Chicken stressed in lock-up because of alligator in yard

[Audi0]

Oh and just an FYI you're safe in most of the springs because of the temperatures since they have plenty of much warmer bodies of water. Go get in those springs - they'd feel great about now!!

Actually was one on the bank edge at the end of rock springs…. Not sure if it ever got into the water but that was enough for me. I’m a wus when it comes to those type of things. That was a few decades ago. Between snakes, gar,gators, jellyfish,sharks, sharp shells or just seaweed I don’t enjoy being in the water unless it’s a pool preferably by the beach if I get to be picky.

 

[Sunshine_Chick]

More like the Great State of Vermont. It's nice, no gators. We do have bears though, not sure if you've got them in Florida.

I feel So Stupid you have Vermont ??state seal?? as your avatar

Good luck. I love gators, but I wouldn't want one floating around my pool for a week. One of the reasons I live about as far away from them as you can get in the lower 48.

 

[Sunshine_Chick]

Actually was one on the bank edge at the end of rock springs…. Not sure if it ever got into the water but that was enough for me. I’m a wus when it comes to those type of things. That was a few decades ago. Between snakes, gar,gators, jellyfish,sharks, sharp shells or just seaweed I don’t enjoy being in the water unless it’s a pool preferably by the beach if I get to be picky.

How'd you end up in Florida? I'm a little creepy about lakes. I've had snakes inside my house back when we had back to back tropical storms they were just looking for dry land.

 

[Audi0]

How'd you end up in Florida? I'm a little creepy about lakes. I've had snakes inside my house back when we had back to back tropical storms they were just looking for dry land.

I was born here

 

[nuthatched]

Thanks for your reply. I was advised to call the trapper daily by the state authorities- maybe they've had issues with him previously & they're testing his response times

That's a possibility.
There was a mountain lion in the neighborhood last winter, people kept seeing on the cameras and tracks in their yards, I found tracks through my yard, passing my coop by 8 feet.
It's not pleasant but sometimes 'house arrest' is necessary. I think the cats understood since they could smell it but the chickens were fus-sy!

 

[SourRoses]

You might not want to hear it, but the best thing for stress is a flockmate or two. They're social creatures and rely on those around them for clues on how to react to stuff.

For the mess, I like to use the Pine pellet bedding, because it sucks up so much moisture it helps with smell. It's hard to clean out of an area (like on our back porch brooder "run") but still 10x better than scraping poo off hard surfaces.

Gators are evil. The coon is floating because they like to let their food rot before consuming. In the wild they stash it under rocks / logs / plants / roots of mangroves, etc. That's what they do with human limbs they have ripped off, pets, and even children (Disney World incident). It seems your pool doesn't offer that amenity.

I wonder if salt would count as harassment? They've been found to swim in the ocean when motivated, so it's not harmful. But they don't like it, especially when it's a sudden change from fresh to salt. It would probably take a lot of salt to get the pool near ocean level. But hey, plenty of people go with saltwater pools for antimicrobial action instead of chlorine, since it's healthier. The law doesn't say you have to provide pleasant accommodations, right?

 

[Sunshine_Chick]

You might not want to hear it, but the best thing for stress is a flockmate or two. They're social creatures and rely on those around them for clues on how to react to stuff.

For the mess, I like to use the Pine pellet bedding, because it sucks up so much moisture it helps with smell. It's hard to clean out of an area (like on our back porch brooder "run") but still 10x better than scraping poo off hard surfaces.

Gators are evil. The coon is floating because they like to let their food rot before consuming. In the wild they stash it under rocks / logs / plants / roots of mangroves, etc. That's what they do with human limbs they have ripped off, pets, and even children (Disney World incident). It seems your pool doesn't offer that amenity.

I wonder if salt would count as harassment? They've been found to swim in the ocean when motivated, so it's not harmful. But they don't like it, especially when it's a sudden change from fresh to salt. It would probably take a lot of salt to get the pool near ocean level. But hey, plenty of people go with saltwater pools for antimicrobial action instead of chlorine, since it's healthier. The law doesn't say you have to provide pleasant accommodations, right?

Thanks for your suggestions. She had flockmates, but sadly she is the last one left and I think I'm done with chickens. They're great fun & produce the tastiest eggs, but their deaths or disappearances are just a little much for me. I've had to dispatch 2 myself and though I watched many videos repeatedly neither death was swift & easy only because I lack experience - not sure I'd like to be experienced. Maybe I'll change my mind, but being chick season is seasonal babies are not available around me. She's only been on her own for a short while. The gator ate all the legs yesterday along with the intestines by this morning I don't see any remains. In our heat bloat occurs within a matter of hours especially if one is a floater which in the funeral industry is what we called drowned victims. I'm no stranger to death, nor decomposition. It would take an awful lot of salt to turn it into seawater salinity.
Oh & I use those pine pellets as cat litter. It's the best!

 

[Sunshine_Chick]

That's a possibility.
There was a mountain lion in the neighborhood last winter, people kept seeing on the cameras and tracks in their yards, I found tracks through my yard, passing my coop by 8 feet.
It's not pleasant but sometimes 'house arrest' is necessary. I think the cats understood since they could smell it but the chickens were fus-sy!
View attachment 3619890

Great shot! I know it's best for their safety which is why I captured both & locked them up before I even called. Though they had been out there with him unbeknownst to me. I just didn't know that they'd be on house arrest for so long & now that I do I'd like to improve their accommodations. They normally free range & sleep in dog crates overnight on the porch. Though the cat is free on the porch overnight, but she comes in everynight with the chickens.

 

[ViKulik]

I understand that you can't harass wildlife, and I'd be nervous going near the pool, but if I had one in my pool for more than a day I give the pool a good shock treatment of chlorine. That's not harassment it's normal "pool maintenance". I'm sure it needs it if there's a coon floating in there. I skipped school once cause I got a call that there was a gator in the girl next doors pool.

 

[ViKulik]

Similar happenings here in coastal SC. When my daughter was about 7 she was on grandmas laptop, she turned and asked
"Where are our Alligator pictures, oh nevermind
I know... Alligator.com. "
She's 26 now and we still laugh about that.