INCUBATING w/FRIENDS! w/Sally Sunshine Shipped Eggs No problem!

[Chaos18]

Never actually seen a rat, or seen evidence of them NEAR the coop, but have seen evidence of them near the coop by the shed when we took apart the dog kennels that were attached to the shed to convert them into juvie chicken coops, so our baby chicks would be safe to live outside until they were full grown.

Do you free range you birds?

 

[DwayneNLiz]

I would think coon or weasel with the soft underbelly gone and the head.

Have you actually seen any of the rats? @RavynFallen has rats, not sure what she does besides shoot them.

her crop is ripped open but not eaten, nothing below the base of the neck is disturbed
hubby ran over the trap the other day, i need to get it back out there

 

[Chaos18]

her crop is ripped open but not eaten, nothing below the base of the neck is disturbed
hubby ran over the trap the other day, i need to get it back out there

So just the head is gone? Would still think coon or weasel. If done in the daylight I would go with weasel.

 

[DwayneNLiz]

So just the head is gone? Would still think coon or weasel. If done in the daylight I would go with weasel.

head is still attached but the flesh is gone, bones and beak are still there
all flesh from head to crop is gone

 

[kajira]

Do you free range you birds?

In the goat area, yes. which is why we had to fix the coop so the goats would stop going into it. I haven't seen the chickens jump the fences. They've done a pretty good job at staying in their designated area on their own.

Our cochin's been refusing to leave the nesting boxes, even though there's no eggs in them. My daughter's been having to take her out once a day to make sure she eats/drinks.

I'm tempted to throw her in with the juvies for a few days to see if I can break that behavior.

Once my great pyr's are trained to protect the birds, and I can trust them to be careful, I'll let our birds have free range of the front part around our house. We have a lot of ant hills, and I'd be very grateful if the birds would... help control them.

 

[Chaos18]

In the goat area, yes. which is why we had to fix the coop so the goats would stop going into it. I haven't seen the chickens jump the fences. They've done a pretty good job at staying in their designated area on their own.

Our cochin's been refusing to leave the nesting boxes, even though there's no eggs in them. My daughter's been having to take her out once a day to make sure she eats/drinks.

I'm tempted to throw her in with the juvies for a few days to see if I can break that behavior.

Once my great pyr's are trained to protect the birds, and I can trust them to be careful, I'll let our birds have free range of the front part around our house. We have a lot of ant hills, and I'd be very grateful if the birds would... help control them.

If they don't get out of the fenced area you could set out rat traps outside the fence area where the rats are.

 

[kajira]

If they don't get out of the fenced area you could set out rat traps outside the fence area where the rats are.

I'd be worried of catching a barn cat, or one of the dogs :/

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So, behind that shed, is our juvie coop, then on the other side, is the goat pen. The hay field/horses are on the right, and then we have about a fenced acre, around the house.

The garden is in the front of the property, on the outside of our fences. We also have another half acre unfenced, by a canal where water goes when they flood all the hay fields in the area or it rains a lot. It's a long drive way that goes down to the road. We plan on eventually fencing it for the goats, and letting them range in that area, once we get our herd established. The dogs would be split up. 1 with the chickens/milking goats, and the other with the goat herd, to keep them and babies safe.

 

[kajira]

If they don't get out of the fenced area you could set out rat traps outside the fence area where the rats are.

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[casportpony]

Quote: You are always so sweet. Thanks, posts like this make me feel special.

You are also amazing.

-Kathy

 

[DwayneNLiz]

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nice property but i love that your daughter is always hugging the birds in the pics