California - Northern

[ronott1]

SWEET! Cuz I'm having dreams about finding eggs....

So are pine shavings suitable nestbox material? Or should I be using that rabbit straw?

there are pros and cons on both. If the straw gets wet there might be more of a chance of Black Mold.

I use pine shavings and nest pads.

 

[Happy Chooks]

I have some Barnies that are 11 weeks old. Some are missing their back feathers and some aren't. Could it be a molt this young? They had the feathers at one point. I just don't know if the others are pecking them or what?

Barnies feather in slow. Cockerels feather in even more slow.

 

[alibra]

We have a bob cat too. This is the second one. We had the first one trapped and taken off the property, then a few weeks later this one showed up. My hubs and his friends were on the hunt a couple weeks ago and shot at it with a pellet gun and all was quiet for two weeks. Last night it showed up again around midnight I heard the birds and ran outside. There it was sitting on a fallen tree staring into the coop getting ready. I yelled and threw rocks at it, which seemed to work till about 1am and it was back. Once again, I'm out in the yard in my Jammies armed with my iPhone and a handful of rocks. I scared it off again and was able to sleep through the rest of the night. I know it will keep coming back till we trap it again. No free ranging till this guy is caught. I have lost so many of my girls to these predators. I do not want to lose anymore.

You guys can apply for a permit to shoot it if it goes near your livestock, if that's what y'all want

 

[ronott1]

You guys can apply for a permit to shoot it if it goes near your livestock, if that's what y'all want

Many are choosing to protect their chickens and not remove the predator.

I am reminded about a Story I read a couple of years ago. The Person had Barred Plymouth Rocks and was having a predator problem. She had made the decision to leave her flock locked up in the coop\run because it was a very safe coop. She was struck by how much the chickens looked like prisoners moving along a prison fence with the black and white patterns...but then reminded herself that they were in the protected area for their safety.

The Mountain Lion will probably move on in a month or two on it's own and then the free ranging can start again. Next year at the same time he will probably be back though.

 

[chiqita]

I actauly don't think they issue permits to shoot them, at least in california. It may be on the books, but loook and see how many were issued in the last 5 years...

 

[ronott1]

I actauly don't think they issue permits to shoot them, at least in california. It may be on the books, but loook and see how many were issued in the last 5 years...

They do issue them for Danger to people and pets.

It would be easier to have a Bobcat trapped and relocated.

 

[Chickengirl1304]

They do issue them for Danger to people and pets.

It would be easier to have a Bobcat trapped and relocated.

Well if a bobcat was stalking my chickens in the DAY time where my kids play, you better believe I wouldn't call and het a permit lol.

 

[windandraine]

So I just got home from wrk and went out to check on the Chickens and there was the bob cat, just lying there under my coop. The coop is raised off the ground. I turned the corner and there it was. It did not even move when It saw me and yelled at it. My husband got out the sling shot and shot some rocks at it. But this cat is getting way to brave. And now I am more concerned about my 7lb pom-tzu puppy than the chickens. Time to call the trapper again. Ugh!

 

[ronott1]

Well if a bobcat was stalking my chickens in the DAY time where my kids play, you better believe I wouldn't call and het a permit lol.

Yes, they do kill people. One stalked a jogger up by Auburn, killed her and buried her in the leaf mold about 10 years or so ago.

So I just got home from wrk and went out to check on the Chickens and there was the bob cat, just lying there under my coop. The coop is raised off the ground. I turned the corner and there it was. It did not even move when It saw me and yelled at it. My husband got out the sling shot and shot some rocks at it. But this cat is getting way to brave. And now I am more concerned about my 7lb pom-tzu puppy than the chickens. Time to call the trapper again. Ugh!

Do you have to get a permit or does the Trapper?

 

[Flowers of Abba]

Yes, too much Flax Seed or Fish Meal\Salmon meal will make the eggs taste fishy. The amount I give my layers does not make them taste fishy.

A little bit is all it takes and I would not give Omega boosters to pastured layers since they get plenty of Animal protein. Too much Garlic will make the eggs taste funny too. I will likely not use the Omega booster after this bag is gone though. I do give them a bit of Ultra Kibble so they likely get enough Animal Protein from it.

By the way, I can taste a big difference when I feed them Soy Beans. Yuck!

Well since you two brought up seeds again.  Anyone give their birds Chia seeds?  I had some extra that I thought about throwing out to them.  They are not a good sprouting seed because they get that weird gelatinous goo on the outside sort of like the flax but more so.  Very interesting to me when they do that.   Had me wondering how those Chia Pets worked.  I never did one as a kid but I can't sprout the seed like I would other seeds so now I am all curious how those worked.

That is how I end up with a meal worm farm.  Got all curious about them to see if I could do them.....

So does anyone favor sprouting for their hens instead of throwing seeds or fermenting. I sprout for the family and thought it would be thrifty to increase my sprout jars over the winter when the bales if alfalfa just get slimy I. The snow?

Well I'm just south of mt Shasta in dunsmuir and last year my FBCM roo and New Hampshire roo got frostbite on their combs so just wondering what everyone else does. They have brand new houses this year and I was considering a lamp when it gets in the single digits I just didn't want them to get dependent on the heat

We are at 6,500 (approx). I use a lamp high in the coop so they can't perch or peck on the wire. Over night when it's under 10 degrees or for a few hours ( 5-8 pm ) in the dark months before everyone crowds in for bedtime... I find good ventilation is the key though !

there are pros and cons on both. If the straw gets wet there might be more of a chance of Black Mold.

I use pine shavings and nest pads.

Nest pads ! Now there's some spoiled chickens ;-)