Calling all West-River South Dakotans

[cwalsh2]

I am in rural Hermosa- Last fall I lost 17 of my show Dominiques and a duck to a big boar mink in 1 night. Daisy Dawg unfortunately was sleeping in the house. She found it fast and was so mad about all her dead chickens that ole mink died quick when I lifted the particle board it was under. I raise Quality Dominique, Bantam phoenix, and genetic hackle fly tie chickens. There is a good poultry club in Rapid. Black Hills Poultry Society.

 

[cwalsh2]

There is a good club in Rapid City ( Black hills pouldry society) It is very active promoting and educating about poultry. I raise Bantam and LF Dominiques, Bantam Phoenix, and genetic hackle fly tie chickens, and may add rose comb brown leghorns to the mix in the future.

 

[SouthDakotan]

Sorry to hear about your mink. I've adopted a "literal" Cat-eating lab-chow mix that was a rescue to help with predation. Her kennel surrounds the poultry coop & pen. She patrols the parameter & gets furious even if a cat considers approaching the fence line. Mind you, before I had her, I had coons, skunks & cats killing my birds. But not any more. The Cat owners who allowed their cats out to "go hunting" have all been informed that IF their cat comes into the yard... I can only guarantee it will be killed & eaten. Amazingly they seem to be able to keep their cats at home much better than before! Mind you I lost expensive show pigeons to them prior because they claimed they just wouldnt stay home. (not like they were farm cats needing to hunt to feed themselves.... these were porkers who sat by my aviary and fished in and then tried pulling my birds THROUGH the wire fence! But porkers no long come to my yard (I guess realizing they are on the menu gave them a new perspective).

The coons too have re-directed their hunting and baby-training exploits. I lost my entire Swedish duck breeding flock to a family of 8 coons in one night, two years ago and all my silkie chickens. But now I have a full contingency of predator patrol (one coon dog & one lab-chow). My coops are built so burrowing in isn't easy... so as long as they keep the predators from having time to come into the yard and climb into the buildings.... I'm hoping that issue is resolved.

Still working on my other problem -- a rat who took up residence in my garden shed that shares a wall with a coop. This spring new coops will be built that are separate structures. Then I plan on letting my dogs use that coop as shelter for a few months... giving the rat a new perspective.

Its always a challenge to keep control over the predation, isn't it?

 

[novastar]

Hi everyone!
I'm a new chicken raiser living in the Rapid City area!
Nice to meet all of you!

 

[SouthDakotan]

Nice meeting you two! What breeds of chickens do you have?

 

[novastar]

I have 3 Barred Rock hens. Almost two weeks old

 

[Jans Chickens]

Welcome to BYC Novastar. I am south of you outside of Custer.

 

[novastar]

Anybody living in Rapid City with chickens effected by the ordinance? There is a group called the Rapid City Hens and they are trying to get it legal to raise BYC. I'm actually living west, outside of rapid. I will probably be moving back into town at the end of this year and I'm worried I won't be able to keep my chickens when we do move.
I'm hoping they get the ordinance to pass before I move back into rapid.

 

[SouthDakotan]

Anybody living in Rapid City with chickens effected by the ordinance? There is a group called the Rapid City Hens and they are trying to get it legal to raise BYC. I'm actually living west, outside of rapid. I will probably be moving back into town at the end of this year and I'm worried I won't be able to keep my chickens when we do move.

I'm hoping they get the ordinance to pass before I move back into rapid.

Novastar, Check with Dakota Rural Action, they've been working with most of the state's BYC groups to address municipal ordinances and so far have been successful in Sioux Falls & Brookings in getting the ordinances changed for the benefit of the poultry hobbyists. The case of Sioux Falls was DEFENDING the right of hens in town, against a councilman who wanted to strip them of the right to have them -- claiming they were "noisy" and other dumb excuses. But in Brookings it was an effort to change the ordinance that previously denied people the right to have BYC to having them.

With the larger S.Dakota towns now approving it, (limited numbers of courses and hens only) it will likely be harder and harder to towns to continue the old arguments. But bigotries must be addresssed to get the changes in favor of the hens.

 

[novastar]

Great! Thank you!
I would just keep giving my neighbors fresh eggs!! Who couldn't resist that?