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

[Miss Lydia]

My grandmother always used DMSO...and it still works today as a remedy for crusty rash. Burns a little but we dab it on with a cotton ball.

I use DMSO for Fibromyalga great stuff

 

[City farm]

I love it!!!!!!!!!!!!111

X2... Agreed..
However I do name ours.. Everytime someone
with no animals comes over they make me laugh, when I am laughing telling
our chickens names...

 

[Beekissed]

Now seems as good a time as any to discuss predator control. I know we've covered it before but, in the wake of Al's recent incident with 5 large dogs wiping out his breeding stock, now seems a good time to bring up the subject once again. We've learned from this that even the very experienced flock keepers can have a wild card episode that catches you off guard.

Right now I'm one dog down on my flock protection and the dog I have left isn't really a true alpha dog, which means he is way too friendly to stray dogs. My older dog, Lucy, was very much death on any stray dogs( which remain the biggest and most uncontrollable threat to flocks because of the human factor that is entertwined with this particular predator)and I do mean death...she would kill any that came in her territory. She was a big part of my predator control. I also lack a perimeter fence...something I used to have but will never have at this place.

If I had a pack of dogs come through, I doubt that Jake would or could defend my chickens from this threat. He is good for all other wild predators but not much good for other dogs because he is much too friendly to strays. I've had to add the loaded gun on the back porch to my current setup and that only works if I am home and can respond quickly enough. For now, I just wing it and pray protection over the flock. We have already killed three strays this year.

Any OTs care to explain their current defenses and how those have worked in your area, what types of threats to the flock you ordinarily have and any adjustments you have made over the years and why?

 

[maidenwolfx80]

X2... Agreed..
However I do name ours.. Everytime someone
with no animals comes over they make me laugh, when I am laughing telling
our chickens names...

oh all of mine are named and I have 37 all together lol. People are like "how can you remember all those names" And when I get on to one like "Alpha stop being mean to her" They look at me like I am crazy....I love it

 

[Miss Lydia]

I have 8 EE's that aren't named, everyone else is, I just call the EE's "The Thugs" very affectionately though.

 

[Mountain Momma]

I have 8 EE's that aren't named, everyone else is, I just call the EE's "The Thugs" very affectionately though.

lol. My ees are chickens. I have 4 and even though they are quite large they alwaysdefer and stick togather on the farside of the run. I can tell two are laying because they will actually try to get more food than usual. Overall I thought they were a little bit wimpy.

 

[Miss Lydia]

lol. My ees are chickens. I have 4 and even though they are quite large they alwaysdefer and stick togather on the farside of the run. I can tell two are laying because they will actually try to get more food than usual. Overall I thought they were a little bit wimpy.

I have a huge Embden gander and my EEs' will literally jump into the air and take food out of his mouth. Yep they are piggies too. lol

 

[Fred's Hens]

Now seems as good a time as any to discuss predator control.

Any OTs care to explain their current defenses and how those have worked in your area, what types of threats to the flock you ordinarily have and any adjustments you have made over the years and why?

Well, we do all the normal stuff. Chicken wire backed up with welded wire. The good stuff. Stout barns, runs, etc.

But, and please understand, that if I had some of our selected breeders get wiped out before next spring's breeding season? I would be devastated. It would seriously set us back a few years in our programs. So, in the end, we (3 of us brothers) have made this decision. We keep DNA at each of our three homesteads. We've got to be able to recover somehow from a catastrophic event. We have our Heritage Barred Rocks at all three locales and have enough utility stock at each to start over. Again, it would be absolutely no fun, but at least it is doable.

Bottom line, I just don't think it is always possible to avoid every attack at all times, in every situation, no matter how much security you undertake. Life just doesn't work that way.

 

[Beekissed]

I agree. What is your biggest predator threat there, Fred?

 

[Fred's Hens]

Both here in northern Michigan and in Kentucky, we've got it all. Everything. Cats, coyotes, coons, fox, possum, etc, etc., you name it, we got 'em.

But, we've honestly lost more birds to rogue dogs than to anything else, over the years. SSS You've got no choice.