Free range???y

[LynninTN]

I don’t know what kind of bird that is.

I wouldn’t worry about vultures or crows. We have both of those too. Crows are a good early warning system. Vultures only eat carcasses.

Hawks will be a problem, and any other big birds of prey. Eagles and such. Do you have Osprey there?

 

[Spicegirlfam]

I don’t know what kind of bird that is.

I wouldn’t worry about vultures or crows. We have both of those too. Crows are a good early warning system. Vultures only eat carcasses.

Hawks will be a problem, and any other big birds of prey. Eagles and such. Do you have Osprey there?

We hadn’t seen much to any osprey near Our House yet there has been a rising population of then in San Francisco, we have seen a few eagles but other wise not many other bif birds. we do have many wild turkey in our local canyon (right behind our house)

We have seen crows harassing hawks near by we weren’t to worried about the crows so thanks for your Confirmation. since we are talking about pests and predators should I worry about flies and mice I know that chickens will eat mice rats but should I still worry about it?


That chickens tail is also looking til,e a Wyandotte’s. thanks.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

I've heard that crows are good to have around bc they will keep hawks away. So I got some Black Australorps. I love 'em, they look just like big ol' crows! And not a hawk in sight!

 

[LynninTN]

We hadn’t seen much to any osprey near Our House yet there has been a rising population of then in San Francisco, we have seen a few eagles but other wise not many other bif birds. we do have many wild turkey in our local canyon (right behind our house)

We have seen crows harassing hawks near by we weren’t to worried about the crows so thanks for your Confirmation. since we are talking about pests and predators should I worry about flies and mice I know that chickens will eat mice rats but should I still worry about it?


That chickens tail is also looking til,e a Wyandotte’s. thanks.

There are probably more people on here that no more about raising chick then me on this forum. I have mice on my property. I don’t want to poison them because I don’t want to poison my animals. I’ve put sonar devices and traps in the house. We’ve gotten one in the house since we’ve put the sonars in. I have 2 cats. One is a hunter but only seems to like to go after baby rabbits. The cats are confined to the house during the day, but I let them out once the chickens are secure. Some times they come in before I go to bed but I’m not going to chase after them. I would worry about rodents if the chicks are young. But of course rodents do carry diseases.
You don’t want flies in your coop. We have fly strips and ventilation helps. I put some pyrethrine (I don’t think I spelled that correctly) dust around the coop, but I’m hesitant to put it directly on the chicks.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

How old are your chicks? Once they get past the "baby bird" stage and look like chickens, at about 8 to 10 weeks, certainly by 12 weeks, the cats shouldn't bother them. I haven't gone back to read the whole thread again, so don't remember if you have adult birds, but it helps if you do. If you can integrate the younger birds with the older ones, the cats will know they are chickens and not prey.

I would strongly advise against the sticky fly strips. Disastrous if one of your birds gets caught in one. And read the label on the fly dust. If you are using it in the coop, the birds are almost certainly getting it on their feathers and skin, etc. If it's safe for the coop it's probably safe for the birds.

 

[LynninTN]

One of my cats is okay. The birds are big enough he doesn’t want to mess with them. The other one is a real predator. He’s a bit older since he jumped 4 feet off the ground to go after a rooster, but the other day he wasn’t around when I got up to let the chickens out. I went out a little while later and he was “hiding” under the tree the chicks like to rest under. I could see his tail twitching waiting to pounce. He hunts rabbits and squirrels. He’s not even that big of a cat, he may be 8 lbs.

Thank you for the advice about the dust. I only put it along the outside of the coop where they rarely hang out. They are making their own dust baths now under the trees.

 

[LynninTN]

I've heard that crows are good to have around bc they will keep hawks away. So I got some Black Australorps. I love 'em, they look just like big ol' crows! And not a hawk in sight!

Just a few hours ago I heard a bunch of crows making a lot of noise. I walked into the front yard and saw a hawk fly away. They have been quiet ever since.

 

[LynninTN]

The Oakland hills are in the Bay Area, about a 20 to 45 minute drive (depending on traffic) from San Francisco. I live right next to a canyon, so yes, we have coyotes. We also see many big birds, which like you said is our biggest concern. There are turkey vultures and crows, but we are mostly worried about the hawks. What is TN like? Is it similar?

I’ve been home for about three months. My husband and I are truck drivers. We’re a team, but I’ve had to stay home for family reasons ( my mom is sick) and because he thinks the world is coming to an end ( so I get to take care of the animals and the garden, I’d much rather be driving but we are in the flatbed industry, and I won’t do that myself). I think California is a beautiful state. It has so many different geological differences. You have the ocean ( with all the homeless people sleeping), mountains, deserts. I’ve never been to San Francisco, but I’ve driven near it. We mostly go near Los Angeles which is a nightmare with traffic. I’ve driven through there at 1, 2, 3 o’clock in the am and can’t believe home many people are on the roads. New York isn’t even that bad.

I like TN because there are fewer people and it is beautiful.

 

[Homesteadermomma6382]

I have a large fenced yard that my hens roosters and goats share. I had 4 hens and 1 rooster that jumped the fence every morning and free ranged until bedtime. I lost them 2 weeks ago to a pair of fox. The rooster was my largest of my flock. Almost 20 lbs. It happened in the middle of the day. Didnt touch any of the ones inside the fence. I wish I could let them free range but keeping them safe is a priority. The fenced in area they are in is bigger than most people's backyards so they still have a huge amount space. I also have 5 cats that act as guardians to my chickens from the second I bring them home. Never had an issue with any cats going after the chickens. And my dog is just as protective.

 

[Spicegirlfam]

One of my cats is okay. The birds are big enough he doesn’t want to mess with them. The other one is a real predator. He’s a bit older since he jumped 4 feet off the ground to go after a rooster, but the other day he wasn’t around when I got up to let the chickens out. I went out a little while later and he was “hiding” under the tree the chicks like to rest under. I could see his tail twitching waiting to pounce. He hunts rabbits and squirrels. He’s not even that big of a cat, he may be 8 lbs.

Thank you for the advice about the dust. I only put it along the outside of the coop where they rarely hang out. They are making their own dust baths now under the trees.

have you ever had a problem with a neighbor’s pet like a dog or cat?