Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[BY Bob]

and @RoyalChick
If you start to see bear 'perusing' the chicken coop/run and you have electric fencing. the best thing to do is bait the wire so they learn a healthy respect for the electricity. Otherwise, if they go through the wire with their shoulder, neck, etc that is heavily covered with fur, the shock will be minimal, and they will go through it repeatedly. They have a fairly high tolerance for pain (let's face it, they really DO raid honeybee hives for the honey, and get stung all around their face, but persevere because of the reward.)

Bait wire with peanut butter this way they will get the shock on their nose or mouth.

My husband, during an ag. teacher's conference, attended a lecture by a life-long bear studier (sorry, can't remember his name right now). It is amazing how smart, clever, & determined they can be. Purportedly, once they have killed/tasted a chicken, they will return incessantly....and they will remember for years....best to deter them....if they appear interested..BEFORE they successfully steal/eat a chick, chicken, or egg.

This is essential information. Thanks so much for sharing it.

 

[BY Bob]

I don’t even have to be stationary let alone laying down for Dotty to go for my ankles!

That's personal dislike. I need to know how long before the ones that like you join in!

 

[featherhead007]

Is anyone tempted to go lay in the run and see how long it takes before they start to peck at you? I'd love to gather scientific data on this but I'm not willing to do it myself.

I might have to try it, but I won’t have any meally worms around me when I do!

 

[bgmathteach]

Is anyone tempted to go lay in the run and see how long it takes before they start to peck at you? I'd love to gather scientific data on this but I'm not willing to do it myself.

Well, my bet would be 'not long at all!". I have a mole on my chin, and inevitably when I hold a chicken within around 30 seconds (unless they are screaming their bloody head of and fighting to get down) they have already started to peck at the mole. Every. friggin. time.

One would think they would learn that it isn't edible/removable!

 

[RoyalChick]

and @RoyalChick
If you start to see bear 'perusing' the chicken coop/run and you have electric fencing. the best thing to do is bait the wire so they learn a healthy respect for the electricity. Otherwise, if they go through the wire with their shoulder, neck, etc that is heavily covered with fur, the shock will be minimal, and they will go through it repeatedly. They have a fairly high tolerance for pain (let's face it, they really DO raid honeybee hives for the honey, and get stung all around their face, but persevere because of the reward.)

Bait wire with peanut butter this way they will get the shock on their nose or mouth.

My husband, during an ag. teacher's conference, attended a lecture by a life-long bear studier (sorry, can't remember his name right now). It is amazing how smart, clever, & determined they can be. Purportedly, once they have killed/tasted a chicken, they will return incessantly....and they will remember for years....best to deter them....if they appear interested..BEFORE they successfully steal/eat a chick, chicken, or egg.

I was told to bait with bacon but that wasn’t specific to bears. Good advice.

 

[featherhead007]

Well, my bet would be 'not long at all!". I have a mole on my chin, and inevitably when I hold a chicken within around 30 seconds (unless they are screaming their bloody head of and fighting to get down) they have already started to peck at the mole. Every. friggin. time.

One would think they would learn that it isn't edible/removable!

Ouch!

 

[bgmathteach]

They are fun to burn though.

Tax
View attachment 2997084

Oooooh, are Betty & Lilly having a conversation?

 

[bgmathteach]

I was told to bait with bacon but that wasn’t specific to bears. Good advice.

Bacon would work, too, I assume. However, I would think it would be a bit more difficult to wrap and stay (in say, a breeze). as opposed to smearing a good size teaspoon full of peanut butter on the wire. Peanut butter - bears can supposedly smell for quite a distance...and I am sure it would also attract raccoons, and help deter them, as well.

 

[BY Bob]

Nestbox Nonsense!!

It's back!!! Your favorite silly game!!! Everyone has decided it is time to start laying eggs again. I have 3 out of 6 six laying and a fourth seems interested in joining the party! Of course with 5 potential nestboxes everyone knows how easy this will be. There is one for every hen. Which will they each choose? There is only one way to find out! Enjoy this 11 minute video. Trust me it is worth watching the mayhem ensue all the way to the end. I will not spoil it by revealing what happens.

Just remember that until today, Phyllis has been laying in the cluckle hut. Sydney laid her first egg in over a month yesterday. Here it is.

Nestbox Nonsense the video, enjoy!

You are so lucky! You don't have to wait for the sequel! It happened today as well.

I give you.........Nestbox Nonsense II, Revenge of the Polish.

And don't you dare look ahead and open this spoiler until you have watched both films.

Spoiler: The End Result

So, who actually laid eggs today? Let's see who can guess it right.

@Ribh @MaryJanet @LozzyR @Aussie-Chookmum @micstrachan @ChicoryBlue @Shadrach

 

[MaryJanet]

Yes, how true for both of us, as I also worry. I hope the electric fencing and coop itself is just hard enough to get into to be discouraging, or at least buy time for me to arrive armed with a frying pan and spoon noisemaker. Hmmm, do you have pepper spray? I think it's illegal to have in New York, but I'm not sure.
In the Spring I'll go back to hanging a bunch of empty cans on two sides of the coop so there's some noise to alert us if something is messing with it.

If noise scares them off, would it be possible to install an alarm on the coop?