Coop Project: Maken the Plunge & Getting Chickens
- Thread starter Rock Home Isle
- Start date
- Thread starter
- #572
Training Man's Best Friend...About Chickens!!
When I trained both my dogs, I used a check-cord.
Work with one dog at a time. Hook the check-cord to the collar and give the dog a nice amount of slack. Let a couple chickens out.
If the dog ignores the chickens, awesome!!!!
If the dog goes after the chickens, tell the dog "no" and set the cord. The sudden shocking jerk on the cord will serve two things. It will give you great control of the dog, protecting your chickens & it will reinforce the "no" command.
After a couple times, the dogs will understand to leave the chickens alone.
When the dogs ignore the chickens, AWESOME!!!!!
When I trained both my dogs, I used a check-cord.
Work with one dog at a time. Hook the check-cord to the collar and give the dog a nice amount of slack. Let a couple chickens out.
If the dog ignores the chickens, awesome!!!!
If the dog goes after the chickens, tell the dog "no" and set the cord. The sudden shocking jerk on the cord will serve two things. It will give you great control of the dog, protecting your chickens & it will reinforce the "no" command.
After a couple times, the dogs will understand to leave the chickens alone.
When the dogs ignore the chickens, AWESOME!!!!!
Robilyn81
Songster
Just wanted to say I just love reading this thread! You are a great story teller. Fun to see you over in the CO thread, too.
I like your new flock of Welsummers. I have one Welsummer in my mixed flock, she is at the bottom of the pole right now but I think that may change as the group matures. She is definitely the smartest and wileyest to make up for it. Today a big storm went over and she was the only one to go into the safe, dry coop I provided for this purpose instead of under it...lol. her best buds are an Easter Egger and Buff Orpington her age.
Love your snake strategy! I am a rare snake lover (have a few of my own) and I love to see people appreciating their talents
I like your new flock of Welsummers. I have one Welsummer in my mixed flock, she is at the bottom of the pole right now but I think that may change as the group matures. She is definitely the smartest and wileyest to make up for it. Today a big storm went over and she was the only one to go into the safe, dry coop I provided for this purpose instead of under it...lol. her best buds are an Easter Egger and Buff Orpington her age.
Love your snake strategy! I am a rare snake lover (have a few of my own) and I love to see people appreciating their talents
- Thread starter
- #574
Hey Robilyn81...always nice when you drop in and say "HI".
I'm really enjoying my little group of Welsummers as well. My group of girls are at the bottom of the pecking order as well. At the moment only one of the older established birds is bothering them, and she is at the bottom of the big girl's pecking order....go figure.
Yesterday after the rain (think we both had the same storm?) I was looking out the window and I saw what I thought was a garden hose laying in the grass along the side of the house. Looking closer, it was one of the big female garter snakes working her way up the side of the house looking for night crawlers. I have been putting night crawlers in my garden for years, so they readily come up after a hard rain. As She slowly worked her way through the grass, I could see that she had 3 lumps in her body, 3 mice I don't have to deal with later. There were 2 chickens stalking for night crawlers as well, they pretty much all ignored each other.
That's cool that you appreciate snakes, most people do not. My wife shakes her head and says, "Please DON'T tell the neighbors." My students say, "Please bring one in, so we can see it."
When I was in college, I did a couple semesters of research credit under a professor that was looking into the medicinal qualities of snake venom. So part of my research was to collect venom from several species of rattlesnake, a gaboon viper, and a cobra that we had in the lab. Now those are stories...lol.
Chickens are not nearly as...intense...and much more calming.
You should pop into the Welsummer thread and post images of your pullet...very nice people on the Welsummer thread.
I'm really enjoying my little group of Welsummers as well. My group of girls are at the bottom of the pecking order as well. At the moment only one of the older established birds is bothering them, and she is at the bottom of the big girl's pecking order....go figure.
Yesterday after the rain (think we both had the same storm?) I was looking out the window and I saw what I thought was a garden hose laying in the grass along the side of the house. Looking closer, it was one of the big female garter snakes working her way up the side of the house looking for night crawlers. I have been putting night crawlers in my garden for years, so they readily come up after a hard rain. As She slowly worked her way through the grass, I could see that she had 3 lumps in her body, 3 mice I don't have to deal with later. There were 2 chickens stalking for night crawlers as well, they pretty much all ignored each other.
That's cool that you appreciate snakes, most people do not. My wife shakes her head and says, "Please DON'T tell the neighbors." My students say, "Please bring one in, so we can see it."
When I was in college, I did a couple semesters of research credit under a professor that was looking into the medicinal qualities of snake venom. So part of my research was to collect venom from several species of rattlesnake, a gaboon viper, and a cobra that we had in the lab. Now those are stories...lol.
Chickens are not nearly as...intense...and much more calming.
You should pop into the Welsummer thread and post images of your pullet...very nice people on the Welsummer thread.
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Robilyn81
Songster
I might, thanks! Right now I'm just in the 'EE braggers' thread lol. Fun to see how they all grow up different. I should get in some others but I have many breeds to keep up with!
If you were milking hots, I bet that was exciting!
- Thread starter
- #576
My prof had a research project on Massasaga Rattlesnakes, a Pygmy rattlesnake native to parts of Colorado. We were interested in the species because the venom is a neurotoxin. Those little guys were fun to catch, and scary to milk. 
Robilyn81
Songster
Cute! I've never seen Massasauga but here where I live there are a zillion prairie rattlers. I always keep an eye out for a Western Hognose but never see one.
- Thread starter
- #578
6 birds crammed into one nest box...yeah, I have a problem.
Easy fix...but dang!!!
6 birds crammed into one nest box...yeah, I have a problem.
Easy fix...but dang!!!
If you saw the movie "Finding Nemo," you may hear the girls yelling, "Miiiine!"
- Thread starter
- #580
Protecting the Flock
I know that I have posted about using cage traps to catch predators, but for the life of me...I cannot find it. So here it is again.
I live in town. This is what I use to catch any culprits that might want to make a meal out of my chickens. The trap opening is 13 inches X 13 inches, and 36 inches in length. Once the predator steps on the treadle, the door closes and your predator problems are solved. Any one that keeps chickens should have at least a pair of these for quick use when predators stalk our birds. These traps are solid, well built and will last you for many years.
Stay away from the Havahart brand traps, unless you're after squirrels, Havaharts are cheaply made and use sheet metal, the springs that lock the trap are weak. I've had animals push out of a Havahart Trap. If a predator forces out of a Havahart trap once, the trap is ruined.
For most predators bait it with a tin of soft cat food food and set it each night. One time I had a squirrel problem, so I baited it with a mix of peanuts and corn, caught a lot of birds, but after a few days no squirrels. You will probably not want to leave it set during the day, all you'll catch is a bunch of chickens; trust me.
You'll need to stake it so it cannot be turned over, if the trap rolls over the washers will slide and the trap door will open. If the predator escapes, they just got a free education as to what to avoid in the future.
It works great for squirrels, weasels, mink, feral cats, small dogs, dumb foxes with a lower I.Q., and raccoons; basically most of the animals that want to make a meal out of our birds.
For cautious predators like foxes, the trap has to be perfectly bedded, no wobble at all or a fox will not enter the trap. The trap needs to be well weathered, just leave them outside and nature will do a great job. When handling the trap, always wear gloves, try not to touch the trap with bare hands.
Cautious predators are very challenging to stop from killing chickens.
Most foxes that become chicken killers are the young of the year that are just learning to hunt and provide for themselves. Chickens are an easy prey item for young foxes...
Here Is my recipe:
1 tin of sardines
2 cups of vegetable oil
Mix the sardines and vegetable oil in a blender until puraid completely. Then in a 5 gallon bucket mix the slurry thoroughly with about 10 pounds of dry dog food.
This makes a very good bait for most any predator that feeds on chickens.
If you are having trouble catching the predator that is being overly cautious, and there are no malfunctions of the trap itself, wire the trap open so that it cannot trigger and let the target animal hit the trap each night for about a week. Check the trap each day to ensure that the predator is visiting the cage trap, re-bait as needed.
After week, remove the wire and ensure that the trap is properly set. If the predator is hitting the trap regularly, you should have your chicken killer the next morning.
This approach works great for even those very cautious predators like foxes.
I know that I have posted about using cage traps to catch predators, but for the life of me...I cannot find it. So here it is again.
I live in town. This is what I use to catch any culprits that might want to make a meal out of my chickens. The trap opening is 13 inches X 13 inches, and 36 inches in length. Once the predator steps on the treadle, the door closes and your predator problems are solved. Any one that keeps chickens should have at least a pair of these for quick use when predators stalk our birds. These traps are solid, well built and will last you for many years.
Stay away from the Havahart brand traps, unless you're after squirrels, Havaharts are cheaply made and use sheet metal, the springs that lock the trap are weak. I've had animals push out of a Havahart Trap. If a predator forces out of a Havahart trap once, the trap is ruined.
For most predators bait it with a tin of soft cat food food and set it each night. One time I had a squirrel problem, so I baited it with a mix of peanuts and corn, caught a lot of birds, but after a few days no squirrels. You will probably not want to leave it set during the day, all you'll catch is a bunch of chickens; trust me.
You'll need to stake it so it cannot be turned over, if the trap rolls over the washers will slide and the trap door will open. If the predator escapes, they just got a free education as to what to avoid in the future.
It works great for squirrels, weasels, mink, feral cats, small dogs, dumb foxes with a lower I.Q., and raccoons; basically most of the animals that want to make a meal out of our birds.
For cautious predators like foxes, the trap has to be perfectly bedded, no wobble at all or a fox will not enter the trap. The trap needs to be well weathered, just leave them outside and nature will do a great job. When handling the trap, always wear gloves, try not to touch the trap with bare hands.
Cautious predators are very challenging to stop from killing chickens.
Most foxes that become chicken killers are the young of the year that are just learning to hunt and provide for themselves. Chickens are an easy prey item for young foxes...
Here Is my recipe:
1 tin of sardines
2 cups of vegetable oil
Mix the sardines and vegetable oil in a blender until puraid completely. Then in a 5 gallon bucket mix the slurry thoroughly with about 10 pounds of dry dog food.
This makes a very good bait for most any predator that feeds on chickens.
If you are having trouble catching the predator that is being overly cautious, and there are no malfunctions of the trap itself, wire the trap open so that it cannot trigger and let the target animal hit the trap each night for about a week. Check the trap each day to ensure that the predator is visiting the cage trap, re-bait as needed.
After week, remove the wire and ensure that the trap is properly set. If the predator is hitting the trap regularly, you should have your chicken killer the next morning.
This approach works great for even those very cautious predators like foxes.
Last edited:
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