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

[ldutch123]

It sounds like a predator of the two legged variety.  Any of the neighbors not like his chickens or maybe him???   I can't think of any animal that would do something like that.

No way. Jean is a super nice guy. Im wondering if it was a raccoon?? He said the one they found in the field had been eaten. he also said he thinks they broke their necks and one or two had tail feathers ripped out. But they were ALL dried up is this normal?
My mother who does love her sci fi is freaking out....she thinks there are vampires out here. Lol. She has me checking behind me at night now lol.

 

[Achickenwrangler#1]

Dog.

 

[ldutch123]

Chicken wrangler....is it normal they get stiff and flattened in a matter of a few hours when it isn't that hot? Also wouldn't there be blood somewhere? My girl was just laying there no blood no nothing but she was stiff

 

[Kassaundra]

No way. Jean is a super nice guy. Im wondering if it was a raccoon?? He said the one they found in the field had been eaten. he also said he thinks they broke their necks and one or two had tail feathers ripped out. But they were ALL dried up is this normal?
My mother who does love her sci fi is freaking out....she thinks there are vampires out here. Lol. She has me checking behind me at night now lol.

What are you meaning "all dried up"?

 

[Beekissed]

Possibly a dumb question, but what do you mean by "make more" - is it like making yogurt in a way? A continual growth process sort of?

Yes...exactly like that. Take some ACV from the spore-rich Braggs and mix with the regular ACV and let it sit for a week or more with just a paper towel rubber banded over the opening for aeration. Works quicker if they are kept in a darker area like a cupboard or such.



As for the dead chickens? It could definitely be a dog....they seem to love the kill but not so much the eating, until after they have wreaked havoc and then they might settle down for a good chew on one of the chickens.

That flatness of the chicken can be visible in just a matter of hours...I've had a few chickens drop off the roost dead with heart attacks before and they were flat and stiff by morning~who knew when they actually died during the night but it doesn't seem to take long for them to appear stiff, flat and "dried out".


Stony, I'm loving the pics of your broodies....your Sumatra looks like she has very tiny legs in proportion to her body!

So cute!

 

[ldutch123]

Really stiff. Flattened. She looked like she got ran over which isn't possible it's all fenced in.

I'm thinkin dog because this has been a problem with the neighbor on my other side. His dog has killed his chickens before so he keeps it locked up. Well I think he let's the dog out to run at night now. And if the dog has been there once it's gonna go there again.

But I think maybe I just had never seen a chicken that was dead for a few hours and this is natural but it just weirded me out because Genes were all stiff and dry too he said which he felt was odd.

I'm going with the vampire angel. Come on maybe we can get a reality tv series out here

 

[Beekissed]

Yep...that's normal. I wouldn't go buying any garlic just yet...unless you are going to put some in their water as a great parasite preventative.

 

[Achickenwrangler#1]

Sorry, was off to the chicken house-checking out the new roosts-working fine...yep, what bee said, it only takes a couple of hours for them to flatten out...and then, when there's no life, it can just seem dry, lighter.,stiff. Dogs just kill that way and move on to the next...not hungry, just going from one to the next...which is why roaming dogs just get shot more often than not....they just do. So check your yard, it got in once, it will try again, it prob has a spot where it can hop in and out easily. Just trying to warn you...not being fatalistic, just practical...and anyhow, don't believe in vampires, but I do have a few silver tip bullets just in case, or is that werewolves.

 

[Wishing4Wings]

You can make that tarp work for you if you form an arch over your run with the use of a cattle panel or even with PVC pipes and then apply your tarp. As many find here, in a heavy downpour of rain or snow(probably not your main problem) a tarp is weighed down and may tear. It will also flap more in the wind if applied without a good support and will shorten the life of your tarp. An arched design under your tarp will shed precipitation and provide a better base for tying it down tautly and snugly than will a flat base or no support.

Thank you for this idea. Have been considering the idea of tarping my run for the rainy season, but was concerned about water pooling. There's lots of time before the rain starts, so I've been keeping this problem on a back burner in my brain, but thanks to sharing your wonderful advice, I now have a workable plan. Frees up a much needed burner!

Thanks also to all who contribute to this thread. I read it regularly and consider it my chicken "bible" of sorts. Lots of common sense chicken rules to live by, some provocative issues to ponder, and a strong sense of community and helping thy fellow flock keepers!! You are appreciated.

 

[Ridgerunner]

On a permanent structure like that, Bee’s idea of an arch is great advice. The arch is the key.

If your tie-down rings pull out of the tarp, which happened a lot for me, you can still use the tarp. Take a small pebble or wood chip, fold and twist it in the tarp, and tie it with a rope just above that pebble or wood chip. It is sort of a fold, twist, then fold again. You’ll get it with very little practice. Those don’t pull out like those tie-down rings and you can get a lot more life out of your tarp doing that.