Faverolles Thread

[Laingcroft]

You probably do, you just don't know it.

Adding a game camera really opens your eyes to what goes on at night or when you are away. I had a neighbor install a camera and find out a black bear was eating the horse feed at night, yet no sign at all during the daytime. Another friend found out a neighbor was helping himself to eggs during the day while she was at work.

 

[appps]

Well only real threat here in Aus is foxes so safe from bears at least !

Cannot believe the hide of the neighbouring though! Wow some people

 

[appps]

Oops double post

 

[keesmom]

I already knew all these critters were out there. I got the camera last spring after coyotes came through one morning and wiped out my entire free range flock. Later that week a fisher tried to pull a bantam hen through a fence. The fisher is the only one I haven't managed to get a picture of yet. Oh, and the mink.

I will say the predator pressure is much higher than usual right now. Coyotes at noontime, cooper's hawks desperate enough to go through snow banks to get at birds, just tons of hawks in general. One lady I know nearby lost all her chickens and most of her ducks to rampaging raccoons.

The camera is a lot of fun to have. You never know what you'll see. These pictures are from our place in Maine.

Someone going to raid my orchard.



Bachelor flock of turkeys, one of 2 flocks we have there. Buggers completely destroyed my garden and ate all my blackberries.



Even managed to get the back of a barred owl.

 

[Laingcroft]

I already knew all these critters were out there. I got the camera last spring after coyotes came through one morning and wiped out my entire free range flock. Later that week a fisher tried to pull a bantam hen through a fence. The fisher is the only one I haven't managed to get a picture of yet. Oh, and the mink.

I will say the predator pressure is much higher than usual right now. Coyotes at noontime, cooper's hawks desperate enough to go through snow banks to get at birds, just tons of hawks in general. One lady I know nearby lost all her chickens and most of her ducks to rampaging raccoons.

The camera is a lot of fun to have. You never know what you'll see. These pictures are from our place in Maine.

Someone going to raid my orchard. Ack. Giant rat with antlers. Can't wait til hubby learns to hunt. Venison is good eatin, especially after they've fattened up on my gardens!



Bachelor flock of turkeys, one of 2 flocks we have there. Buggers completely destroyed my garden and ate all my blackberries.



Even managed to get the back of a barred owl.

We have a Maremma LGD from when we had sheep. LOVE that boy! Nothing that gets into his pasture gets out again. He killed a possum in search of a nice chicken dinner the other night. Didn't even make it 18 inches beyond the fence line.

I'm thinking of getting a game camera or two. Can't decide if I want something infrared, still or video loop. So many choices and so many price points.

 

[dretd]

We have a Maremma LGD from when we had sheep. LOVE that boy! Nothing that gets into his pasture gets out again. He killed a possum in search of a nice chicken dinner the other night. Didn't even make it 18 inches beyond the fence line.

I'm thinking of getting a game camera or two. Can't decide if I want something infrared, still or video loop. So many choices and so many price points.

Good LGD!--dogs need a job and it sounds like he does his very well! Couple of questions. Do you have him on a e-collar and concealed fence or has he just learned his boundary? Does he know the difference between predator and approved wildlife?What we think about Keesmom's wild turkeys. Would be similar enough to chickens he could realize they are not a threat to your flock but they don't belong on your property so I could see him running off anything not herd-master approved!
Quote:

The camera is a lot of fun to have. You never know what you'll see. These pictures are from our place in Maine.

Keesmom---Love the game-cam pictures. What brand do you have? Do you like it? I have a Wildview but it sucks up C batteries and takes 4 every 3 weeks so I stopped putting it up and am thinking about getting a different brand.

 

[echosrevenge]

Sandiklaws and I have been hatching...hatching plans for a New England Faverolle meetup this summer!
We're thinking to hold it at my house in Appleton, Maine. We've got several acres of land, room for a few trailers/RVs to pull in, and LOTS of room for tent camping (our land backs up on 4,000 acres of conservation forest that is open for tenting in the summer). There are also several RV parks/campgrounds within a few minutes of our house, as well as lots of lots of motels and B&Bs nearby for those who don't want to camp. We will hopefully have a couple of extra hoop coops and/or doghouses for anyone that would like to bring stock to swap or have looked at by those with more experience in the breed. We are off-grid, but our generator will supply any extra juice needed for an extra load on the well pump over a weekend.
We're hoping to get someone very knowledgeable about the breed to give a talk on the fine points of type and breeding - suggestions for people to ask about this are welcome! We've got a big firepit in the yard, so there will definitely be barbecue (I've got a nice looking batch of mixed-breed cockerels in the brooder who should be right about eating size in midsummer, and Sandi mentioned bringing some rabbits for the grill as well).
Date hasn't been decided yet, but I thought I would throw the question out to the group at large - if you're interested in coming to Maine and dorking out on all things Faverolles for a weekend this summer, send me a PM with your email and I'll get an email circuit going so we can all try to work out possible dates.

 

[keesmom]

Quote:
Keesmom---Love the game-cam pictures. What brand do you have? Do you like it? I have a Wildview but it sucks up C batteries and takes 4 every 3 weeks so I stopped putting it up and am thinking about getting a different brand.

I have a Moultrie M-80. I've been happy with it. It's a good basic IR camera - not a lot of fancy stuff. But all I wanted was something to take pictures. Price was reasonable. It takes 4 AA batteries. I got the camera last June and just replaced the batteries for the first time last week. However I don't run it 24 hours a day all the time, just most nights. Lithium batteries will last even longer.

 

[Laingcroft]

Good LGD!--dogs need a job and it sounds like he does his very well! Couple of questions. Do you have him on a e-collar and concealed fence or has he just learned his boundary? Does he know the difference between predator and approved wildlife?What we think about Keesmom's wild turkeys. Would be similar enough to chickens he could realize they are not a threat to your flock but they don't belong on your property so I could see him running off anything not herd-master approved!

We have electric Horseguard tape (from having horses) filled in at lower levels with Premier electric rope (for goats and sheep) so he is trained to electric, but not a collar. The property is perimeter fenced with welded wire cattle fencing. He never leaves the pasture unless the stock goes with him. We have to leash and drag him when its time to go to the vet, otherwise he followed the sheep when they were rotated. With the chickens, they go under the fence all the time outside the pasture, but when he barks, they all go running back. Too funny. He supervises from the top of the old shearing table so he can see everything he needs to. Not sure what he would do with a wild turkey, though we have them around. If we introduce an animal, he knows it's okay, everything else is bad. The deer drive him nuts. They graze right outside the fence and have learned to ignore his barking. If one is stupid enough to cross the fence though, they'd better be faster than him.

 

[n8ivetxn]

I already knew all these critters were out there. I got the camera last spring after coyotes came through one morning and wiped out my entire free range flock. Later that week a fisher tried to pull a bantam hen through a fence. The fisher is the only one I haven't managed to get a picture of yet. Oh, and the mink.

I will say the predator pressure is much higher than usual right now. Coyotes at noontime, cooper's hawks desperate enough to go through snow banks to get at birds, just tons of hawks in general. One lady I know nearby lost all her chickens and most of her ducks to rampaging raccoons.

The camera is a lot of fun to have. You never know what you'll see. These pictures are from our place in Maine.

Someone going to raid my orchard.



Bachelor flock of turkeys, one of 2 flocks we have there. Buggers completely destroyed my garden and ate all my blackberries.



Even managed to get the back of a barred owl.

Awesome pictures!

Wow! I sooo want a game cam.... I'm sure there's all kinds of stuff going on out there in my back yard..... I'm getting a starter flock of rare Barbados Blackbelly Sheep late next month. If the chickens weren't enough to draw predators, I'm afraid these guys will.