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loljusticar said:
Thank you for the welcome! At the moment, I'm focusing on community awareness which is currently a bit difficult!
Click to expand...
I recommend joining the DeKalb Area Gardeners and Homesteaders on Facebook if you haven't already and talking about your efforts on there as well! I belong to the group and I'm sure there are many more who would like chickens and would lend support.
 
I think that I probably posted in this thread years ago... but I don’t know. I can’t find my post if I did, but I have posted quite a few times! I was away from the site for awhile due to connectivity issues which seem to be resolved. Anyhow, this may be a repeat, and I hope that is OK.

I live in rural east central Illinois, a stone’s throw from Indiana. We have had our current mini-farm for 5 years. Our chicken house is built into the corner of one of our barns and has a roofed outdoor run attached.

We had Icelandics. Last year we had a predator disaster. We rehomed the few survivors with a 4-H family who wanted to get into a rare breed. Ugh. Raccoons are a constant threat here.

We then set to work to beef up the outdoor enclosure so that (we hope) the new chickens will be safe from raccoons. We believe that the raccoon gained access to the chickens through the outdoor run, which we thought was secure. We had to re-evaluate that incorrect belief and studied the run to figure out the point of access. Then we added another layer of fencing all around the sides, and added extra protection from anything that might try to tunnel in.

The pop door was open at the time of the attack, allowing the predator access to roosting birds (we were not home at the time it happened). While I strongly considered adding an automatic door, we had some concerns about the doors’ safety. So we ultimately decided to focus on beefing up the security of the outdoor run. I have learned that what seem to be good defenses are not always perfect. But we hope that our current defenses will be enough. We are still pondering the advantages and dangers of an automatic pop door, so I cannot rule out that extra layer of defense just yet.

The new chicks are buff Orpingtons. I had buffs years ago and have missed their personalities (and their BIG brown eggs). These are being raised on fermented feed. Can’t wait to have fresh eggs again!

Anyhow, I am a country gal from way back. In addition to chickens we have a garden and orchard, horse, dogs, and cats. In years past I have had a larger farm, raised sheep, goats, ducks and bees.
 
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Welcome back. :thumbsup
Consider a Hot Wire. That is one teaching tool that raccoons learn quickly. Many peeps bait them to get the enticement going.
As to auto pop door, I have the Ador 1 and am very satisfied with it.
 
Some pics from today:

Went to check on the bantam tractor & look what I found....
Yes, DD dyed Teddy, her serama boy, blue!
img_9856-jpg.1432613

The rest of the bantam gang are another serama - named Noodle - who's female but also crows. An OEG named Digger, a buff silkie named Macy, and a LF English orp named Cupcake (also nicknamed BFO for Big Fat Orp)

Digger
img_9850-jpg.1432612

Broody Jewel. She's sitting on turkey eggs, so perhaps that's why she's imitating a turkey. I only saw 3 turkey eggs. Not sure what happened & why 1 disappeared. Due to hatch June 20th.
img_9865-jpg.1432614


Our young cockerel
img_9880-jpg.1432615


Mr Wonderful:
img_9891-jpg.1432616


Some turkeys raised by Smudge. (They'll be off to their new home tomorrow.)
@Molpet What do you think of them? I'm predicting a male & female. The one in front has always been bigger.
img_9905-jpg.1432617
 
Faraday40 said:
Some pics from today:

Went to check on the bantam tractor & look what I found....
Yes, DD dyed Teddy, her serama boy, blue!
img_9856-jpg.1432613

The rest of the bantam gang are another serama - named Noodle - who's female but also crows. An OEG named Digger, a buff silkie named Macy, and a LF English orp named Cupcake (also nicknamed BFO for Big Fat Orp)

Digger
img_9850-jpg.1432612

Broody Jewel. She's sitting on turkey eggs, so perhaps that's why she's imitating a turkey. I only saw 3 turkey eggs. Not sure what happened & why 1 disappeared. Due to hatch June 20th.
img_9865-jpg.1432614


Our young cockerel
img_9880-jpg.1432615


Mr Wonderful:
img_9891-jpg.1432616


Some turkeys raised by Smudge. (They'll be off to their new home tomorrow.)
@Molpet What do you think of them? I'm predicting a male & female. The one in front has always been bigger.
img_9905-jpg.1432617
Click to expand...

Faraday40 said:
Forgot to add Jewel's daughter. These may not be the best pics because she's in that "wild teen pullet" stage. I can't wait to see her adult size once she grows to match those big legs. Jewel may not remain our largest orp.
View attachment 1432704 View attachment 1432705 View attachment 1432706
Click to expand...

Love the pictures!!!

And yay for my turkeys!!!

I'm so happy to be getting them but totally clueless when I'll be able to sex them. I'll need help with that!
 

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