Cull him, or wait for protection?

[Taffy57]

An electric fence is a great option for preditors, however (lol), we already have electric fencing around all of our fields for the cattle. The coyotes are a bit smarter than we are. They always manage to find their way in. The cattle and horse do a great job at keeping them away. We've only seen one or 2 slip through. They are shot and we haven't seen any in a few months, but nighttime confirms there are still plenty out there, as we can hear them. We haven't lost a chicken to them so far, but my luck...

Hi Songster,
When I worked on farms many years ago, the electric fence used for cattle and horses consisted of either 1 or 2 strands of wire and were supported on insulated posts about 3 feet off the ground. The type of electric fence I'm talking of with regard to predators is the white nylon netting that looks similar to pig or sheep netting ! When set up correctly it is extremely effective towards ground based predators.
Another option could be the use of a guard dog, my English Bulldog spends most days out in the garden with the chooks And when she is out there no cats, dogs or postmen can come near the garden without her barking furiously.

https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=10219482336788822&id=1225575993

 

[CoopsNPoops]

and as a follow up, your hens will keep laying, even with no rooster. If he's been doing the deed, your hens will keep laying fertile eggs for between several weeks and a month. (I could link to sources, but most agree three weeks +/- is a good estimate)

As I've already found myself, and recently, where I suggest you place your feet - short your main rooster - I would (and have) gather a dozen eggs, incubate to hatching, and select the best rooster (chances are, you will have a few) of that batch to carry on. Assuming your 14 laying hens were selected primarily as layers, chances are, they are early layers, meaning your new Roo should be ready to do his duty in about 5 months - three weeks to hatch, and about 4 months (18 weeks) more to

Hi Songster,
When I worked on farms many years ago, the electric fence used for cattle and horses consisted of either 1 or 2 strands of wire and were supported on insulated posts about 3 feet off the ground. The type of electric fence I'm talking of with regard to predators is the white nylon netting that looks similar to pig or sheep netting ! When set up correctly it is extremely effective towards ground based predators.
Another option could be the use of a guard dog, my English Bulldog spends most days out in the garden with the chooks And when she is out there no cats, dogs or postmen can come near the garden without her barking furiously.

https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=10219482336788822&id=1225575993

Ah, yes. Our electric fencing consists of two wires along the regular fencing. One about 6 inches from the ground, the other about mid ways of the fence. The cattle (the bull) learned how to break down fences, so the electric fencing is to keep them in, not necessarily to keep preditors out. I didnt even know they had other electric fencing options like that. That seems lune a huge expense for some chickens, however.

 

[SurferchickinSB]

They have been free to venture since laying age. From the brooder, they went into a pen with their coop. When they were well aware of where they were supposed to roost and lay, we removed the pen. Since then they have been completely free range. We have 40 acres of pasture, so they venture fairly far. I don't necessarily "want" to keep the rooster for protection, i just didnt know what would be best for the hens since i don't really want to pen them up either. Unpenned was our plan before even getting them, and its worked out perfectly aside from the aggressive accidental roo.

Oh, I was speaking about your three and four-year-olds, LOL! I was wondering if you could pen them in and wondering how far you let your kids wander from your home unattended. I just thought that way your chickens can roam your 40 acres that way the rooster may not be able to bother your children if they had a fence around their play area.

 

[CoopsNPoops]

Oh, I was speaking about your three and four-year-olds, LOL! I was wondering if you could pen them in and wondering how far you let your kids wander from your home unattended. I just thought that way your chickens can roam your 40 acres that way the rooster may not be able to bother your children if they had a fence around their play area.

Oh, lmao. No, we won't be fencing in a play area for them. They play in our whole yard. There is fencing around our yards and we don't allow the children to wander off unattended. There are cattle in the open fields so its dangerous. Our fences dont keept chickens in, they are free to go through and roam the 40 acres of fields. Even if they are out there when the kids go out to play, here comes rooster running at them.

 

[NatJ]

Oh, lmao. No, we won't be fencing in a play area for them. They play in our whole yard. There is fencing around our yards and we don't allow the children to wander off unattended. There are cattle in the open fields so its dangerous. Our fences dont keept chickens in, they are free to go through and roam the 40 acres of fields. Even if they are out there when the kids go out to play, here comes rooster running at them.

A layer of chicken wire around the yard fence might keep the rooster out of the yard. That way the kids could be safe in the yard--no cows or rooster. And the chickens could roam the rest of your property, much like they do now.

(Although making the rooster into soup would also keep the him out of the yard, and is probably much easier and cheaper.)

 

[CoopsNPoops]

A layer of chicken wire around the yard fence might keep the rooster out of the yard. That way the kids could be safe in the yard--no cows or rooster. And the chickens could roam the rest of your property, much like they do now.

(Although making the rooster into soup would also keep the him out of the yard, and is probably much easier and cheaper.)

The yard is so big, their coop is in the yard side of the fence. That won't work either. I guess i could move their coop to the field side of the fence and do that, but i like having the coop in the spot its in for accessibility and its less vulnerable to night preditors. Also, thats alot of chicken wire to streach all the way around the yard. I do like the idea of keeping them free range in the pastures and out of the yard though!!!

 

[SurferchickinSB]

Oh, lmao. No, we won't be fencing in a play area for them. They play in our whole yard. There is fencing around our yards and we don't allow the children to wander off unattended. There are cattle in the open fields so its dangerous. Our fences dont keept chickens in, they are free to go through and roam the 40 acres of fields. Even if they are out there when the kids go out to play, here comes rooster running at them.

Well, your rooster sounds overly protective! I bet he’ll disappear soon when he tries to attack the wrong creature.

 

[NatJ]

thats alot of chicken wire to streach all the way around the yard. I do like the idea of keeping them free range in the pastures and out of the yard though!!!

Most of the time, people say not to use chicken wire because predators can rip right through it. But in this case, to just keep the chickens out of the yard, you might be able to use the cheap-ish chicken wire that is only 2 or 3 feet high. So it would still be a lot of feet of wire, but not nearly as expensive as trying to build a fence to keep out predators, or even a fence to keep chickens in a small area. They will not try as hard to get through the fence if they have the rest of the 40 acres to roam. Of course there will be one hen that learns to get through anyway, but hopefully not the rooster, and it would reduce the amount of chicken poop in the yard to step in.

(I started with the idea from SurferchickinSB to fence a place for your kids, and I'm making up extra details to see if I stumble on anything helpful.)

 

[SurferchickinSB]

Most of the time, people say not to use chicken wire because predators can rip right through it. But in this case, to just keep the chickens out of the yard, you might be able to use the cheap-ish chicken wire that is only 2 or 3 feet high. So it would still be a lot of feet of wire, but not nearly as expensive as trying to build a fence to keep out predators, or even a fence to keep chickens in a small area. They will not try as hard to get through the fence if they have the rest of the 40 acres to roam. Of course there will be one hen that learns to get through anyway, but hopefully not the rooster, and it would reduce the amount of chicken poop in the yard to step in.

(I started with the idea from SurferchickinSB to fence a place for your kids, and I'm making up extra details to see if I stumble on anything helpful.)

That’s what I was thinking, just that cheap chicken wire because if his chickens are roaming over 40 acres it’s only time before something discovers they are there. I think the first thing that usually goes is the rooster, only because they usually try to protect the flock while the hens run for cover.

 

[SurferchickinSB]

The yard is so big, their coop is in the yard side of the fence. That won't work either. I guess i could move their coop to the field side of the fence and do that, but i like having the coop in the spot its in for accessibility and its less vulnerable to night preditors. Also, thats alot of chicken wire to streach all the way around the yard. I do like the idea of keeping them free range in the pastures and out of the yard though!!!

Well, that might be a good idea to move the coop. I would just make the coop bulletproof, so nothing can get in there if it’s further from your house. If it doesn’t already have a floor nailed in, maybe add a wood floor and also an automatic chicken coop door, add one of those and that way the door opens in the morning when the sun comes up and you can set it to close when the sun goes down.