- Apr 15, 2009
- 6,770
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So, I lost a GSL about a month ago. She tended to wander, so it wasn't a complete surprise. I live in tough terrain with a ton of predators, so free-ranging is always a little sketchy, but the girls love it so much that I only allow them out when I am out, about, and usually running power tools all around them. They went into lock down after the loss, but after a month I thought they were safe. I finally let them all out again when I was going to be mowing, brush cutting, and chain-sawing all around their space. I thought they would be safe with all the noise and commotion.
Wouldn't you know it... another one disappeared that day despite the fact I was constantly around them, running heavy equipment, with 2 dogs present. My other GSL, that tended to wander with the first one, was the one that disappeared. I knew where they wandered, which isn't on my land, but we have a very good relationship with our neighbors, so after the second disappearance I called the neighbors and asked if I could mow down part of their land in an effort to stop the predation.
The neighbors were very agreeable, so I spent 3 days mowing down the hellacious thicket that had grown up between our 2 properties. I spent 3 days ripping out Tartarian honeysuckle, Multiflora roses, and Autumn Olive trees with the occasional Barberrry bush thrown in. All are invasive species in my area. 3 out of 4 are heavily thorned, and the 4th I am highly allergic to, so I need to use a respirator when dealing with it. Let me tell you how much fun it is to deal with this in 85-90 degree heat. After 3 days of dealing with these things I look like I was tossed into a sack with a handful of angry cats. I am exhausted, scratched all to heck, doped to the gills on Benadryl, but happy that my birds should finally be safe. I breathed a sigh of relief today, but still was watching my free-range ducks very closely (the chickens are still in lock down). The ducks have been okay up to this point because they are so shy and skittish that nothing can come near them.
And despite all this work and my constant vigilance today... my favorite duck disappeared. What the
!!! REALLY?!?!?
I have had a terrible year. I have had feather pickers that I have been trying to combat all year. I have had a horrible rooster that I ended up culling. I have lost 62 meat birds in one night to a weasel. I have lost 3 birds to ground predators which I have never had to deal with before because the dogs usually keep them in check. Oh... and speaking of the dogs... they are the next item on the menu if they don't start doing their jobs!!!
I am at my wit's end. I have never had such a frustrating year in poultry keeping as this one has been. I am not usually one to complain, but enough is enough! The chickens are in lock down and shall remain so for the remainder of the season. They are going to be very unhappy, but it beats being dead. The waterfowl... how do you market free-range duck eggs when the ducks need to be locked down for their safety? No more free-range duck eggs, I guess. That will be a hit to the pocket book, but not as much as dead ducks will be. They are also going to be all put out, but (again) not as much as they would be if they were... dead.
Sorry for the rotten attitude, BYCers. I am just having a really bad couple of weeks. I needed to rant. I am done.
Tomorrow is a new day.
Wouldn't you know it... another one disappeared that day despite the fact I was constantly around them, running heavy equipment, with 2 dogs present. My other GSL, that tended to wander with the first one, was the one that disappeared. I knew where they wandered, which isn't on my land, but we have a very good relationship with our neighbors, so after the second disappearance I called the neighbors and asked if I could mow down part of their land in an effort to stop the predation.
The neighbors were very agreeable, so I spent 3 days mowing down the hellacious thicket that had grown up between our 2 properties. I spent 3 days ripping out Tartarian honeysuckle, Multiflora roses, and Autumn Olive trees with the occasional Barberrry bush thrown in. All are invasive species in my area. 3 out of 4 are heavily thorned, and the 4th I am highly allergic to, so I need to use a respirator when dealing with it. Let me tell you how much fun it is to deal with this in 85-90 degree heat. After 3 days of dealing with these things I look like I was tossed into a sack with a handful of angry cats. I am exhausted, scratched all to heck, doped to the gills on Benadryl, but happy that my birds should finally be safe. I breathed a sigh of relief today, but still was watching my free-range ducks very closely (the chickens are still in lock down). The ducks have been okay up to this point because they are so shy and skittish that nothing can come near them.
And despite all this work and my constant vigilance today... my favorite duck disappeared. What the
I have had a terrible year. I have had feather pickers that I have been trying to combat all year. I have had a horrible rooster that I ended up culling. I have lost 62 meat birds in one night to a weasel. I have lost 3 birds to ground predators which I have never had to deal with before because the dogs usually keep them in check. Oh... and speaking of the dogs... they are the next item on the menu if they don't start doing their jobs!!!
I am at my wit's end. I have never had such a frustrating year in poultry keeping as this one has been. I am not usually one to complain, but enough is enough! The chickens are in lock down and shall remain so for the remainder of the season. They are going to be very unhappy, but it beats being dead. The waterfowl... how do you market free-range duck eggs when the ducks need to be locked down for their safety? No more free-range duck eggs, I guess. That will be a hit to the pocket book, but not as much as dead ducks will be. They are also going to be all put out, but (again) not as much as they would be if they were... dead.
Sorry for the rotten attitude, BYCers. I am just having a really bad couple of weeks. I needed to rant. I am done.
Tomorrow is a new day.
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