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

[Miss Lydia]

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone & Gods Blessings !!

 

[thedragonlady]

I used to get some hunting magazines years ago. How they got my name, I don't know, but they sold all type of hunting stuff...gear, camping equipment and a ton of firearms. They also had some type of (CO2) guns that shot some mean pellets, not those small BB's. In Tucson, discharging firearms in city limits is a Class 6 Felony/borderline Misdemeanor 1.

I think someone shot one of those guns into my pleather landau roof of my 1978 Olds Delta 88. You oldies remember those older cadillacs and chryslers cars that had that back portion of the roof with the fake leather and metal strip accross the top. That pellet sucker was huge, about a quarter-inch large, and was pointed.

I don't know if BB/pellet guns are considered as firearms, but if not, I would prefer to have something like that. Oops, come to think of it, they're not, or they would have to be registered. With a pellet that big, it would surely do some serious injury, if not kill, an average sized dog or smaller preditor.

My coup and run will be in my back yard, in full sight of my 9-ft master bedroom window with sliding openings/screens at each end. Should be easy to pick off some some 4-legged or 2-legged preditors during the night. Kids can be cruel, too, out there roaming when they should be home doing their homework and trying to better themselves. They have no problem bullying others at schools and I've come accross court cases where they torture animals for sport and entertainment. In my book, they are preditors when it comes to me and mine.

Not to sound mean or cruel, but I have no problem with removing/culling any bad A33 kids and/or thugs from the gene pool. There's some tagging here in my newer neighborhood. If I had known that this neighborhood was swimming with small kids and teenagers, I'd never have bought this place. My goodness, 200+ kids out on Halloween in this small development? I partially blame some of these clueless, young breeding parents who haven't taught their kids to respect others' property. Back in the day, If I disrespected someone's property and didn't get shot, I would have worried about the consequences when I got home, because my parents would have surely found out, since everyone knew everyone.

Sorry for that brief off-topic rant, just have a serious issue with disrespectful youth. I just wanted to know if anyone has used anything other than a lethal firearm, rubber bullets or a BB gun for predator control/protection. I could be wrong, but maybe that thing that I removed from my roof was actually from a bullet. It was bigger than something that would come from a .22 gun, and I will search the web to see if I can find something similar.

This "pellet/thing" was shaped like this. I had to take some tweezers to pluck it out. It would surely do more damage than a regular BB gun. Then again, technology advances, and no telling what damage today's BB guns can do nowadays. --BB

Bobby Basham
Tucson, Arizona

Pellet from a pellet gun. There are pellet guns that you can cock up into the power of a 22 without the noise. They are also very accurate. I have one. I nailed a couple of big wood rats off my back deck as they munched at my bird feeder. Thinned out the tree rat population too as they were starting to chew on this old carriage house. Nice, handy weapon for cleaning up the neighborhood.

 

[Mountain Momma]

Lisa, nice pictures of the Turkey event. All of them kids yours? It looks like a really nice sized turkey. I like the coop pictures too.

Thanks. No all those kids are not mine. lol. The one with the football shirt and the little girl are mine, all others are friends kids. I was watching them cause their parents had to work yesterday. I'm thankful that hubby is willing to go along with all my little projects. He was very scientific explaining the process and the kids all did great!
L

 

[Mountain Momma]

Bobby, you have every right to protect your property. Shooting children is not a good idea even if it is just rubber. You would be better off getting a nice big dog and some warning signs about a protection dog.

agreed. You could put somebodies eye out. If you dont want to mess with a dog you could get a peacock.
A few years ago a couple kids were stealing radios out of cars parked in driveways. In Colorado we have make my day laws. The homeowner shot the culprit. Killed him.
A jury aquited but he is living with the fact that he killed a 15 year old over a radio.
Just call the cops to come out and look around, do that a couple times and the juvies will back off.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!!!!!!!!!
L

 

[Beekissed]

Is there a pic of this gutter idea. I'm liking easy and cheap. I have my nipple waterers ready to assemble using the rain barrel but I haven't settled on the feeder just yet.

 

[ellie32526]

DITTO, I also wish the same for all my Backyard Chicken friends. Have a great day!

 

[bruceh]

i wish all a happy thanksgiving. please take a second and please say a prayer before you eat for those unfortunate and the suffering also give thanks for the bird we are going to eat.

 

[ellie32526]

That looks simple enough, I think I can handle that. Thank you. How old would the hens have to be to use this feeder? It doesn't look like it would work for chicks right? Pls forgive my dumb Qs-thats how I learn.

 

[Bobby Basham]

Thanks, Galanie...

Sorry for my last rant. I wouldn't shoot any of the neighborhood kids, but would sure like to scare the H##L out of them enough to let them know that a crazy person lives here and don't mess with my property/possessions. LOL The kids in my area seem to be okay, but this newer subdivsion (2006) is built next to a very old one, probably 60+ years old, known for drug and other illicit activities.

I was gonna have my coup/run setup against the back brick wall, but there's a sidewalk-culdesac on the other side. Anyone can walk by there (it's only 5-ft tall) and torment my birds. Even if I have to get some big clay pots, I will plant some type of shrubbery or small trees to line that back wall, and pull my project further into the yard to keep my birds from being seen from passers by.

This subdivision is a complete concrete jungle, with a few weeded washes, and no telling what might be living in them. My backyard is just a dirt landscape with 5-ft brick walls on three sides to separate me from the two neighbors and culdesac at the rear. I don't know the size of my back yard, but I think it's at least a good 50 x 50 feet, which gives me more than the 40-ft requirement of having a coup/structure from neighbors.

I made the stupid mistake of going out my front door to examine my trees on both sides of my driveway. I always enter through the garage entrance. Didn't close the front door completely, and when I got up the next morning at 4:30, the front door was wide open. The breeze had blown it open. I did check for intruders and critters, but found nothing. Truly some guardian angels watching over me.

Thanks for your input, folks. I don't wanna be popular for shooting neighborhood kids. I'm not particularly fond of them, especially teenagers, having worked for the judicial/juvenile and disciplinary system for the past 35+ year and the attitudes they have nowadays. I'm more concerned about what critters my birds will attract. Sorry if I offend anyone with kids. Just tainted from seeing all the negative and very little of the positive.

May you all have a safe and happy Thanksgiving! --BB

Bobby Basham
Tucson, Arizona

 

[Bobby Basham]

Thanks, thedragonlady.

I know my pic is not drawn to scale, but I remember this pellet having a pointed head and indentations midway. It was burried deep into my padded car roof, and just noticed it by accident one day. I really had to dig it out. --BB

Bobby Basham
Tucson, Arizona