Goats alert DD to fox........

[ronshoney]

My husband and I are working long hours right now so that leaves the youngest 4 kids in charge of watching and caring for the animals of which all free range from 5:30 am to 8-9pm. except the goats which are in a pen about 100ft. from the chicken coop. My 12 y.o. DD heard the goats pitching a fit and went outside to see what they wanted and as she neared the coop she saw our 11 wk. old cornish cross and our 11wk. old don't know what white roo fighting with a fox. All of the other chickens had fled the coop area and were hiding in brush along the goat pen and my little roo was fighting off what had to seem to him like a huge animal. She grabbed a branch and screamed and yelled at it and chased it off. We had had 2 B.O.'s disappear and now we know why, but they do so like to run and wander farther than the other chickens. She went and grabbed her BB gun in case it came back to scare it off. We haven't seen it since.... but we have been on guard duty with the shot gun ever since, so it will probably wait until we let our guard down a little. Someone said it may not come back with her chasing it off like that........ but I don't know if it already had a couple chicken dinners it will be back for more i'm sure. What I want to know is where the turkey's were during all of this.... they are much bigger and more aggressive than any of the chickens, and they love to torture and stalk our dalmation.

 

[cjeanean]

wow, that's awesome, talk about defensive roos! That's the only reason I don't want to get rid of my mean mottled houdan....I guess the turkeys were chicken!

 

[Henrietta23]

That's great! I read the post to DH so he'd realize goats have their uses!! We've lost one chicken to a fox in over a dozen years. I worried that it would come back but it hasn't yet, in probably 7 years. It got my silver spangled hamburg hen when she had flown over the fence to go broody next door.

 

[Daycare Mom]

Wow! That is just what I wanted to hear! Now I have another good reason to get my goats. Thanks

 

[dixygirl]

Please put your chickens in the pen instead of continuing to free range them or he may eat them all now that he knows about them.

I am so glad i got some free roosters with my last order. They do act like the protectors

 

[ronshoney]

We have had no more problems..... so far. I don't want to pen them. I will buy a dog or shoot whatever comes around. They are much happier free.

 

[scooter147]

The turkeys stalking the dalmation brought back memories from years gone by.

I had a dalmation named Zach (lived to be 14) and two royal palm turkeys a tom and a hen. That tom use to just torment poor Zach. That tom would chase and try and flog him at every opportunity.

Poor Zach would just have to turn with tail between his legs and run. He knew he couldn't retaliate because all the birds were off limits. Good dog he was!!!!