California - Northern

[capayvalleychick]

Linda, don't the skunks kill your chickens if you leave them in the coop?

Off topic, but here are some pics that DH sent me. He's east of Pinecrest here. Poor quality photos but he was distracted.

 

[Hangtown Farms]

Linda, don't the skunks kill your chickens if you leave them in the coop?

Off topic, but here are some pics that DH sent me. He's east of Pinecrest here. Poor quality photos but he was distracted.

wow

 

[chiqita]

I have been thinking good thoughts for you all with loved ones fighting the fire. Thank you for their service!

 

[alibra]

Linda, don't the skunks kill your chickens if you leave them in the coop? Off topic, but here are some pics that DH sent me. He's east of Pinecrest here. Poor quality photos but he was distracted.

Wow! That's insane!

 

[ronott1]

Linda, don't the skunks kill your chickens if you leave them in the coop?

Off topic, but here are some pics that DH sent me. He's east of Pinecrest here. Poor quality photos but he was distracted.

Thank you for the sacrifice both of you are making to fight this fire!

 

[Happy Chooks]

The Ameraucana thread can be brutal at times, but I got some great feedback from Jean (Pips&Peeps) today on some pictures I posted of one of my blue wheaten Ameraucana pullets. My hard work has finally paid off. She said she liked the pullet and that I should show her! Jean is a tough, so that is saying a lot!! Here is the pullet ~

That is quite a compliment! Beautiful pullet.

I have been thinking good thoughts for you all with loved ones fighting the fire. Thank you for their service!

Ditto! Speaking of skunks, my dog got skunked the other night. She had it trapped in the blackberry bush and she was running around the bush barking. She didn't get directly sprayed, but enough that she needed the baking soda, peroxide, dish soap bath at 10pm.

 

[gryeyes]

Linda, don't the skunks kill your chickens if you leave them in the coop?

They have, in the past few weeks, killed five of my flock. All but one were killed OUTSIDE of the coop, when the juveniles were roosting on my deck. The one inside the coop was one which didn't roost, but slept on the floor. What they're really after (and mostly satisfied with) are eggs. I have a few sneaky hens which prefer laying behind the big brooder tank or under some steps benches. I also have two kitty litter box nest boxes on the floor in which this or that hen or duck goes broody.

The first time I found the skunk (didn't know there were two at that point) it had eaten the eggs a duck was brooding and the duck was hiding in another corner. It was reaching for the eggs under a broody bantam hen in the wall nests unit.

Everybody else was roosting up high. Even Angus the gander stands on the first rung of the ladder roost! I used to wonder about that, but now I know why. :/
Trust me, I was conflicted - do I leave the skunk(s) inside or do I try to herd it/them outside and risk getting the coop sprayed? Seeing the Mama come to the Baby's aid was the clincher. I just left the doors open so they could depart.

They spent some time digging at the base of the coop by the people and pop doors last night when they arrived after I'd closed up the coop. Luckily, this is an old carport/garage building with a concrete foundation under the three, original walls. My contractor buried railroad ties to support the fourth wall he built for it.

I got too complacent during the hot spells, leaving the doors open until the first time I saw the skunk eating eggs from a nest in the yard. On the plus side, my "yard" broodies now lay their eggs IN the coop. I think.

 

[juststruttin]

Ya it has me totally freaked out. No doubt buying from NPIP sellers is best, but even they can have something they're not aware of since being tested

needless to say nobody in my chicken area and no new birds until after 2-3 weeks of being watched.

Being NPIP certified does not mean your flock is MG or MS clear (the two most common resp. diseases) . You need to have your flock specifically tested for MG and MS which is not offered under the standard NPIP certification.

 

[Chickengirl1304]

Being NPIP certified does not mean your flock is MG or MS clear (the two most common resp. diseases) .   You need to have your flock specifically tested for MG and MS which is not offered under the standard NPIP certification.   

Thank you

 

[ronott1]

I had a productive day today.

We went to Capayvalleychicks place, got to meet her horses. Kim said that my Oldest can come ride one of them when it cools off. We picked up one of the UofA Blues to send off for breeding.

...then I broke a pipe when I left and now I feel so bad....I hope she was able to fix it.

The Rooster is in Winters now with 4 UofA Blues and two Crele Penedesencas to get some Blue egg layers and Olive Egg Layers.

Now to finish smoking a chicken and the to clean the pen for the Australorps.