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

[stonykill]

Where I am, if you shoot a hawk you are in for a hefty fine. If you were to say that you shot the hawk because it was killing your livestock and you had proof of this, you might could get away with it. Might. It really depends on the person who finds you out.

I think donray was still talking about rodents

 

[thedragonlady]

Uh....then you have a terrier around other small game...like your chickens. Might want to clarify that you can solve one problem with a good dog but that same good dog needs to be a safe bet around the chickens. This isn't breed specific, by any means, but JRs are pretty excitable dogs in the best of circumstances. You get a few chickens running and squawking and you could solve the problem in a much different~and less productive~way.

Would have to really train that JR around the chickens until he is completely safe.

Beekissed,

You're dead right on that. The right type of JR is also essential. The good JR are big headed, long backed, bow legged, calm dogs. You do not want one of the PRs or the "new type" JRs. They are short backed,long, straight legged and pin headed. They bred all the brains out of them. If you can find the old type; get a pup and introduce it to a hen with chicks. A good broody will teach that pup manners in a hurry.Pretty soon the pup says, "i don't see no chickens."

There was a 400 year old tithe barn on the property of the riding center that I taught at in England.All the hay and straw for the horses was stored there. Before the new hay was cleaned out, the barn was swept clean. Thomas, the JR, killed 96 rats in 2 hours one day. I saw it, or I would not have believed it. Some of those rats were as big as he was.

Maybe one of Walt's big Shamos might be the way to go for those who don't want to train a pup!

 

[HallFamilyFarm]

Quote:
The USDA/WS regulations has a $10,000.00 fine for killing a raptor (hawk, eagle etc) plus at least a year in prison. Thus never shoot a hawk. If you have already done so, never tell a living soul! There is a predation permit, but you must prove everything else has failed: netting, cages etc. The raptor has the right of way.

 

[galanie]

My neighbor saw a hawk diving for my chickens yesterday evening about 1 hr. before sundown.  Thankfully they had gone into the 20x20 part that has chicken wire on top of it.  The hawk hit the chicken wire then flew away.  I had been closing the gate on that 20x20 about 1.5 hours before dusk but  have been shutting it later and later.  I guess I should probably go back to shutting them in it earlier again.  (They DO get locked into the hen house at night...I'm only referring to the outside pen and shutting them into it away from the pasture earlier in the evening.)   Their larger pasture area doesn't have anything overhead and is open pasture so there are no trees to get under for shelter.

Question---- those of you who have hawk experience----- are they more likely to hunt just before dusk than other times of the day?

That hawk will figure out how to get in there if it wants to badly enough. I had one get in my coop but my girls backed up under something and into a corner and met the thing with beaks and screams. I'm not sure if I scared it off or they did. Nevertheless, I made sure it couldn't get in after that.

Now, though, I have hawks everywhere but they are hunting doves, not chickens. And scrapping with the crows a lot, too. I suppose so long as my one neighbor keeps feeding the doves like he has been this past year, they'll have enough of a supply to leave my girls alone.

 

[Leahs Mom]

That hawk will figure out how to get in there if it wants to badly enough. I had one get in my coop but my girls backed up under something and into a corner and met the thing with beaks and screams. I'm not sure if I scared it off or they did. Nevertheless, I made sure it couldn't get in after that.
Now, though, I have hawks everywhere but they are hunting doves, not chickens. And scrapping with the crows a lot, too. I suppose so long as my one neighbor keeps feeding the doves like he has been this past year, they'll have enough of a supply to leave my girls alone.

I don't remember...do you let yours out to range/pasture/(choose your term here)? I'm nervous to let them out but I don't want to keep them in a small pen. I'm guessing it may not have been the first attempt - just the first one anyone saw.

I have this idea brewing on how to make some "moveable" overhead deterance with the netting from the garden store (I think called "deer netting"?) If I do it I'll put a photo up somewhere.

It just irks me that they could get right into the coop...what kind of door did it go in?

 

[stonykill]

mine free range but have cover everywhere. But like I said a hawk that wants to eat chicken will hunt it on the ground to eat chicken. Most of my hawk attacks are in the winter when snow slows down the easy food for the hawks

 

[galanie]

That hawk will figure out how to get in there if it wants to badly enough. I had one get in my coop but my girls backed up under something and into a corner and met the thing with beaks and screams. I'm not sure if I scared it off or they did. Nevertheless, I made sure it couldn't get in after that.

Now, though, I have hawks everywhere but they are hunting doves, not chickens. And scrapping with the crows a lot, too. I suppose so long as my one neighbor keeps feeding the doves like he has been this past year, they'll have enough of a supply to leave my girls alone.

I don't remember...do you let yours out to range/pasture/(choose your term here)?  I'm nervous to let them out but I don't want to keep them in a small pen.  I'm guessing it may not have been the first attempt - just the first one anyone saw.

I have this idea brewing on how  to make some "moveable" overhead deterance with the netting from the garden store (I think called "deer netting"?) If I do it I'll put a photo up somewhere.

It just irks me that they could get right into the coop...what kind of door did it go in?

At that time, they were not let out to freely range the yard because they weren't fully mature and I was unsure of risks. They had a covered run and coop but there was one little corner of the netting that wasn't secure and that's where it got in. I was floored that a hawk would do that. But one did. I had been putting them out in a 'tractor' and would look out and see a hawk perched on it, trying to figure out how to get in to those tasty morsels.

Now, they just run all over the yard during the day. It's fenced but not covered. The birds are all over 4 lbs and any smaller ones have a broody watching over them. When I have really tiny ones, they stay in a covered run most of the time with momma.

 

[HappyHenMama]

Thanks Bee. I gave them some watermelon before I left & put it under the waterer in the hopes they boink their head on it and when it gets wet they realize there is water in there lol
I will try holding one of them to show them the water when I get home. Those girls are quick runners tho

Sheesh, I've been away for a week and it's gonna take me all day to get caught up on the ONLY thread I bother to read anymore! I just had to comment here...b o i n k is a funny word.

This made me giggle. I love this thread!

While I'm on here I'm going to ask a serious question: My oldest hen is about 18 months old. She is an OEGB...tiny little thing and she became a mother for the first time this spring. Anyhow, she has become the biggest bully ever. My new girls started laying last month and I see Goldie go into the nests while they are laying and start pecking at them. Poor things they are at their most vulnerable and she is in there pecking at their eyes. I've tried seperating her for a couple of days and reintroducing her and I still notice she's doing it. Any suggestions??? I'd really hate to cull her, but if that is my only option, I will.

Thanks everyone that participates here I really do get so much out of this thread. I've learned a lot and I think my chickens are healthier and HAppiER for it!

Kimberly (aka) Happy Hen Mama

I'm wondering if the "flaps" or "curtains" that were discussed on this thread might do the trick?? What do you think Walt, Bee, Bruce? Or anyone else that might have a good suggestion. She is a great mother and a great layer when she is not broody, so I'd like to keep her around.

 

[Kansas Prairie]

Hawks here seem to prefer jack rabbits, cotton tails, field rats, dove and quail. In the winter when they can't find enough of their regular menu they will go after chickens, cats, puppies. Blue quail hunters use hawk calls, quail hear it they will stop running. If our chickens or turkeys hear a hawk or owl they go into full alert and hide in shelter.

There is an eagle about 45 miles from here, in the winter people get road kill or shoot rabbits and toss them near the Eagle's tree. It's old, the community keeps it feed and it leaves their chickens and pets alone.

 

[Beekissed]

Sheesh, I've been away for a week and it's gonna take me all day to get caught up on the ONLY thread I bother to read anymore! I just had to comment here...b o i n k is a funny word.

This made me giggle. I love this thread!

While I'm on here I'm going to ask a serious question: My oldest hen is about 18 months old. She is an OEGB...tiny little thing and she became a mother for the first time this spring. Anyhow, she has become the biggest bully ever. My new girls started laying last month and I see Goldie go into the nests while they are laying and start pecking at them. Poor things they are at their most vulnerable and she is in there pecking at their eyes. I've tried seperating her for a couple of days and reintroducing her and I still notice she's doing it. Any suggestions??? I'd really hate to cull her, but if that is my only option, I will.

Thanks everyone that participates here I really do get so much out of this thread. I've learned a lot and I think my chickens are healthier and HAppiER for it!

Kimberly (aka) Happy Hen Mama

I'm wondering if the "flaps" or "curtains" that were discussed on this thread might do the trick?? What do you think Walt, Bee, Bruce? Or anyone else that might have a good suggestion. She is a great mother and a great layer when she is not broody, so I'd like to keep her around.

I'd leave things be unless you see a drop in egg production or wounds inflicted on your hens from this practice. Chickens have a way of working out things if we just let them. I have never had a bully bird in any of my flocks though I have noticed brief dominant behavior towards weaker or younger birds, which is natural. Every bird needs to establish their place in the social structure and this bird is just sending a message to the younger hens. Unless she is doing damage to all, I'd leave things be. If she starts wounding a particular bird, eliminate that particular bird...sometimes the chickens know something we do not about individual flock member's health status or expectations of survival.

It is instinctual, I think, for us humans to want to attribute animals with human motives but it just isn't so~she isn't a bully, she is merely doing as some chickens do. There is a reason for the things they do, we just have to try to figure it out on their level instead of ours.