Eastern Washington

[Rare Feathers Farm]

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My coop is a large 4ft wide x 9 1/2 ft long... (4 1/2 ft x 10 ft roof overhangs). It's BIG for a movable tractor. I'm going to have to rig wheels or a dolly or something when it comes time to move it around. I've just finished up the hardware cloth last night. Just have the run door to build, the pop door to cut, and the roof left to put on to finish it up. Next I need to build a small Salatin style tractor to raise some meaties in.

I'm sorry, but I don't have plans to build any more. Plus... mine aren't exactly "sell quality". They look good from 50 feet! haha.

Cheers!

Darn. I actually am just looking for a few bantam sized ones...something to hold a trio or quad of little birds....I've been trying now for over a year and can't find anyone to build them for me.

 

[llnmaw]

City dwellers I have a question for you!

What is the *real* predator threat in Spokane? We live on the north side, no real open/undeveloped space within 5 blocks of our house. We have seen raccoons in our alley (can they climb a 6ft. privacy fence?!) but other than that, I'm just not sure of predator potential in our yard in this area. (We are newish to WA)

The chickens will be cooped appropriately at night but will have free access to the fenced yard when we are home and in the gated side yard when away. Just wondering about hawks? Hubs says he does not think we have anything overhead large enough to do in a full grown hen.

Is he right? I hope so...

~L.

 

[mrsbos]

I'm in Greenacres (between Spoakane Valley and Liberty Lake) in a suburban neighborhood, and have also seen raccoons at night (not in my yard, but in the neighborhood). I'm pretty sure I found raccoon droppings in my yard once, and I think they can dig under fences if they really want to go after something. We also have coyotes roaming the neighborhood, but I can't imagine they'd have access to a 5-6 ft. fenced yard.

I've had my chickens for 8 months now, and the only daytime threats I've actually encountered, are the neighbor's hunting dog, which dug under our fence once (and only once) to try to get our chickens when the were just a few months old, and HAWKS. I've seen hawks circling over our yard (waaay up high), but only once did I witness one try to swoop my chickens--and that was last October.

I think hawks would be the main threat. I let my chickens out as soon as I'm up in the morning, and they're allowed to free range my fully fenced (5 & 6ft) 1/2 acre yard until sunset. We have lots of full grown evergreen trees--and a trampoline--to provide cover from hawks in the winter, plus large deciduous shrubs that add to that cover during the warm season.

I only have 3 EEs, which I don't have the heart to pen up when I have such a large yard for them to forage in. I'm just taking my chance with the hawks---the chickens seem to be really alert to any overhead threats and run for cover.

 

[llnmaw]

Thanks Michelle,

We have a regular sized city lot with very little in the way of natural cover, though I am working on that slowly but surely.

So it sounds to me as though if the chickens are locked up properly at night our only daytime predator would be hawks. Not to sound foolish

but do eagles come this far into the city? I know they are local to some of the open areas further north of us and we went to see them in Coeur D Alene this Jan. RE: hawks. My dh thinks that it's only certain types of hawks that will attempt to take down a chicken. Is this right? What kinds of hawks are local to our area? (google search here I come!!)

I really want our girls out and about, with full knowledge of our real predator potential, but will cover them if the threat seems to far outweigh the benefits. Ya know?

~L.

 

[WhySayWhat]

Depending on where on the north side you are...yes we do have airial (sp?) predators big enough! I live just off of Division, near Costco, and we have a larger "flock" of Crows living in the neighborhood! These aren't exactly "hawks", but free range chickens could pose as an easy meal for these nasty birds! Also, yes, a racoon can scale a privacy fence, how do you think they go between all the yards?

To each their own...but my girls will always have a cover over them!

 

[mrsbos]

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I had always read that crows are not a threat to chickens, and that they are actually helpful in chasing away and fighting off the hawks (apparently crows hate hawks). I have never heard of a crow attacking a chicken--no matter how big those crows are.

 

[llnmaw]

Quote:
I guess I've never talked with anyone who has had a raccoon in their fenced backyard. Mostly the people who mention raccoons talk about finding them in an unfenced yard, porch or alley.

I know they can climb...a tree...but wondered if a fence was a whole different ballgame. I guess not!

A raccoon is the least of my concerns as they are rarely out and about when the chickens will be, but good info to have just the same.

~L.

 

[mrsbos]

Just have to vent here to people who might possibly understand. Our family decided we wanted to get a few chickens last summer. We made all these grands plans until we found out it would be against zoning regulations. Since we had our hearts set on getting them, we talked with our immediate neighbors and asked them if they'd have a problem with us getting a few chickens. The neighbors said they didn't think it would be a problem. So after much research, last August we bought three 1 day old EE chicks and an Eglu coop and thought we could keep the chickens "under the radar". I seriously thought that no one could possibly have an issue with 3 hens in my private, fully fenced yard on a 1/2 acre lot (in other words, our houses are not right up next to each other). Fast forward to today. We've had the chickens for 8 months and are totally in love with them as pets. We love playing with them, we bring them in the house, we love their beautiful greenish/blue eggs, we love watching them, and we've shared eggs with all of our neighbors. I have to admit I"m suprised at how loud their egg-song is, but I figured it wasn't any louder than the occasional barking dog, and they hens only did it for a couple of minutes once a day when they laid their egg.

I thought we almost had it made after Spokane Valley passed the amendment allowing for back yard chickens in all residential neighborhoods. We live a block outside the city limits in unincorporated Spokane County, and figured the momentum was on our side to having it be legal in the county too. After that, the only possible obstacle would be our HOA, which states that "no animals, other than dogs, cats, caged birds, tanked fish, and other conventional small household pets may be kept on lots." I am President of our HOA, and I figured I would interpret my chicken to be a "caged bird" because their chicken run is a cage (though I let them free-range), or as President, I would remove the word "caged" from the document and have it voted on by the 92 homes in our neighborhood. I didn't think it would be a big deal.

Imagine how I felt when I discovered a recently created Facebook page titled "Say No to Chickens" created by one of my own neighbors (who I also considered a friend) which talked about the illegal chickens in the neighborhood, (mine) and how everyone should write the county commissioner to make sure chickens would not be allowed in the county. Several people who joined the group were neighbors and friends.

I finally e-mailed the creator of the page, and asked her specifically what the problem was with my chickens. This neighbor shares about 5 ft of fencing with me at the corner of the back of both of our large lots. She said she never really liked the idea of us getting chickens, and that they can hear them and don't like the sound, and if they wanted to live near a farm they would have done so. She said she didn't believe chickens were appropriate in our upscale neighborhood.

Even sadder is that my son's pre-school teacher (who doesn't live in my neighborhood) is also a "fan" of the "Say no to Chickens" page. And just last week she and I were making arrangements to bring one of my pullets and her eggs to the school so the kids could learn about life cycles of animals. I don't even want to bring them to the school now...

My husband & I figure that it's only a matter of time before someone makes a formal complaint and we have to get rid of them. I realize that I really have no defense for having the birds--I knew they were not allowed from the get go, and I understand that people moved into my neighborhood with a vision in mind of how they want to live (apparently not in a farm setting), but I just don't see how 3 little birds can be so offensive to people. I'm trying not to take it personally, but finding the page really hurt my feelings---to find out so many of my neighbors and friends were so "anti-chicken". I love my house...and I did love my neighborhood, but now all I want to do it move and get some land where I can have all the chickens I want....and maybe some pygmy goats too

and not have to worry about "bothering" anyone.

In the event that they have to go, I don't know if I'd feel better eating them (I know how good of a life they had) or trying to find them a good home (anyone have room for 3 beautiful/great laying, 8 month old EEs?) I wouldn't even know where to go to have them "processed" (anyone want to offer that service?)

All I have left to express is

 

[Rare Feathers Farm]

Quote:
I had always read that crows are not a threat to chickens, and that they are actually helpful in chasing away and fighting off the hawks (apparently crows hate hawks). I have never heard of a crow attacking a chicken--no matter how big those crows are.

Crows and Ravens will eat chicks or smaller chickens (juveniles or even bantams).

 

[Kathryn4629]

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Your neighbor sounds very two faced, along with the teacher!! I hate to say it but maybe your family would be happier in the long run with moving (if thats an option) to a place a little farther out of town. Then you would have a great excuse to get some Pygmy goats, space!! I can't stand nosy neighbors, let alone facebook page making ones.

As far as rehoming your chickens, maybe there is a nice local BYC person on here that could take them. Hopefully they would let you visit the girls every once in awhile or at least send you pictures. Just a thought.