Black Bear

[sidetrack]

Some threads you shouldn't read before going for a walk!!
I also live in an area where bears are not uncommon. Late spring/early summer we had a black bear hanging out on our road for a few weeks. Most of the time he wasn't any trouble. He got into a shed at my neighbors and helped himself to some bird feed. He visited everyone up and down the road at some point. I was going to put the dogs out on the run for their last trip out one night and happened to glance out the window before I got to the door to see him sitting on my front lawn next to my lawn chair looking in the window back at me. Needless to say, the dogs didn't go out right then. I worried about the girls as they had just moved into the coop a couple of days earlier and there had been a report of a bear ripping off the side of a coop to get at the chickens about 20 miles from me. I knew it wasn't the same bear, but it made me a bit nervous to think this one might do the same thing. Thankfully he didn't. He was a nice fat bear and there was no lack of natural food for him, so I guess he wasn't interested in the girls.
I'm so sorry to read about the loss of your chickens. I know how upset I would be if they were mine. I have grown pretty close to my girls and would be heart broken if a predator got at them. I know it is always a possiblity living in the country where there are lots of predators around. I have had all sorts go through the yard from bear to bobcat, coyotes, fox and of course the neighborhood skunk and raccoon. I have a good run but it needs some tightening up and I hope to get that done this weekend.
Good luck with your fence and I hope you have no more problems with this bear.
Now I have to drive the 1/4 mile I was going to walk to pick up my wings and FF's.

 

[mydadsjoy]

Now I have to drive the 1/4 mile I was going to walk to pick up my wings and FF's.

Hahah! Go for that walk. They don't like people. Oh wait - you'd be fine on your way TO, but on the way back... Yogi might want your pikinic basket!

 

[mydadsjoy]

and those are pretty chickens also my aunt Becky comes from Virginia but is with my grandpa in lutes Florida

In the foreground - those are wild turkeys. My chickens are in the upper lefthand corner... in the shadows.

 

[Birdgirl99]

XD that's funny and i thought they were chickens now i look up close and i see them being turkeys i can't get over that

but sorry for the loss of them i lost my buff orpington hen about 3 months ago June 13 2012 and a possum got her i watched the whole thing he jumped right off the tree that was hanging over the coop [a 60 foot tall oak i put the coop there for shade] and it decapitated her it was only about 1 second i couldn't get to the coop in time and i cried for weeks and weeks about it [i still cry sometimes] but now i put electric fencing around the coop and i put a small picket fence around but at least i still have her sister buffers they were twin sisters from the same egg i was incubating them 5 eggs and only hatched and 2 came out of it both girls Buffy and buffers and I'm happy i still have buffers
This is buffers a now 6 month old laying like a champ Buff Orpinton pullet that just reached POL this was 17 days after Buffy
's death

 

[mydadsjoy]

He was back this morning. The cats wouldn't go to the side of the yard with the coop. Their entrance to their porch is there. The "OFF" can smeared with bacon grease is gone. The hope is that he's "OFF" somewhere wondering what kind of an animal he bit into.

Chickens and coop are fine.

Tho they are back on lockdown - poor things.

 

[mydadsjoy]

XD that's funny and i thought they were chickens now i look up close and i see them being turkeys i can't get over that

but sorry for the loss of them i lost my buff orpington hen about 3 months ago June 13 2012 and a possum got her i watched the whole thing he jumped right off the tree that was hanging over the coop [a 60 foot tall oak i put the coop there for shade] and it decapitated her it was only about 1 second i couldn't get to the coop in time and i cried for weeks and weeks about it [i still cry sometimes] but now i put electric fencing around the coop and i put a small picket fence around but at least i still have her sister buffers they were twin sisters from the same egg i was incubating them 5 eggs and only hatched and 2 came out of it both girls Buffy and buffers and I'm happy i still have buffers
This is buffers a now 6 month old laying like a champ Buff Orpinton pullet that just reached POL this was 17 days after Buffy
's death

Wow, that's so cool about your hatching a double yolker! So sorry for your loss. Buffers is beautiful.

 

[sidetrack]

Hahah! Go for that walk. They don't like people. Oh wait - you'd be fine on your way TO, but on the way back... Yogi might want your pikinic basket!

That was my worry!! LOL. I drove down and ran into my neighbor at the local watering hole, so I hung out and ate there instead of bringing it home. I wouldn't have had to worry about that picnic basket after all!
sorry to hear your pest was back. What did you put the bacon grease on?

 

[mydadsjoy]

That was my worry!! LOL. I drove down and ran into my neighbor at the local watering hole, so I hung out and ate there instead of bringing it home. I wouldn't have had to worry about that picnic basket after all!
sorry to hear your pest was back. What did you put the bacon grease on?

I put it on a can of "OFF" bug spray. And a little piece of bacon under the cap for good measure. muahahha Bite - pow! The hope is that the thought of my chickens leaves a bad taste in his mouth - literallly.

 

[Extra Java]

That's a great idea and I hope it worked!

I have such an uneasy feeling when something is stalking my birds...can't sleep. Reading these threads helps. You never know what someone will pop in to say to help out.
We've got predator problems right now too...makes me think it must be that time of year.

Keep us posted and watch your back.

 

[Birdgirl99]

Thank you for saying my bird buffers is beautiful i really really really miss buffers so i can only imagine how you feel about yours


and i candled the egg at 14 days all others were completely clear but i left them anyway because i did not know how to candle really but there was 1 egg that had a spidery pattern on it and TWO yolks i thought it was just one until 2 hatched i know it hatched out of the one egg together because no other egg was even cracked