How is your flock today?

[Sally PB]

1: Shut the door behind me when I go in the run.
2: Check the door.
3: This afternoon (supposed to be a nice day) I will put up a chicken wire "auxiliary fence" in front of the run where they door is. Then, if they escape out the door, they can't get loose again.

They run up to greet me at the door because I almost always have treats. But now they know what's Beyond The Door...

Yeah, chickens, a lot of woods you could get lost in, and the neighbor's dog, and hawks, and raccoons, and maybe a coyote...

 

[Parront]

1: Shut the door behind me when I go in the run.
2: Check the door.
3: This afternoon (supposed to be a nice day) I will put up a chicken wire "auxiliary fence" in front of the run where they door is. Then, if they escape out the door, they can't get loose again.

They run up to greet me at the door because I almost always have treats. But now they know what's Beyond The Door...

Yeah, chickens, a lot of woods you could get lost in, and the neighbor's dog, and hawks, and raccoons, and maybe a coyote...

I put up electric net fencing. It really works! The coyote used to always cut through our yard, right in broad daylight. No more coyote. I have had it up for this past year, no chicken losses.

 

[Sally PB]

I'm thinking about an electric fence, but it's definitely in the future, not now. This year I want to enlarge the run and the coop, as I have 5 chicks coming in June. I don't free range because of the predators here, both ground and air.

If/when I have a larger flock, I might consider free range seriously. Right now, I have 4 (soon to be 9) and I just couldn't cope with any losses.

What brand of fence do you have? Solar, or electric?

 

[Parront]

I'm thinking about an electric fence, but it's definitely in the future, not now. This year I want to enlarge the run and the coop, as I have 5 chicks coming in June. I don't free range because of the predators here, both ground and air.

If/when I have a larger flock, I might consider free range seriously. Right now, I have 4 (soon to be 9) and I just couldn't cope with any losses.

What brand of fence do you have? Solar, or electric?

Premier 1 with a charger I got from Tractor Supply that is plugged in. It is rated to run 6 fences, I have 2. One is what they call "goat fence" -- yellow with 4" squares that the chickens can walk right through, the other is white with smaller mesh the chickens can not walk through. The goat version works just as well on the wild life here, and was half the cost of the chicken rated fence. I read the other people on BYC's comments and asked them, and the Premier 1 brand was the most recommended.

 

[Sally PB]

Premier 1 brand was the most recommended.

I just got their catalog, and I can see why it's the most recommended! That's the brand I will get when I get one.

 

[Parront]

I just got their catalog, and I can see why it's the most recommended! That's the brand I will get when I get one.

I know! The catalog is like a text book of fences! I have the tight white chicken fence around the ducks, by the creek, where the most pressure from critters is on this place. The ducks are messy eaters, and the food and water attracts deer. Last week a deer tangled with the fence, 1/2 was down on the ground sparking. No duck food was eaten, deer off like a rocket. We have cameras and driveway alarm, so we heard the alarm and saw it on the monitor.

 

[chickentrains]

My flock is angry.

Its raining

 

[416bigbore]

My flock is angry.

Its raining

Where at in the Midwest? The Dakotas have been bone dry all winter and need the moister.

 

[chickentrains]

Where at in the Midwest? The Dakotas have been bone dry all winter and need the moister.

Missouri

 

[BlueBaby]

That is so funny you mention the Microsoft update, I had that little update icon sitting at the upper top right of my PC screen for over a week. Then when my PC started to act a little goofy so I decided to reboot and that is when it wouldn't keep me connect for more then a few seconds at a time. I thought maybe that was my old PC just acting it's age! LOL

" Cluck, Cluck, Quack " Too Funny ! I did check into that just in case Chewy could hurt one of the duck hens by trying to mate them, unlike a Drake that can hurt a chicken trying to mate them.

Yes in the process of getting everyone separated, mixed flocks can and do have their issues at times.

It was a little breezy yesterday and that sure did help dry things out a little. At least the temps are not dropping below 30 F at night so I don't have to keep blowing the water lines out every night, so that's a good thing.

Yesterday Chewy must have had another rush of young Rooster hormones going on. He has been starting to crow in the mornings regularly and then shuts up for the rest of the day. Not yesterday, he crowed on and off most of the day and he was on his girls the most I have ever seen him do at any one time. I will give him a week yet and then start checking a few eggs.

I have an older friend who said he wants a few fertile eggs to incubate for his grand kids. I will be curious to see the colors since the Isa Browns won't breed true from what I have read.

This is a good site to know when those windows updates are having problem's and what to do:

https://www.komando.com/?s=windows+update