Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[ChicoryBlue]

Yes, I am terrified of bears tearing open the Chicken Palace. It is solidly built and more and more of it has electric wire. There really isn't much more I can do. My hope is that with all the fruit trees the bears will find that easier food than the chickens or the chicken food.
But as we were building all the predator proofing for the Chicken Palace we just had to agree that 'all bets are off' when it comes to bear.

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.

 

[Ponypoor]

First rule of the Chicken Palace is don't fall over in the Chicken Palace. I used to believe I would die because my cats would trip me up at the top of the stairs and I would break my neck. I now know I will instead be devoured by small raptors because I slipped on the ice or some such minor incident.

Ya I figured it would be a hoof in the head - could still happen, then tiny raptors will finish me off

 

[BY Bob]

Ya I figured it would be a hoof in the head - could still happen, then tiny raptors will finish me off

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.

 

[Ponypoor]

I've had similar thoughts: and add extra calories in fall/winter when forage isn't available. They know when the ants start turning up (had a swarm of flying ants last fall: they went bonkers for those) and in spring, tear up much of the ant hill. As more insects wake up, they eat much less of the ants (also depends upon the type of ant: they don't like carpenter ants). They also spend more time digging through the horse manure in the paddock below us in late winter/early spring on warmer days: chance of bugs. In high summer, I still provide a little bit of scratch mix to get them started in the cool morning air and have pellets available to them....For the most part, they ignore the pellets and forage all summer. so far, no snakes or ground squirrels, but a few mice, lots of grasshoppers (some pushing locust sized)and whatever else catches their fancy. I haven't seen them going for mosquitoes, but those are so fast and come out at bed time, that I don't think they've tried them. I did pick up (on clearance) a rechargeable mosquito zapper to try this summer: "crispy fried bug snacks". Testing will probably start may/june.

The one thing none of my gang eats is tent caterpillars! Too bad ...

 

[featherhead007]

That must be really upsetting

It is!!

 

[Ponypoor]

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 it's freezing cold here so not me!

Any of our Aussie friends? Where it's summer and warm ??

 

[bgmathteach]

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.

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.

Edited to add: And momma bear will teach her cubs to either 'eat chicken' or 'don't bother'

 

[BY Bob]

Together Again

Lilly and Hattie are sleeping together again.

 

[BY Bob]

The one thing none of my gang eats is tent caterpillars! Too bad ...

They are fun to burn though.

Tax

 

[RoyalChick]

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