Dixie Chicks

[minihorse927]

Beer, kids are fine with it, trust me. Our neighbors try to shield their youngest daughter (I think she's about 6 now) a bit from the fact that we eat ours, but the kid keeps saying stuff like "Why don't you kill a chicken and a rabbit to make dinner for yourself and Karin?". So she's pretty fine with it. And she and her mom came over to bring us a Xmas present, so I told the kid that the bunnies are starting to come out from the nest, to which she replied enthusiastically "AND SOON THEY DIE!".

lmao! I don't think their shielding is having a positive effect. I would say it'd be best for then to let her learn about the process of them becoming bunny stew

 

[Ravynscroft]

lmao! I don't think their shielding is having a positive effect. I would say it'd be best for then to let her learn about the process of them becoming bunny stew

I agree... also, kids are like chaos... they will find a way, lol...

How's Shelby?

 

[CanuckBock]

Still alive and kicking Been busy trying to prevent more duck losses. We've had a night time predator taking our ducks, I highly suspect an owl. I have since moved them out of the duck run into the chicken run (higher fence but smaller run) and have been able to cover it for the most part.

DH is now also working 1000 miles away from me near our new home. 52 days left until I get to follow him out. With dh gone, my work load at home is huge too. I am happy when I get 20 minutes to myself at night.

Work has done more cuts, but for now I still have my job. Last day, Feb 19th, then a week to pack the remainders and clean house.

Not sure this applies but please keep in mind (maybe for future pens?) that winged predators like owls and hawks will land on the "top" of a netted pen (you don't say how you have "covered" your pens?) and when birds like the ducks leap in the air (natural reaction to a threat is for waterfowl to LEAP up...when on water, this works out well for them avoiding being eaten by say big mouth Bass, turtles, Pike, or even eagles swooping in to pluck them off ponds), oft times one can find an entire pen of ducks slaughtered--heads dislocated from bods. Both the owl/hawk and the ducks lose because the hawk/owl sits on the top killing the leaping ducks but is unable to retrieve its intended MEAL and keeps killing until the entire pen is dead and no more ducks are panicking and leaping up to be caught.

http://articles.extension.org/pages/71204/predator-management-for-small-and-backyard-poultry-flocks :

I observed this double netted pen thing the first time I visited a keeper of ducks here in Alberta...querying them as to why they had double netted the top of their netted pen.

About 8 inches between the lower and the top net is enough to deter a bird of prey from getting its talons into leaping ducks. Your taller pen may work better too as ducks can leap and fly up but there is a limitation as to how high they will go. The pen I viewed with the double netted top was about ten or so feet to the very top. You may use a less strong netting on the lower level...one that keeps ducks from going to the next level. Some use orange coloured (thinking snow fence could be laced together?) as it is a vivid colour that birds of prey will see and maybe not even bother to land and stress your waterfowl out.

We have roofed all our runs in coloured metal...so no need to "double net" any of our roofs as the metal deters any predation from the assortment of owls, hawks, eagles, ravens, crows, magpies, etc..


Glad you are progressing towards your entire family being relocated to your new home...and yeh, I recall spending several lonely months awaiting my own family to join me in Alberta while our house sold on the WEsT Coast and I worked at my new job at the new location. Totally sucks but you'll be too busy with other things when you do get to go to the new place. Yah & Congrats!

Doggone & Chicken UP!

Tara Lee Higgins
Higgins Rat Ranch Conservation Farm, Alberta, Canada

 

[minihorse927]

I agree... also, kids are like chaos... they will find a way, lol...

How's Shelby?

I haven't heard anything since last night. Last thing I heard was she was eating and drinking some but was still weak and he wanted to continue with IV and medicines. Regardless whether he lets her go today or not, I'm going to go see her. Never know what is going to happen. He seems to think she is improving though.

 

[Ravynscroft]

I haven't heard anything since last night. Last thing I heard was she was eating and drinking some but was still weak and he wanted to continue with IV and medicines. Regardless whether he lets her go today or not, I'm going to go see her. Never know what is going to happen. He seems to think she is improving though.

Understand, totally... keeping crossed... give her some extra ear scratches from us too...

 

[BriardChickens]

@CanuckBock half of the run is with wire fence and the remainder in random patterned string... it's not pretty and it's not meant to last forever. It won't even last a serious attack but hopefully enough to deter an owl short term. I am asking for 8 weeks.

We'll do more on the new property knowing that we'll have birds as big as bald eagles living close by!

I'll be researching covered runs shortly!!

 

[BriardChickens]

I haven't heard anything since last night. Last thing I heard was she was eating and drinking some but was still weak and he wanted to continue with IV and medicines. Regardless whether he lets her go today or not, I'm going to go see her. Never know what is going to happen. He seems to think she is improving though.

Mini, what happened?

 

[CanuckBock]

@CanuckBock half of the run is with wire fence and the remainder in random patterned string... it's not pretty and it's not meant to last forever. It won't even last a serious attack but hopefully enough to deter an owl short term. I am asking for 8 weeks.

We'll do more on the new property knowing that we'll have birds as big as bald eagles living close by!

I'll be researching covered runs shortly!!

Good...I kinda thought you would have this under control but worth mentioning in case anyone else was oblivious to how them dang winged predators can slaughter a pen of birds--everything dead and nobody getting a meal outta it even.

Back on the Coast I remember coming outta the house one morn as a kid off to school to see a Bald Eagle perched on our chicken run, licking its beak and contemplating which chook was to be for breakfast once I let them outta their chicken house--needless to say the chickens stayed inside the house until I could come home from school and get my father involved in ensuring the run was eagle proof!

Raccoons wreaked havoc with us kid chicken keepers--killing some of ours and a girlfriend's too. Nothing like battling a predator that climbs, chews, and has "human digit like hands" to pry things open with. I do NOT miss those masked bandits one iota!

Still got the Balds to consider here...

Taken from the edge of our Ram Pasture
Mature (at least 5 years old) Bald Eagle on the Left - thinking immature Bald or Red Tailed Hawk on top right​

Pet subdivision deer got smoked on the highway this holiday season...winged scavengers ate well.

and counting down EIGHT weeks to go for you & them dependents!

Tara

Edit to add pic of winged predators...

 

[minihorse927]

Mini, what happened?

to make a long story short my rottweiler Shelby became increasingly sick since last weekend. I got her a vet appointment and she had a 4lb ovarian tumor removed. She's been having a rough time recovering

 

[perchie.girl]

Heel low:

Quote:

I observed this double netted pen thing the first time I visited a keeper of ducks here in Alberta...querying them as to why they had double netted the top of their netted pen.

About 8 inches between the lower and the top net is enough to deter a bird of prey from getting its talons into leaping ducks. Your taller pen may work better too as ducks can leap and fly up but there is a limitation as to how high they will go. The pen I viewed with the double netted top was about ten or so feet to the very top. You may use a less strong netting on the lower level...one that keeps ducks from going to the next level. Some use orange coloured (thinking snow fence could be laced together?) as it is a vivid colour that birds of prey will see and maybe not even bother to land and stress your waterfowl out.

We have roofed all our runs in coloured metal...so no need to "double net" any of our roofs as the metal deters any predation from the assortment of owls, hawks, eagles, ravens, crows, magpies, etc..


Glad you are progressing towards your entire family being relocated to your new home...and yeh, I recall spending several lonely months awaiting my own family to join me in Alberta while our house sold on the WEsT Coast and I worked at my new job at the new location. Totally sucks but you'll be too busy with other things when you do get to go to the new place. Yah & Congrats!

Doggone & Chicken UP!

Tara Lee Higgins
Higgins Rat Ranch Conservation Farm, Alberta, Canada

Double net... excellent. Makin notes here