Chickens for 10-20 years or more? Pull up a rockin' chair and lay some wisdom on us!

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Probably what Fred said...but kind of odd to get absolutely zero out of 16 birds. Should be at least one or two birds dropping one here and there.

It may sound far fetched but I've heard of folks having rats stealing eggs this time of year. Got rodent problems at all? Any human preds in the area who would relieve you of your eggs?

I never get too disturbed by a drop in egg production this time of year....like Fred, I just expect it between Sept and Dec and don't try to do much about it. Everyone needs a slow down in the winter, why not these hard workin' gals?
Late Fall - Spring I have scrub jays steal eggs, used game cameras to finally figure out what was going on. If the eggs have a nice strong shell, the birds can carry them off and leave not a trace........



 
Weights are good, no signs of creepy crawlies. Feed "should" be good, the feed store I use grows and mills their own products and I had a long talk with them re seed sources, growing methods, additives, etc after I kept catching my son helping himself to the pellets.
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I did catch a squirrel in the coop a few weeks back helping himself to the feeder, had to have come in through the pop door... he didn't make it out and I no longer free feed in case he has family in the area. Never had a rodent issue until my dog died this spring. Belgian Malinois, prey drive up the wazoo, but best darn dog and never a problem with the chickens. He knew a softly spoken "leave it" was law.

With only 7 laying, it isn't so odd after all that you have no eggs right now. The more birds in the flock laying, the more chance you have of at least one or two having a different hormonal cycle than the rest. Squirrel will carry off eggs from what I hear...never know. But most likely it's the change in the weather.
Yup. A .22 is a standard issue varmint gun, that's for sure, but if you have neighbors, be very very careful. The range of a .22 LR is upwards of a 1/2 mile, sometimes more if the wind is right. That's risky unless the shot taken is level to downward. That's why a little shotgun is always welcomed. For little or no kick, a 410 can do the job. A 20 gauge packs more punch, throws more pellets and doesn't need to be as precise as a .22. Put a slug in that 20 gauge and add a recoil pad on the stock and you can take down a deer at close range and won't leave a black and blue mark on your shoulder.

What Fred said! And if yer really cheap and hickville, you can make a recoil pad from foam and duct tape like our 16 gauge.
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I don't think it kicks much at all but the ol' Bat is 78 and uses it for turkey hunting...she thinks it kicks enough to pad it out. Of course, she's about as big as the small end of a pencil..sharpened. Probably knocks her around a bit, come to think about it.
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Hee, Hee!!!!! Look how smart he thought he was, looking back in case I was there. Unfortunately there are hundreds of these birds around here and they are pretty darn smart.
 
Late Fall - Spring I have scrub jays steal eggs, used game cameras to finally figure out what was going on. If the eggs have a nice strong shell, the birds can carry them off and leave not a trace........




Wow, that's amazing. Are those bantam eggs? I'm having trouble picturing a scrub jay carrying a large fowl egg. Scrub jay weighs around 80 grams. Large chicken eggs average around 57 grams. Seems like that would be a bit much to fly with. But a bantam egg seems more doable. How does it carry the egg? Poke a hole and then use its beak to pick up the egg at the opening?
 
Wow, that's amazing. Are those bantam eggs? I'm having trouble picturing a scrub jay carrying a large fowl egg. Scrub jay weighs around 80 grams. Large chicken eggs average around 57 grams. Seems like that would be a bit much to fly with. But a bantam egg seems more doable. How does it carry the egg? Poke a hole and then use its beak to pick up the egg at the opening?
Large Fowl Eggs! In pic. # 2 if you enlarge it you can see he is stabbing his beak in, next pic. he and the egg are gone. This was happening for weeks and I was blaming the hens for egg eating as once and a while there would just be parts of a broken egg in the nest. Would not have believed this if it wasn't for the pics! They would go into my main coop as well. I ended up putting slatted curtains in front of all the nest boxes and the auto door (actually a cut-up repurposed shower curtain) and that has solved the problem since 2008, hope it keeps working!!!
 
I'm an AKC judge in lure coursing...strong prey drive dogs for a baggie! I've bred, handled, and shown all breeds for 45 years. You were just lucky to get a dog who knew her job. I'll bet she was taught by her mother, and was not a 7 week old pup when you got her.Where was she before "She became of age?"

Too many people assume = *** (of) U ( and) Me..that all LGDs will simply know what to do, and create LGD monsters.I know, as a board member of our county humane society. They can be dangerous to people and animals if un- trained in basic obedience. You must be able to STOP a dog, and call it off, no matter what breed you have. Otherwise you have a loaded gun about to go off.

Ask me how I know. I had Mastiffs, the biggest in the US at the time. They would guard, but when I said , "Ok", they were likely to end up in your lap, if invited. Snap my fingers, and you did NOT move. Picture the MGM lion here..They learned what "Not yours ! " meant by 8 weeks.
they are the best i love my mastiffs. all i have to do point my finger in a downward position and say "sit " and that dog is sitting. say "down " and she lays down, say say no and she sits at attention. just a god dog.
 
they are the best i love my mastiffs. all i have to do point my finger in a downward position and say "sit " and that dog is sitting. say "down " and she lays down, say say no and she sits at attention. just a god dog.
Thats great. I'm really happy that so many of you have great dogs.
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Today something happened to disrupt the invisible fence and Darcy and Willaughby went right down the road. Nina, my little eagle eyes, saw them going and I called them and they ran back up the hill to me.
Later I went to the feed store and they had those smelly raw hides for cheap. The ones that smell like feet. Usually I never get them cause theyare 12 or 15 dollars. Today they were 3.95 So I bought them two raw hides (1 each) and a cow hoof (whole hoof and knuckle) for Emma.
Well happy days. I had the dogs locked on the back porch since I didnt have time to see what happened to the fence. They (Darcey and Willaughby) proceeded to push their new raw hides off the edge of the deck within minutes of getting them.
When I got home from all my running around, got done with Nina's pre- birthday mini party with the neighbor I finally was able to let the dogs off the back porch.
Right away Darcy ran around the house in the dark and got one of the bones. I of course put it back on the deck because it smells. Later tonight I took them all out and Darcy, as chicken as he is, hesitated, sniffed , circled the driveway and looked long and hard at me....then he made a bee line (haha) for the back of the house. Willaughby just watched him go. A few minutes later here he came with the other rawhide. So he cooked up enough bravery to go get his bone- late and in the dark. That was worth a good boy so I let him have it.
Emma took it away from him before he got in the house. I picked up all of her little knuckle pieces and put them on the deck and then she came into the bathroom, where I was, with yet another knuckle and kinda threw it at me and walked back out.

I did notice that the roosters are both waiting for her when I go to lock them up. They have not gone after her together yet but they are only interested in her and they dont want to go roost. They want to stare down at her whispering and trying to get up the curage to jump down. She ignores them and looks for chicken poo. I swept them gently off thegate and in the general directio nof the coop. They went right in then. Not sure how to properly handle this issue. Ideas??

So I'm watching some friends boys, 8 years old twins for the day Weds and another friends 6 year old and 10 year old boys.
I know- I'm a glutton for punishment. DH is planning to get the turkey ready when he gets home early from work. both moms have said they have no problem with the boys helping and or getting involved. So I may make a video. If it works out this will be a very memorable thanksgiving for these little scouts. Any ideas on how to get the boiling water out to the scene? With out spilling it all over? Does it have to be boiling or is very hot good enough?

DH Doesnt think the pan I bought is gonna be big enough for the turkey.

I got 17 eggs from 25 chickens today. Dark by 5pm out here. My friends respiratory chicken ailment is getting better and she just gave up and put them all together. She boosted the feed with garlic, olive oile and antibiotics. ACV in their water. But the caugh is clearing up and none of the others have a symptom. She wasnt gonna do the antibiotice but her hubby insisited.

How long canyou leave a healthy egg on the counter and still be okay to eat it? My fridge is gonna be packed from here till next week and I can reallyuse the room.

Thanks all. By the way the flock pics were lovely. Those birds are gorgeous.

And Bruce I'm gonna start calling you 'Bruce the canner' and I'm gonna call Bee 'Bee the nailer'. You guys crack me up!

DH wants a sword for Christmas. We have a 9mm which is his preferred midnight varmit tracking tool and a 30 ot 6 and a 22 along with the bb rifles.
He still thinks a sword would be better, safer in the neighborhood etc. quieter, and he thinks he would be able to manuever easier too. I just think he wants a sword.
Of course if I cruise the antique shops and find him one that could make for a very funny story one of these nights huh?

Local man in pajamas kills mtn lion with broad sword. Film at 11.

L
 
Yup. A .22 is a standard issue varmint gun, that's for sure, but if you have neighbors, be very very careful. The range of a .22 LR is upwards of a 1/2 mile, sometimes more if the wind is right. That's risky unless the shot taken is level to downward. That's why a little shotgun is always welcomed. For little or no kick, a 410 can do the job. A 20 gauge packs more punch, throws more pellets and doesn't need to be as precise as a .22. Put a slug in that 20 gauge and add a recoil pad on the stock and you can take down a deer at close range and won't leave a black and blue mark on your shoulder.

The 22 cartridge carton says the range is one mile for 22 long rifle bullets. One of the other problems is that the bullets go right through predators if the bullet doesn't hit a bone. I use a 22 pistol or on old 15 shot auto, but mostly use a 12 gauge Remington pump that is about 50 years old. #6 shot does the job and doesn't go out of my property.

Walt
 
I have a 12 gauge pump as well. I remember when I was in my 20's they kicked like hell. But here I am almost getting close to 60, and the kick doesn't bother me much at all. Maybe the newer guns just have more recoil built in? I only got this one last year. It kicks about as much as the 20 gauge I had way back then. Course holding it tight to your shoulder is key. Being in the city I haven't fired it here and won't unless it's me or it. The range gets it's share of slugs though.
 
The 22 cartridge carton says the range is one mile for 22 long rifle bullets. One of the other problems is that the bullets go right through predators if the bullet doesn't hit a bone. I use a 22 pistol or on old 15 shot auto, but mostly use a 12 gauge Remington pump that is about 50 years old. #6 shot does the job and doesn't go out of my property.

Walt

That. The .22's range is dependent upon lots of factors, thus the product safety statement of 1 mile. Factor for the worst, and you'll be OK. I shoot hollow points which both limits the distance a touch and won't just pass right through the varmint.

While it makes more noise, the shotgun tends to spray it's pellets on one's own property. A 410 has far less kick than 20/16/12 and makes an excellent all purpose varmint gun. Add a butt pad and it can be used by anyone who can use a .22, plus it has a larger pattern for those tiny, cussed, annoying ground squirrels that are really tough to get with the rifle.

A 12 gauge, shooting rifled slugs can beat up your shoulder, holding it tight or not. But, since we've got bear around here, it is a must have. Just not for shooting little varmints in the yard.
 
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