Quote: We're also in the foothills and out of town. We have the same type of predators. I have lost my whole flock of 20 (except the Roo) but not while free ranging. They were locked in a coop & run that we'd used for about 20+ years w/o a problem. We're not sure what killed them because they didn't eat any of them and they were left in a pile in the run. Our area is large acreage parcels so it's hard to even see the coop from any road but we felt it wasn't of the four legged variety. Scary! Over the years we have periodically lost to more skunks then anything but after building a hardware cloth encased run attached to the coop we haven't lost any. Knocking on wood!
We have a fox and bobcat that we see routinely in the olive orchard and have had coyotes that came right up to the house mid morning and the roo attacked but I can't bare to keep them locked up all day and for me, the benefits outweighs the risk.
I think it's a choice every chicken owner has to make for themselves. Doesn't mean anyone cares more or less for their chickens, just a lifestyle choice.
Did you hear that wolf they're tracking is here in Butte County? I'd hate to have him wander onto our property while the chickens are out free ranging!!!!!!!
Yes!
Sorry if it sounded like I was against free ranging. It is a choice to leave them out and a choice to leave them in. Each place is different and each person keeping chickens gets to decide how to raise their own chickens. The chickens will be better either way then the poor factory chickens.
I am worried about human predators in my neighborhood. Also the Dog breaking through the fence. Urban Predators?
(Sorry I couldn't resist this emoticon--it is so weird...)
Paradise is in the upper foothills of the Sierra Nevadas--not a volcanic range. Bella Vista is in the lower foothills of the Cascade mountain range. There actually is a break between the two ranges. A couple of thousand years ago there used to be a big volcano called Mt. Tehama. The sucker blew up and threw millions of tons of rocks into the area and left a big hole between Mt. Lassen and Broke Off. You can see where the mountain used to be when you drive up that way. Paradise may even have some of those Rocks. There is a lot of it near Redding. Soil is different, water is different. Plants are even a bit different between the two places.
Predators are probably similar but they could be different and in different numbers. I did not know that the Wolf was in Butte county. The last I had heard it was just over the Oregon Border Closer to I-5. There is also talk abut bringing Grizzly Bears back to CA. Along with Differences in where we live for predators, there is also the fact that there are more of then now. I am pretty sure I read that Yolo county eliminated their trapper.
It is great we are all thinking so much about taking care of our chickens!
Ron
