jwsmith1959
Songster
My mower went down (threw a belt) and my grass got a little out of hand. It took 2 1/2 weeks to get my mower fixed through a warranty shop about 30 miles away and about 1 1/2 weeks into the repairs, I lost four of my girls. I live on ~8 acres and the girls free range for about 10+ hours each day. I lost one girl early by probably a raccoon that reached into the coop. I fixed that issue (I reinforced the bottom with small chicken wire and aggressively trapped for awhile), and they have been very happy without any issues (except one). The grass was pretty high and I didn't have my mower to scan the property (I have vascular issues, so it is hard walking through uneven tall grass). I decided to throw on my high boots and do a look around. Down by my oxbow (I live about 1/4 mile from the Brazos River), I found a goodly pile of feathers...but still only about 1 hens worth. At first I thought it might be an alligator...but the feathers led away from the water.
I do have at least one adult Bobcat that lives around here. No Coyotes to speak of. Lived here two years and only heard them a time or two. I saw one lone Coyote about a mile away crossing the road. No stray dogs and the daytime raptors are not big enough to take out full grown hens (Winter time might be different).
It had been dry, and I don't let them out early and put them up early....so owls are not an issue. It is possible that three of the hens wigged out and absconded, but I have looked all over for them (there are thousands of acres of area around me) but I reached out to my closer neighbors and none have seen them. It is also possible that they flew into the Oxbow and drowned or they were attacked by multiple Bobcats (never seen more than one).
I don't feel guilty about letting my girls free range the way they do as they are healthy and happy when they do. When you live in the country, it is an inevitability I guess. I trap and keep as many predators away as possible. I partially blame the high grass from my mower being down as to why this happened.
Just a vent. Happy chickens everyone.
I do have at least one adult Bobcat that lives around here. No Coyotes to speak of. Lived here two years and only heard them a time or two. I saw one lone Coyote about a mile away crossing the road. No stray dogs and the daytime raptors are not big enough to take out full grown hens (Winter time might be different).
It had been dry, and I don't let them out early and put them up early....so owls are not an issue. It is possible that three of the hens wigged out and absconded, but I have looked all over for them (there are thousands of acres of area around me) but I reached out to my closer neighbors and none have seen them. It is also possible that they flew into the Oxbow and drowned or they were attacked by multiple Bobcats (never seen more than one).
I don't feel guilty about letting my girls free range the way they do as they are healthy and happy when they do. When you live in the country, it is an inevitability I guess. I trap and keep as many predators away as possible. I partially blame the high grass from my mower being down as to why this happened.
Just a vent. Happy chickens everyone.
