Hello fellow chickenteers

[ClaytonHowell]

My name is Clayton I live in Martinsville Indiana. My current flock as flollows:

23- Barred Rock
28- White Rock
26- Ameracauna
4- Molted Hunden
26- Appenzeller Spitzhaben
1- Kacki Campbell
1- White Breasted Turkey
20- Random assortment of chickens (buff, feather footed, Some weird all black with red lacing)

A more precise count will be available this week as a variety of predators have lowered my numbers, when I go out this week (when it dries out a bit) to lower it further I will have an exact count.

I have been rearing this batch since Feb. I have raised chickens, ducks, turkey, Peafowl, and many other mammals as a child to young adult on my fathers and grandfathers farm (Portland Indiana).

I am a stay at home father until I can find steady evening/night employment. I also do some landscaping, decking, remodeling for extra cash.

 

[Yay Chicks!]

I hope you find a way to reduce the number of predators getting to your birds

 

[mamawolf544]

from Texas

I raise Spitzhaubens too, aren't they beautiful birds.
And I use dogs we rescue to keep the bad critters away.

 

[Arcnadius]

from WI!

 

[ClaytonHowell]

Well they have a 14x10 enclosed coop, but they don't like to use it, they prefer trees in their run. The run is 300foot perimeter of 72inch wielded wire fence. It is electrified but not covered.

So far I have yielded 2 coons from live traps and since they have been rendered no long live the deaths/missing has reduced dramatically. I have buried the bottom of my fence in 6 inches of dirt. As I saw a beaten down trail coming from the bottom of the ravine full of fox prints. They have been smart enough to avoid my traps. I also have a large raptor population but since their run is wooded the hawks have not found a quick way in or out giving the chickens time to gain cover. I also think I have an owl or owls but until I can get them to use the coop there is little I can do about them.

Killing raptors in Indiana is extremely illegal, but I challenge them to find out about it and then try to prove it. I have not done this yet but if i an owl is unfortunate enough to find himself near my coop Darwinian evolution will eventually solve my problems.

 

[JulieNKC]

 

[white01]

from Maine

 

[ClaytonHowell]

Thank you all for the warm welcomes.

 

[weimarmama]

&

from Alabama.

 

[dawg53]

Welcome to BYC.