to buy you another chicken - and I would take her up on that, in the spirit of good will. ....

With the little experience I have had, I have to say Rhode Island Reds are excellent - kindly, great layers, very funny ( in their own way ), seem to adore being 'pets' ( I have only one that I am basing my comments on - but it is patently obvious ) ...great at getting into fun mischief .... a joy to have. ... From the 5 different breeds I have had - the RIR is the best ' all rounder '. Her egg colour is decidedly pink.

I would love to have more of them, but am also considering Wyandottes, who are also kindly natured, and excellent layers - ( Fancychooklady advised recently about wyandottes, to my queries ).

Good luck in the Spring ....

Cheers -

 

[Anniebee]

We just lost captain to a hawk attack. Smack bang in the middle of suburbia too.

Hubby went outside to talk on his mobile for better reception and spotted it up in the tree, big grey bird he said. They had been out on the lawn.

We found them all hidden all over the yard and then finally found captain down behind the pen. Just a few feathers plucked out so obviously it had just happened when he walked out.

Kids are devastated :-(

So, I've got plastic wire over the coop. Should I replace with something stronger now he knows they are there or do I just need something so he can't swoop in and that will be ok?

To appps - - - I am so sorry to hear about the loss of 'Captain' to a predator raptor. ...

To be safe, I would continue the covering of the coops - absolutely - and I doubt a raptor would bother tangling with plastic wire - or any type of wire / covering. ....

Being winter, the trees being bare, the raptors have more chance of diving for a kill, than they do during the summer months through foliage. ...

At least I figure that to be the case, as we have had a wedge-tail hovering on two occasions, but he / she could not figure the way through summer foliage, because of a massive elm tree behind our coops. He/she was chased relentlessly by a wattle-bird - on both occasions. ... They are feisty little souls - the wattle-birds. ..

And I have to wonder what the predator thought of the human standing in the back garden, ready and willing to defend her chooks - I think I yelled " bring it on, you big ****** "

Didn't make much of an impression - just continued to hover barely above our trees intent on capture ( my chickens had all disappeared into their coops, continually looking upwards - and the wild birds had silently taken off for parts unknown. !! ? )

The hawks / eagles rely on their incredible sight. ... And apparently, ( from what I have read ) they breed according to element conditions - at any time of year. in Australia. ... If they have young to feed, they will be more active in searching out their food.

Not knowing from your profile here, exactly where you are in Australia, I cannot be certain of foliage / tree coverage, temperatures etc. at this point in time for you - none-the-less, wire to protect I honestly think is the best thing anyway, no matter how much area you have to cover. ... If the predator has tasted blood / flesh / feathers, it will return - sorry to have to say.

Raptors seem to be a problem everywhere - sporadic admittedly, but it does happen.

Good luck - and keep a watch out - ( I don't think it is permitted to try and get rid of raptors in any way. )

Cheers ....

 

[Anniebee]

Sorry appps .... I didn't read your post of 3 + hours ago, where you have fixed up some wiring etc. and the grass planting between sleepers sounds great .... I should figure something out like that for my girls, who are often confined to their runs ( windy days etc. ) ... and don't get to free range a whole lot, in our current Victorian weather.

I could have stopped all my waffling, couldn't I, if I had read things in chron. order ?

Good ideas you have got going, though. ...

Perhaps also a 1 hour ' free ' play around somewhere might be ok - IF you are able to spend some time watching them carefully while they are doing their free range investigations. ... and then - back to safety. ... I try that myself, but my girls seem to like to stick close to their coop and run. ... Only when I go out into the garden, will they follow ( me ) and forage around a bit. .... are they spoilt ? Or just wanting to feel safe with 'Mum' ?

Sometimes it gets a bit difficult, doesn't it ? - looking after chooks !!!

 

[appps]

Sorry appps .... I didn't read your post of 3 + hours ago, where you have fixed up some wiring etc. and the grass planting between sleepers sounds great ....  I should figure something out like that for my girls, who are often confined to their runs ( windy days etc. ) ... and don't get to free range a whole lot, in our current Victorian weather.  

I could have stopped all my waffling, couldn't I, if I had read things in chron. order ?  

Good ideas you have got going, though.   ...

Perhaps also a 1 hour ' free ' play around somewhere might be ok - IF you are able to spend some time watching them carefully while they are doing their free range investigations.   ... and then - back to safety.   ... I try that myself, but my girls seem to like to stick close to their coop and run.   ... Only when I go out into the garden, will they follow ( me ) and forage around a bit.  .... are they spoilt ? Or just wanting to feel safe with 'Mum' ?  

Sometimes it gets a bit difficult, doesn't it ?  - looking after chooks !!!  :/  

Lol. I'm still redoing the roof with wire, that's today's job, just not sure if it's going to bow as it's got to span 4.2metres. At the moment there is just shade mesh in that end. I bought some plain wire as well and I'm hoping I can run lengths under the bird wire to help hold it up if needed.

My problem with a little free range is they love it so much it's hard to get the blighters to go back when I'm done. The goshawk was back yesterday morning watching the yard from a big gum tree.

The most frustrating bit isn't even the free range, it's the fact that we had actually extended their regular run the whole width of our yard by opening up one side of their run to the back garden and having black plastic wire as a divider from that and the rest of the yard. That whole area was under gum trees and among shrubs and they kept my weeds in control for me too. It far to big to cover with far too many trees in the way. It was their cool shady spot in summer. Now the whole lot has to be out of bounds :-(

 

[K Spot]

I feel for you, my hubby was rushed to hospital last week also. All ok now but definately 'milking it ' for all its worth.
I popped 8 eggs under a repeat offender silkie hen today. Put her in a little rabbit hutch inside the coop. She took one look at those eggs and literally jumped with joy, went right on in and snuggled down on them.

Aahhhh sucks about no free ranging appps. Mine will be saying goodbye to daily free ranging once i have a large enough coop built also will be once..mmaaayyybe twice a week then. Hopefully soon but hubby broke a bone in his right hand on the weekend so is also milking it lol.

Blimey! Was it something in the water for us?

DH is home until the 15/7 - living life for the moment in front of the TV chilling on the couch with his Playstation. The dogs all keep him company.
I will admit though he did cook dinner for us last night, so he's not completely useless at the moment

 

[satay]

Blimey!  Was it something in the water for us?    DH is home until the 15/7 - living life for the moment in front of the TV chilling on the couch with his Playstation.  The dogs all keep him company. 
I will admit though he did cook dinner for us last night, so he's not completely useless at the moment 

Men. Glad your hubby is doing better K. I do think men never really get a harden up gene as soon as they are sick in anyways the take advantage I did used to love the old saying why don't men give birth? because they would die

 

[satay]

I feel for you, my hubby was rushed to hospital last week also. All ok now but definately 'milking it ' for all its worth.
I popped 8 eggs under a repeat offender silkie hen today. Put her in a little rabbit hutch inside the coop. She took one look at those eggs and literally jumped with joy, went right on in and snuggled down on them.

Glad your hubby is ok now. Love broody mummas

 

[Fancychooklady]

Blimey!  Was it something in the water for us?    DH is home until the 15/7 - living life for the moment in front of the TV chilling on the couch with his Playstation.  The dogs all keep him company. 
I will admit though he did cook dinner for us last night, so he's not completely useless at the moment 

Haha, at least mine is back at work, I console myself in the knowledge that at least he is surrounded by DEM doctors in his job.
the month of June has not been a good month for us, with a funeral and a heart attack , bring on July.

 

[Fancychooklady]

Men. Glad your hubby is doing better K. I do think men never really get a harden up gene as soon as they are sick in anyways the take advantage I did used to love the old saying why don't men give birth? because they would die

Haha, I keep telling hubby its ' manful ' .
That was supposed to read ' man flu '.

 

[K Spot]

Haha, I keep telling hubby its ' manful ' .

Here is a chick from my flock! Splash faverolles x silver pencilled plymouth rock bantam