Chickens for the 1st time.

[floridalife]

So this is the first time I have had chickens and I don't want to mess this up. I have had my chickens for about 4 months now and luckily they are still alive so I guess I am doing something right. So I have 4 chickens 1 Rhode Island Red her name is Caitlyn Jenner, and 1 Buff Orpington named Blondie, and one speckled Sussex named princess, and last but not least one Auracana named Duckie. Well I built a coop with my bare hands and that was an adventure but it came out nice. It survived a category 6 hurricane named Mathrew. Beside that scare we did have another scare when a panther got in our backyard but luckily my wife which is very over protective actually ran after the panther to save our chickens....don't try this at home kids afterwards she realized that wasn't a great idea but she scared it away nonetheless and it hasn't came back...there hasn't been a sighting in a month or two but a day or to after the panther was in our backyard a horse got attack a mile from our house and it survived but ended up needing 300 plus stitches...sad but if anyone who is reading this has any advice please let me know.

 

[Kiki]

Welcome to chickens and BYC.

Advice on the panther?
I'd have to say stay far away from it! lol
Can you town "catch" it...or are they allowed to fun freely where you live?

 

[redsoxs]

Welcome to chickens and BYC.

Advice on the panther?
I'd have to say stay far away from it! lol
Can you town "catch" it...or are they allowed to fun freely where you live?

This sounds like good advice to me! Best wishes and

! You might ask some of your Florida chicken neighbors how they might handle the situation - find the FL thread in this link: https://www.backyardchickens.com/f/26/where-am-i-where-are-you
Best wishes and thanks for joining BYC!

 

[drumstick diva]

Are you allowed to shoot it? Can you run electrified fencing around the perimeter of your coop/ run? One good jolt and it may decide chickens aren't such a great idea.

 

[Teila]

G’Day from down under floridalife

Welcome!

Great tips from the others! You might also want to post on the Predators and Pests Forum: https://www.backyardchickens.com/f/13/predators-and-pests OR search ‘Panther’ in the search box which should return some members' experiences with Panthers and how they dealt with it.

Good luck!

I hope you enjoy being a BYC member. There are lots of friendly and very helpful folks here so not only is it overflowing with useful information it is also a great place to make friends and have some fun. Unlike non chicken loving friends, family and colleagues, BYC’ers never tire of stories or pictures that feature our feathered and non feathered friends

 

[N F C]

Glad to hear your birds (and wife!) were not harmed after the panther encounter.

Please do check out the predator & pests link Teila has given you and the Florida state thread.

 

[IdyllwildAcres]

Panther? Pretty sure you will have to move...

Good luck

Gary from Idyllwild Ca here

PS, we have mountain lions here so IDK where you can go?

LOL

Welcome to BYC

 

[blogachick]

I agree with the last comment. PANTHER!!!??? And here I thought I had serious predators. (Raccoons and the occasional fox). However, I understand your wife's reaction. One night when two big raccoons came for chicken tartar in my backyard, I ran out there growling like a big grizzly bear. (I'm a hundred pound little old lady but I never stopped to think what might happen if they chose not to run away). But I'm pretty sure if there were panthers roaming out there in the dark I'd never leave the house.

Electrical fencing everywhere sounds like a good plan.

Good luck

 

[CuzChickens]

Hello there, and my warmest welcome to the flock! I am quite pleased you decided to join us, please pull up a chair and make yourself at home here! I hope you enjoy it here as much as I have!

~Cuz