nctoni
Chirping
That's me...heartbroken. A few days ago a Husky dog broke through (jumped over the fence) my chicken run and killed my chickens out there and squeezed himself through the pop door of the coop and killed the chickens in there. I am so sad. They were only nine months old and just getting to laying well. I feel awful.
I (being a new chick owner) thought that I had a secure fence. I had two feet of fence laying horizonally to prevent digging under. Then the fencing was hardware cloth two feet and then about two feet of chicken wire with deer netting as a top. Cement block all around the bottom. Now I know that I will have to drop back and rebuild the fence stronger and taller. It just makes me sick to my stomach that I didn't provide enough protection for my little friends.
Even though I am not an owner of a flock right now everything reminds me of them. I still come to sites like this most every day. I have my fermenting feed in the kitchen, growing fodder (or actually they liked the sprouts better) in the house and my mealworm farm that was their favorite treat. I so enjoyed just sitting out there watching them and I miss it so much. I most always fixed a little extra of my meals to share with them. Coming home from work and seeing them run quickly to the fence to greet me as I get out of the car. So sweet!
Now after I get the fence fortified soon I must decide if I am going to wait until spring to get little chicks to raise or do I go ahead and get some five or six month old chickens that are going to be laying soon. I don't have electric in the coop so keeping little ones warm could be a big issue. Can anyone tell me the pros and cons to each of those? Bigger ones vs little ones?
Please, no bashing. I know I did wrong. I am no handyman. Just an older woman that has no building skills. I just have to get it fixed before I continue. I just wanted to share.
Toni
I (being a new chick owner) thought that I had a secure fence. I had two feet of fence laying horizonally to prevent digging under. Then the fencing was hardware cloth two feet and then about two feet of chicken wire with deer netting as a top. Cement block all around the bottom. Now I know that I will have to drop back and rebuild the fence stronger and taller. It just makes me sick to my stomach that I didn't provide enough protection for my little friends.
Even though I am not an owner of a flock right now everything reminds me of them. I still come to sites like this most every day. I have my fermenting feed in the kitchen, growing fodder (or actually they liked the sprouts better) in the house and my mealworm farm that was their favorite treat. I so enjoyed just sitting out there watching them and I miss it so much. I most always fixed a little extra of my meals to share with them. Coming home from work and seeing them run quickly to the fence to greet me as I get out of the car. So sweet!
Now after I get the fence fortified soon I must decide if I am going to wait until spring to get little chicks to raise or do I go ahead and get some five or six month old chickens that are going to be laying soon. I don't have electric in the coop so keeping little ones warm could be a big issue. Can anyone tell me the pros and cons to each of those? Bigger ones vs little ones?
Please, no bashing. I know I did wrong. I am no handyman. Just an older woman that has no building skills. I just have to get it fixed before I continue. I just wanted to share.
Toni