Bay Area BYCers!

[cherylcohen]

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What did you do to get rid of them

 

[MarinMama]

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cheryl, sorry to hear about your lost chickens but it is great news you will be moved in soon.

 

[Nifty-Chicken]

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What did you do to get rid of them

There's unfortunately no way to get rid of all of them... especially in an area like you are in. That said, I do like to try to get rid of the ones that have developed a taste for chicken and tend to come back and tell their friends. I have a large "Have-A-Heart" type trap that I bait with tuna. It isn't always foolproof and I think I've caught more chickens than I have coons, and I always worry about catching a skunk.

What has worked 100% for the past 2 years: A super solid coop and run, and an automated coop door that opens in the AM and closes at night.

 

[cherylcohen]

that's the weird thing, you know my coops are 100% predator proof and all have automatic doors, I've tested the doors and they are working perfectly. I changed it today to open later...boy the girls are going to be so mad at me...

 

[Echolalia]

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Hey Bay Area Peeps! I just talked with Natalie and she's looking for someone in SF, but will talk with anybody in the SF Bay Area. It is an in-person interview, so she's love to meet out in the City or maybe even come visit you.

Anybody available, or know someone who might be?

i think we have a gal in sf that has chickens on BYC...will need to go back through this thread some more to find them.

I'd do it, but I have a really busy day today.

 

[jeremy]

I had my work schedule rearranged today and now I won't have free time in the afternoon for the potential interview.

I hope you find someone Natalie!

 

[HighNDryFarm]

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Cheryl, this sounds like it's happening outside the coop. Maybe very early morning....what time does the door open in the morning. We caught another skunk last night in our have-a-heart trap (two in a weeks time) after losing one of my young cockerels. I count them at night before they're locked inside the coop, plus they're inside a locked run so the only thing I can think of is that the skunk got him early morning after I let them out. There was feathers on the backside of the run that goes out into an olive orchard. Unfortunately, relocation isn't an option. The county trapper told me that they will travel miles to come back to where they live so we kill them. Stinky job.....

Good luck. I hate this part of owning chickens......

 

[wolftracks]

I hope someone is going to be doing that interview. Might help Cheryl get her babies back home.

I don't think there's anything 100% preditor proof. I found that out when I moved here. My preditors were human.

I have some loses in my growout pen. I've spent a small fortune on AMs and Marans eggs this year and we got hit by a storm. My car has been in the shop since 2 Saturdays ago and the problem hasn't been found. I was out of town with the grand kids and no way to the house in the middle of the day, so I had left the coop open.. It's was like they didn't have the since to get out of the rain. It was pouring and they just stayed in the run. I was sick when i got home. All the big birds were either in their coops or playing in puddles. They were all fine, but I lost several babies. I'm sure my neighbors think I'm crazy, because I was out there bawling my eyes out.

Yesterday I just kept myself busy trying to keep from thinking about it, but a couple of them were so sweet and would fly up on my arm while I filled feeders and waterers. Of course I lost blues.

Anyway someone do that interview and put in a word about people like Cheryl who are trying to better and save breeds and get kicked to the curb.

 

[Anna_B_Happy]

Sorry to hear about everyone's losses today. It is making me think I will take another look at security for my girls to be sure they are safe and sound.

Anna B

 

[sewandgrow]

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Oh Kim, I am so sorry. I had that exact loss happen to me about a month ago when we got hit with that hard rain & the juveniles in one of my grow out pens got soaked. I lost a bunch, but was able to save some that were down but not dead yet. Oh my gosh.............. I was so upset. My husband went out with me & I just kept saying OMG, OMG, OMG everytime I found another & another. I was sick!!!!!.. Let me know............. What all did you lose. Maybe I have some extras I can share.