Colorado

[Chickenuts]

WOW! I was eyeball to eyeball to a mama bear several years ago as she was peering in my kitchen window! Nothing made me want to go outside; I was wishing my window was closed, even though that certainly wouldn't have stopped her if she wanted to reach in and get her next meal! I can't believe your backyard looked like a zoo enclosure for bears!! YIKES! Be careful!

 

[Mtn Margie]

Whoa ponies! Whoa! Wendy, you did the right thing with making noise. I have scared off many a bear that was staying too long on our property. Pay attention to body language! Mama bear was being perfectly normal. It is a REALLY BAD idea to think that you are going to shoot a bear and stop it or drop it dead unless you are an experienced hunter with an "elephant gun" or far enough away from the bear as to be able to get enough rounds into it as it charges for you, now seriously angry. Not many of us could do that and if it is far enough away, why are you shooting it? Noise, noise, and prevention as you are doing. IMHO

Welcome Newbies to the CO thread!

 

[Pozees]

Great information, Mtn Margie - can you give more detail on bear body language? I have zero bear experience, so I don't even know what I would look for if I saw one here.

 

[WendyGeisler]

Mt. Margie-- I have no desire to hurt any animal. I took several gun classes when we bought our property, but really have no desire to use my gun. I am licensed, trained, and knowledgeable.
But... these 3 bears live in our neighborhood. I have watched those cubs grow up. I have no desire to hurt them, but... i sure don't want them in my backyard. Momma bear has meandered by several times and she hasn't harmed anything. I do have 3 bee hives and a electric fence. About 2 months ago, something tried to get in to the apiary. I saw the mulch scratched away under the gate, the wire gate smashed up a bit, but who ever tried got zapped, and has never bothered it again. 10,000 volts doesn't feel good.
Now I have seen those 3 bears walk right along the outside fence of my chicken run. I have 25 chickens and 2 large turkeys inside. They have never bothered them. BUT... I know they are trying to pack on the pounds right now, and will not give them any chance to!
So I am hoping the additional 550 feet of electric fencing and the wolf urine will keep them away. My neighbors to the north, have 6 hunting dogs and they will let them outside when the bears come, and that has been a great deterrent.
The DOW officer told me that a big dog will chase the bears up a tree. Unfortunately, my 9 month old puppy isn't that brave. But the bears don't know that!

As for bear body language, Friday was the first time I have seen the momma bear snort and start to charge. Usually she is pretty carefree, and scurries off if she sees people. She did try to get into our garage in July. But we got the garage door shut just in the nick of time. I am LOVING the nite guards (solar boxes which strobe a red light from dusk to dawn, that appears to be the iris of a big predator). We put up 10 around the property and that really took care of our bear visits. Friday was unusual since these two visits were during the day light hours.

 

[FlockOfGirls]

Suncatcher - are these still needing a new roost?

You are right, there has to be an adjustment time for any animal being moved from one place to another. I too wanted to only go the holistic natural way, but had to treat with chemicals on one occasion. You have to do what is best for the flock, and sometimes chemical intervention is the way to go. If anyone is interested in a chick/hen experience, I have a momma hen with three chicks that are looking for a new place to roost! The chicks look to be blue splash cross, and the hen is a Bantam Cochin. This picture is from several weeks ago......

 

[FlockOfGirls]

That is a really great picture sequence - I would love to do these heaters.

LOL. you're fine.

No. I cut them in half around, which gives me a tub that is about 7 inches tall with a solid bottom. I then make a base with a light fixture in it and make it so the metal can section fits ofer the top and can move around. Then you put the waterer on top so that the light bulb keeps the water from freezing. Most of the time I have a 25 W bulb in it, when it gets really cold I put a 40W bulb in it.

 

[wsmith]

That is a really great picture sequence - I would love to do these heaters.

thanks

it works really well down to just below zero. Then you get ice in the tray, but when you remove the tray ice, it fills up with water. That's when I went with the higher wattage bulb during the coldest nights.

 

[wsmith]

For those who care... and aren't on FB and don't get our regular updates: .....

My wife, Beth, has now begun home hospice care through Pikes Peak Palliative and Hospice. There comes a time when the chemo isn't beneficial any more, and viable options aren't there. That's where she is now. We added it up, and found that she was on 7 different chemotherapies and 181 treatments over the past 11 years, the last one was effective for nearly 4 years. 8 major surgeries as well.

So the plan now is to make her as comforable as we can, so that she can enjoy the time she has remaining with us. She actually feels much better now that she isn't getting chemo any more

 

[vlselz]

For those who care... and aren't on FB and don't get our regular updates: .....

My wife, Beth, has now begun home hospice care through Pikes Peak Palliative and Hospice. There comes a time when the chemo isn't beneficial any more, and viable options aren't there. That's where she is now. We added it up, and found that she was on 7 different chemotherapies and 181 treatments over the past 11 years, the last one was effective for nearly 4 years. 8 major surgeries as well.

So the plan now is to make her as comforable as we can, so that she can enjoy the time she has remaining with us. She actually feels much better now that she isn't getting chemo any more

You are right, that there comes a time when you have to weigh all options and see if one isn't beneficial anymore. Sorry to hear your going thru this right now

& pray only the best for u & your family during this hard time! My father passed away from renal cell Carcinoma but before he passed the doc's offered a "magic pill" to him..(it was supposed to slow the cancer down and ease the pain.) Fortunately it did that,unfortunately however he became almost narcoleptic, sleeping ALL the time, and started losing pieces of his memory and even lost significant amounts of weight. He told us he was done with the "magic pill" that he'd rather spend his last days with us as "himself" "quality now not the quantity" . Making someone as comfortable as possible during these times is good but also remember (someone showed me this advice once...so i pass it on) *** It’s just as important for caregivers to take care of themselves at this time.*** (Caregivers are affected by their loved one’s health more than they realize.) Taking care of a sick person often causes physical and emotional fatigue, stress, depression & anxiety. B/C of this, it’s important for caregivers to take care of their own body, mind, & spirit. Helping themselves will give them more energy, help them cope with stress, & cause them to be better caregivers as a result. Once again my thoughts are with you & your family, G-d bless u!

 

[Pozees]

Wendell, glad to hear she is feeling better. There are no words to express the sorrow that comes with knowing how limited her time is here, and I hope you know I am but a phone call away if you need anything. I would venture to guess that holds true for almost anyone else reading.