Colorado

[Wifezilla]

I would put the daycare kids to work!

 

[coloradochick]

Sooooooo.....where's the pics of the new kids Zilla?

 

[the lemon tree]

Does Big R have a good selection of feed, supplies, hay/straw, etc.? Also, how far is it from downtown COS? I'm sure I could Google it and map it but I'm just being lazy

Also, what kind of predators are there lurking in the Springs? Any tips on how to best protect my chickens?

 

[Wifezilla]

Big R is 45 minutes one way. Their selection isn't that great. Colorado Agi-feed is only about 15 minutes.

Predators will depend on location, but stray dogs will most likely going to be your biggest problem.

 

[ghillie]

Quote:
I am in town and we have foxes in our yard frequently. We also have hawks. My neighboor says he has seen racoons but I haven't seen them. We have not had any problems with predators yet except for the alarm calls from the hens.....

 

[mrsengeseth]

predators...

People - neighbors etc (i have one in particular that is continually trying something)
Loose Dogs and cats
Skunks
Racoons, although I haven't seen any in a few years at my place
Foxes
Squirrels could be a problem, more a pest than a predator
Hawks


that's all i can think of...

 

[the lemon tree]

As for the hawks, how common are they-would I still be able to let my chickens free range for part of the day unsupervised or is it just not worth the risk?

Thanks for the tips, everyone. COS is a big change from Seattle so I will have lots of questions in the next month before I move so bear with me!

 

[Wifezilla]

It depends on where you live. Some areas you see them all the time. Some areas you never see them. You have to understand, we have like 10 ecosystems in this area depending on how close to the mountains, how close to the praire, if you are in the valley, if you on the north end....

You get the idea

 

[mrsengeseth]

Quote:
In my area...downtown, we have a few hawks. I never ntice them over thehens, but I wouldn't tempt them with one of my girls, that's for sure. Do you have a dog? Mine seems to discourage them from coming for a visit.

 

[aidenbaby]

I don't live in the Springs. We live about 30 minutes north-west of Denver. We see hawks ALL the time. I'm starting to wonder about whether my girls will ever free range the yard. Just today, there were two calling to each other and circling. They were so high that I could barely see them but I could hear them. I'm thinking my girls will be staying in their run with fresh stuff delivered to them. I was thinking about planting some grasshopper attracting plants between the coop and the house. It would make for yummy treats for the girls when any came through the run.