Colorado

[Mommato5]

Got home and found that the dark brown EE had gone over the fence, and had met the dogs... no damage, lots of squawking and a few feathers. Beth and Heather intervened before any real damage was done. I drove back to Lowe's and got some netting and 2 x 2s and put up 3 feet of netting above the 6 ft wood fence. I have to go back and get some more 2 x 2s tomorrow so I can do the rest. The netting was 7 ft x 100 feet, and we split it down the middle. Not quite enough to do the whole run, so I'll have to get another roll.

This is timely. 6 of our chickens hopped the fence tonight to visit the neighbor! We have frequently seen a dog in this neighbor's yard, however, thankfully, he was not there tonight! Hubby went out to feed them a treat and only 3 showed up. The sun was almost down so I assumed they had gone to bed but, nope. We could see them walking around on the other side of the fence! We hurried over to the neighbors house, caught each chicken and tossed them back over the fence! I actually had the thought, "Wendell has a 6' fence with no roof and HIS chickens don't fly over!" Then I see this post! LOL Our chickens are extremely good fliers! I wish they weren't quite SO good! Tomorrow we will put up some chicken wire and move some higher perching places to make it more difficult to get to the top of the fence.

Thankfully these neighbors love our chickens. They've been watching them grow and commented on how big they've gotten. We have been very blessed that not one single neighbor has expressed any complaint about our chickens and every neighbor we've talked to either said they didn't know we had chickens or said they weren't bothered by them in the slightest. Apparently, another neighbor a few houses down has chickens also.

 

[Pozees]

This is just what I'm looking for! I'm way down here at the bottom of Colorado in Trinidad. I've lived here for going on twenty years, and I don't know anyone around here who has chickens. Being farm county, I know they're here, but now I need to find them since I've taken up a quest. Here is the thread that I'm currently sponsoring. https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...ade-for-your-flock-in-the-event-of-your-death

I would really love to meet other chicken owners in my area for reasons stated in the thread, and ultimately arrive at a reciprocal arrangement with someone whereby I would adopt their flock should something happen to them and they would adopt mine if/when I die.

Meanwhile, there are all kinds of benefits of knowing other chicken owners in your area.

So, is anyone looking at this thread from Las Animas County? Please feel free to PM me.

First, welcome to the thread!

Second, I may be the closest to you in this group (geographically), I am south of Pueblo and just north of the Hatchet Ranches. DH works in Trinidad. We aren't, as the saying goes, spring chickens either, and perhaps making an arrangement would be a good idea, one I don't think much about. The chickens are my gig, DH likely would want nothing to do with them - not because he doesn't like them, he actually has grown quite fond of them, but more because he wouldn't know what to do if this that or the other thing happened, and would have his hands full caring for the property, house, and cats without me here to help.

I will be interested in following this discussion as it evolves. DH says there is a young woman who works for the same company as him and lives down there who has chickens, not sure how many, sounds like more than I have but it is a basic laying flock. I can always ask him for her contact info and PM it to you if you want, if she is willing. She is at least a couple of decades younger than we are.

 

[Pozees]

This is timely. 6 of our chickens hopped the fence tonight to visit the neighbor! We have frequently seen a dog in this neighbor's yard, however, thankfully, he was not there tonight! Hubby went out to feed them a treat and only 3 showed up. The sun was almost down so I assumed they had gone to bed but, nope. We could see them walking around on the other side of the fence! We hurried over to the neighbors house, caught each chicken and tossed them back over the fence! I actually had the thought, "Wendell has a 6' fence with no roof and HIS chickens don't fly over!" Then I see this post! LOL Our chickens are extremely good fliers! I wish they weren't quite SO good! Tomorrow we will put up some chicken wire and move some higher perching places to make it more difficult to get to the top of the fence.
Thankfully these neighbors love our chickens. They've been watching them grow and commented on how big they've gotten. We have been very blessed that not one single neighbor has expressed any complaint about our chickens and every neighbor we've talked to either said they didn't know we had chickens or said they weren't bothered by them in the slightest. Apparently, another neighbor a few houses down has chickens also.

Yeah, my girls can get over a 6' fence too - the first time I saw it I was amazed, and then remembered they evolved from jungle fowl who slept/sleep in trees

 

[Pozees]

Anyone know anything about Wyandottes? I've got two and they are not nice at all. A few months ago my big girls were pretty mean to the Cochins but they're all finally doing ok, except the Wyandottes. They peck anyone getting too close to them, meaning chickens, not people. I just really don't like them right now. They'll be six months next week, and I'm thinking about getting rid of them, along with the one Cochin Roo. You think the Wyandottes will change at all? Or are they just going to get worse?

I have never had them but it sounds like either they are fine or they aren't - Gardendufus had to place hers with someone else who had a rooster to put her in her place. Could be certain lines? Don't really know much about them, other than they are pretty

 

[Pozees]

I have a lot of different types, and so far we seem to be doing fine. I have 4 naked necks, 2 of them are girls. right now the girls have bruises on the back of their necks where the boys grab hold during mating. Its definitely worrysome, so we'll be moving them to a coop where there is one boy to 20+ girls so there wont be too many boys going after them.

I keep meaning to ask about your kit shed, now that it's up are you happy with it?

 

[azygous]

wsmith - look at my signature line. I list them all. But mainly they're just terribly spoiled. They range in age from one year to five years.

 

[wsmith]

wsmith - look at my signature line. I list them all. But mainly they're just terribly spoiled. They range in age from one year to five years.

Ah yes. there is the list. Thanks.

 

[maggiemo]

Re: you all with chickens going over 6 foot fences. I just clip one wing and the problem is solved....I'm pretty new to this..does that not always work? Seems a whole lot easier than putting a cover on the run.

 

[Mommato5]

Re: you all with chickens going over 6 foot fences. I just clip one wing and the problem is solved....I'm pretty new to this..does that not always work? Seems a whole lot easier than putting a cover on the run.

Honestly, I don't know how to clip wings and I would be worried about hurting them (cutting too close, making them bleed). I want to put a cover over our run anyways when money permits and hubby's ankle is healed, to provide an area without snow/weather for them. However, they often free range around the back yard and that's what they were doing when they hopped the fence. Obviously, roofing my entire backyard just isn't going to happen.

 

[wsmith]

Honestly, I don't know how to clip wings and I would be worried about hurting them (cutting too close, making them bleed). I want to put a cover over our run anyways when money permits and hubby's ankle is healed, to provide an area without snow/weather for them. However, they often free range around the back yard and that's what they were doing when they hopped the fence. Obviously, roofing my entire backyard just isn't going to happen.

Clipping is easy, Just cut off about 1/2 the primary flight feathers using a pair of shears.

I don't like to clip the wings, personally. With my Doms, I have to be able to identify potential breeders, and with clipping, I lose the feather on the wings. SoP thing. I will finish the rest of the yard tomorrow.