Fermenting Feed for Meat Birds

[Triple Willow]

I haven't seen any rats, but a few days ago, I was standing outside the chickens' pen inside the barn, and about 5 feet from the outside wall of the barn, I saw the floor move.  Since the floor is deep litter in there, and kinda packed, it looked like a beating heart.......thump thump.......thump thump.  I grabbed my sharp pointed shovel, went into the pen, and hit the ground with the point of my shovel.  It was a huge mole.  I bet I know how he got that big.    I picked it up with the shovel and carried it out into the barn hall, and my Aussie promptly took it and carried it outside....I am quite sure she ate it......I am so glad it wasn't a rat!!

I was just walking along outside the other day, stepped in a big soft mole hill, tripped and took a nose dive. Well actually the only thing that wasn't planted in the ground was my face, thank goodness. lol I don't fall with the grace that I use too. I had dirt and grass skid marks all the way down my front! I am still sore and have a bruised boobicle. lol You know you're getting old when you can't fall right. LOL

 

[Triple Willow]

We have two great mousing cats and regularly find dead rats and mouse heads around the property.  When we have chicks, they're kept in a pretty secure pen.  We have let the cats in on occasion while we supervised just to see what would happen, but would never let the cats have unsupervised access.  The chicks start free-ranging at about 4 weeks old and the cats don't seem to bother them at that age.

As far as grown chickens are concerned, the chickens are bullies and the cats are big ole wieners.  When we have the chickens in the pasture instead of the orchard, they'll actually bully the cats away from the cat food and eat it all.

If I do develop a mouse/rat problem I thought about getting a couple kittens to raise in the run with the chickens. Might work.

Around here my mom doesn't like cats because they eat the song birds. Also, my dogs would kill cats, but with no cats we have lots and lots of snakes that sometimes get the songbirds anyhow. My mom really doesn't like them. lol If my dogs would leave them alone I would get a couple cats. I seriously need to put a dent in this snake population.

 

[armorfirelady]

If anything could be said to tarnish the rep. of the ACD's it's the fact that they are very dog aggressive.  The bloodiest fights I've ever seen were with them and usually other breeds at dog shows.  Some handlers don't give a darn about where their dogs go when they are 'chatting' with friends at ringside and I once saw a handler push a dog 'up the butt'  of an ACD in the group ring...causing the dog to spin and eat up the dog and both handlers before they were separated...so yes...they will protect against stray dogs...to the EXTREME!

Good! The only dogs that I ever had keep strays away were Dobermans. To them, everything belongs to them. I've seen fights over an empty feed bowl. lol I love that breed too, sweet dogs - well a good bred one, the others, NOT.

Wow my blue heeler mix is the complete opposite, she barks at other dogs but moves away from them when they come near here. No aggression at all towards other dogs

 

[hellbender]

Wow my blue heeler mix is the complete opposite, she barks at other dogs but moves away from them when they come near here. No aggression at all towards other dogs

There certainly are exceptions to any rule...by and large the breed is dog aggressive...unless they have been introduced at a relatively early age.

 

[BCMaraniac]

I was just walking along outside the other day, stepped in a big soft mole hill, tripped and took a nose dive. Well actually the only thing that wasn't planted in the ground was my face, thank goodness. lol I don't fall with the grace that I use too. I had dirt and grass skid marks all the way down my front! I am still sore and have a bruised boobicle. lol You know you're getting old when you can't fall right. LOL

That is one of those occurrences when you look around and pray no one was watching......LOL. I am glad you are okay. It could have been much worse.

 

[Kassaundra]

We have a cat (indoor /outdoor) and live in town so lots of cats, other peoples pets and feral alike. We had to build a covered run off the coop and a separate indoor area attatched to it for our chicks w/ or w/o broody moms. They all live in that area until big enough not to be bothered by the cats. Have never had a cat go after an adult or nearly adult chicken. I suspect a bobcat would though.

My FIL has chickens too, and just this past week a cat got in the run area w/ them and the NN chickens I gave him started the attack and all the others soon jumped in, well lets just say that cat couldn't leave fast enough and doubt he will ever be back!!!!! Those ladies gave the cat a whole new respect for birdkind.

 

[Beekissed]

Good Morning!

I hope you planned on burying them. I have seen the rats coming out of a hole about 3 feet away from the coop. They must be pretty good diggers!

For those of you that have outdoor cats: How does that work with the chickens and the chicks? Our rat population is exploding and we need to do something. We are laying poison around but that is so sloooowwwwww.

Lisa

I've always had cats with chickens and young chicks and never had an incident. One young cat was stalking the chicks right in front of me and I just gave a correction and it never happened again. Now, I've had cats that really loved to run towards a group of hens to make them squawk and scatter just out of sheer fun...my current one does that as often as he can or he will stalk a hen and then scare her but no honest attempts to pursue or catch a bird. I love to watch them do that..never fails to bring a smile to my face! One of my toms would "round up" the chickens for me if they got out of the fence, on command! He loved that job and would just sit and smile after every last bird was back over the fence...I miss that cat.

Once we lived across the road from a lady who had tons of mangy, hungry cats and they would be seriously stalking my free ranged flock...and right behind them my GP mix dog would be stalking them. When they made their move, she would make hers and it was vast entertainment!

I've never seen any of my cats catching rats but my dogs do, for sure, especially Jake...he's a wonderful rodent catcher and any moles, mice, ground squirrels or rats he can ferret out are quickly caught and killed. Some are consumed, but voles and moles are never consumed by our dogs or cats. Must taste pretty bad if the dog won't even eat them.

I hadn't thought about putting our dog out in the yard with my flock at night (she would "play" with them given the chance when they are out during the day and that wouldn't be a good outcome) I think she would be great to ward off would be predators at night, although we haven't had the pleasure yet(thank goodness). I think we will try that and see how it goes.

Dogs LOVE being outside at night if they have any kind of prey drive at all...night is when it's all happening and they are predators, first and foremost. Anything that comes in their territory is warned or killed and this keeps the preds in the area knowing that a bigger predator lives there and roams at night. My dog is outside at all times and we are surrounded by woods...black bears, coyotes, bob cats and foxes are the top preds here and none will dare to come into his territory. Possums and coons are sometimes dumb enough to enter and are quickly dispatched.

I was just walking along outside the other day, stepped in a big soft mole hill, tripped and took a nose dive. Well actually the only thing that wasn't planted in the ground was my face, thank goodness. lol I don't fall with the grace that I use too. I had dirt and grass skid marks all the way down my front! I am still sore and have a bruised boobicle. lol You know you're getting old when you can't fall right. LOL

Been there, done that...it ain't pretty.

Guess what? Weebles really DO fall down.

 

[Triple Willow]

That is one of those occurrences when you look around and pray no one was watching......LOL.  I am glad you are okay.  It could have been much worse.

You ain't kidding! You don't even want the dog to see that! hahaha I've been afraid I might fall on my messed up knee and finish it off so yep I fell on it but it actually didn't hurt. It swelled a little more than normal but didn't hurt too bad. Thanks and yep you're right, could have been much worse.

 

[TexasLisa]

I was just walking along outside the other day, stepped in a big soft mole hill, tripped and took a nose dive. Well actually the only thing that wasn't planted in the ground was my face, thank goodness. lol I don't fall with the grace that I use too. I had dirt and grass skid marks all the way down my front! I am still sore and have a bruised boobicle. lol You know you're getting old when you can't fall right. LOL

You must really be an animal lover...first you are eye level with spiders and now you are down with the moles. Does my heart good to see people interact with the animal kingdom.

Seriously, I am glad you are okay!!

Lisa

 

[Triple Willow]

I've always had cats with chickens and young chicks and never had an incident.  One young cat was stalking the chicks right in front of me and I just gave a correction and it never happened again.  Now, I've had cats that really loved to run towards a group of hens to make them squawk and scatter just out of sheer fun...my current one does that as often as he can or he will stalk a hen and then scare her but no honest attempts to pursue or catch a bird.  I love to watch them do that..never fails to bring a smile to my face!  One of my toms would "round up" the chickens for me if they got out of the fence, on command!  He loved that job and would just sit and smile after every last bird was back over the fence...I miss that cat.

I had a cat that would stalk the geese I use to have and no doubt she would have attacked if I didn't watch her. But boy oh boy was it payback time when they got grown. I laughed so hard one day, she hopped up on the picnic table to get away from them and they were reaching up and biting her feet. LOL

Once we lived across the road from a lady who had tons of mangy, hungry cats and they would be seriously stalking my free ranged flock...and right behind them my GP mix dog would be stalking them.  When they made their move, she would make hers and it was vast entertainment! 

I've never seen any of my cats catching rats but my dogs do, for sure, especially Jake...he's a wonderful rodent catcher and any moles, mice, ground squirrels or rats he can ferret out are quickly caught and killed.  Some are consumed, but voles and moles are never consumed by our dogs or cats.  Must taste pretty bad if the dog won't even eat them. 

I have had several dogs that would catch mice, dig up moles, etc. And you're right, they love being outside at night. Early this morning mine were barking at something, possibly deer. I can usually tell by the bark how it's going. LOL one night I had to go check on them and I nearly stepped on a slobber covered possum. My one dog kills everything but the other just smooches them I guess. LOL

Dogs LOVE being outside at night if they have any kind of prey drive at all...night is when it's all happening and they are predators, first and foremost.  Anything that comes in their territory is warned or killed and this keeps the preds in the area knowing that a bigger predator lives there and roams at night.  My dog is outside at all times and we are surrounded by woods...black bears, coyotes, bob cats and foxes are the top preds here and none will dare to come into his territory.  Possums and coons are sometimes dumb enough to enter and are quickly dispatched.

Been there, done that...it ain't pretty.    Guess what?  Weebles really DO fall down. 
You are so right! If I had a dollar for every time I have fell outside... I'd be much better off! LOL Not perdy at all. lol