Hey "older folks", do you remember a time when we could free range without loss?

[centrarchid]

I am a bit behind what appears to be old timer grade. Still been around long enough to see the changes.

 

[Trish1974]

I am a bit behind what appears to be old timer grade. Still been around long enough to see the changes.

Same here. I'm only in my mid 40s and EVERYTHING seems different since I was a kid. I can't imagine all the change people 60+ has seen.

 

[Howard E]

One more thing I forgot to mention.........if you go back to poultry husbandry books written 100 years ago, about the only predators they were concerned about were hawks and rats........plus two legged varmints. Back then, it was common for folks to steal your chickens.

I can think of at least two times in movies and TV shows where someone stole chickens. And about 50 years ago, I was baling hay for an elderly neighbor. The family that came to haul the hay was headed up by the father, who at the time was around 60. When he greeted they neighbor, his first comment to him was....

...."hey, nice meeting you. Now that I know where you live I can come back to steal your chickens".

Joke of course, but all good humor has an element of truth about it.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Here in Wisconsin what are considered predator species have been slowly recovering from decades of over hunting, thinning, culling, lead bullets and poisons. Back in the day people did whatever they could to eradicate competition for what they saw as their animals.

When I was a kid it was extremely odd to see or hear hawks and owls. Coyote wolves and bear were unheard of here. Now all these species are slowly increasing in numbers. I personally don't see it as a problem. I see it as a return to a natural balance.

There is still one remaining problem in Wisconsin that could be fixed by letting the wolves populate more, chronic wasting in white tail deer. The wolves would weed out the sick and the weak, where the hunters go for the strong and healthy.

I personally can still free range my birds without too many losses. It's an odd year that a predator takes birds here. We manage the fields so the birds can see. We keep multiple roosters, provide lots of cover from aerial predators, and the big thing is we have donkeys who are in the same shed as the chickens. My husband also is a hunter and will take care of any problem animal, otherwise we let them be.

I think there is more conservation efforts, and the DNR manages things more than they used to which has helped more species to recover, and not be hunted to the excess. The lack of a fur market helps too.

I personally think it's cool to go out at night and hear the owls and coyotes. A wolf howl would be so cool as well.

 

[centrarchid]

One more thing I forgot to mention.........if you go back to poultry husbandry books written 100 years ago, about the only predators they were concerned about were hawks and rats........plus two legged varmints. Back then, it was common for folks to steal your chickens.

I can think of at least two times in movies and TV shows where someone stole chickens. And about 50 years ago, I was baling hay for an elderly neighbor. The family that came to haul the hay was headed up by the father, who at the time was around 60. When he greeted they neighbor, his first comment to him was....

...."hey, nice meeting you. Now that I know where you live I can come back to steal your chickens".

Joke of course, but all good humor has an element of truth about it.

We had game chickens stolen and knew who did because they were tied a barrel on peeps yard.

Much later we and grand kids of perpetrators laugh about it know. Birds were worth it. Grand kids and us all in 50's now.

 

[chickengeorgeto]

Very good point! I have noticed farmers are now cleaning up fence rows, cutting down trees and burning brush. Got to get in that extra row of crops I guess! I hadn't put the two together, but now that you mention it that makes sense.

The reason for clean fields is not as some people think that farmers are greedy son-of-sailor-men but that the farm equipment of today is large and it may take a farmer 1/2 a day to turn around a 30 row planter or some other piece of farm equipment without the farmer doing more damage to his planted crops than he prevents with his equipment. If you disagree with this then I suggest that you toss out your sons and daughters shoes, remove your sons and daughters from school and teach your children to sit on the front porch and pick the banjo. I also wish to remind you that it is now illegal to play the guitar on street corners and sell pencils to make a living.

 

[chickengeorgeto]

… When I was a kid it was extremely odd to see or hear hawks and owls. Coyote wolves and bear were unheard of... There is still one remaining problem in Wisconsin that could be fixed by letting the wolves populate more, chronic wasting in white tail deer...

So are you saying that you should not have a safe and secure coop because the coons, possums, hawks, owls, foxes, mink, coyotes, skunks, weasels, etc are really doing your chickens a valuable service by killing them?

Please, predators kill because of a lucky combination of circumstances. They don't grab potential vittles like rabbets and take these bunnies recital temperature before feeding can begin.

Wasting disease is a reaction to well meaning but incredible ignorant humans (both hunters and anti-hunters) who increase the deer population through various feeding schemes. The best and surest way to have a disease break out in a wild (or Domestic) animal population is to increase that animals population. The same thing happened with the black death in the middle or dark ages.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

So are you saying that you should not have a safe and secure coop because the coons, possums, hawks, owls, foxes, mink, coyotes, skunks, weasels, etc are really doing your chickens a valuable service by killing them?

Please, predators kill because of a lucky combination of circumstances. They don't grab potential vittles like rabbets and take these bunnies recital temperature before feeding can begin.

Wasting disease is a reaction to well meaning but incredible ignorant humans (both hunters and anti-hunters) who increase the deer population through various feeding schemes. The best and surest way to have a disease break out in a wild (or Domestic) animal population is to increase that animals population. The same thing happened with the black death in the middle or dark ages.

No, what I'm saying is it's the responsibility of the chicken keeper to keep their birds safe and as secure as possible. Other animals aren't automatically the enemy. In the past animals were eradicated merely because they were competition to humans. You need to protect your own, but I don't believe every critter needs killing just because it's in your yard once or twice. We humans share this planet, not own it.

Chronic wasting diseases have many causes. Overpopulation is just one of them.

 

[chickengeorgeto]

Diseases like chronic wasting disease are not caused by large populations of susceptible individuals. These diseases however are quickly and widely spread by large populations of susceptible animals.

Just like in my previous example of black birds stuffing their faces at cattle feed lots, every time that man modifies the environment to brtter suite his needs, these modifications help mans' animal competitors better compete with humans. Crows, rats, and other vermin are a direct result of man moving into the neighborhood.