hello

I'm not really new, but it's been several years since I was on here, my name is Elaina and I have had chickens and other poultry since the 80's. Right now I'm trying to build up my flock since about half of it was wiped out this past summer by a predator getting into the coop (killed most of my rare breeds, left the BR's) I'm wanting to get some lavendar ameraucana hens, I have a roo, and some black/blue/blue splash marans.

 

thanks for the welcomes, I've heard from several other folks that the predator problem had been especially bad this year, one person had their entire flock killed, so I guess I'm lucky. We ended up getting acouple of those humane traps from TSC and caught 5 oppossums and one racoon before we were done. No further killings since, and I've reinforced the all possible entrances to the coop.
It's strange because I've had chickens here since '06 and the only problems I've had were neighborhood dogs coming over when I was free ranging the chooks and wasn't around. Then last summer in addition to the coon and possum's, we watched a huge red fox kill 2 BR hens right in front of our eyes. (again, I was free ranging them) we managed, with our dogs, to chase it off before it could drag the hens off, but were afraid to butcher them out for fear of possible rabies.