INDIANA BYC'ers HERE!

[CCCCCCCCHICKENS]

I am glad he held off until he left then! My D'Uccle must have practiced while I was away, because he doesn't sound too terrible. Like a hacking crow.
I don't think it was a dog. I have seen a lot of animal attacks, both by pet and feral animals. If a pet dog, even a starving one, attacked your chickens, it would not eat all it killed, and it definately wouldn't be picked clean. For a dog to even remotely been large enough to eat all of them (assuming they are LF) a lot of the bones would probably be missing. When my dogs attack birds, even the larger ones like crows, he will eat the entire thing. Bones, beak, and all. I'm not saying that's true for every dog, but that's generally what has happened for me.

Again, I don't agree with the cat attacking either. The only type of cat that would eat it is a feral or "barn" cat, most family pets only kill for fun. A cat couldn't eat that many and would drag it off to where ever it lived. I've not had a whole lot of experience with cats, but I can't imagine my Dinah being able to kill a full size chicken. She is somewhat of a wimp though.

But before when these dogs attacked my chickens it looked pretty much the same. The only thing that was different was there was a little more meat left.

And just to let every know when I say picked clean i don't mean litterly no meat, just a sufficent amount of the chicken is gone. And I have a picture if anybody really wants to see it, but I didnt post it originally becuase i thought it might gross some people out.

 

[MrTattoohead]

Would it be better to have the roosts on the same level rather than graduated in the image? If there were 2 roosts at 2 foot high and a smaller one at 1 foot high (for them to get up to the others), would that be enough space and keep them happy?

The gray boxes were just to show the height of the coop box.

 

[bradselig]

I have domestic cats around them. But most of them are afraid of the chickens. Except for the tom cats. They rub up against the chickens and pure other than that they leave them alone. But all of them are afraid of the rooster, because he chases them. It is kind of funny but sometimes I feel bad forthe cats. Now a bobcat. I dont think anyone has seen one in my area. I live in wells county and the closest I have ever heard of one being reported is brown county.

There have actually been reports of mountain lion spottings around southern Huntington county and southern Wabash county. There has also been a positive ID of a bobcat from a trail cam that was set up at Salamonie Res. around the Wabash/Huntington county line.

 

[CCCCCCCCHICKENS]

There have actually been reports of mountain lion spottings around southern Huntington county and southern Wabash county. There has also been a positive ID of a bobcat from a trail cam that was set up at Salamonie Res. around the Wabash/Huntington county line.

i dint hear about those. How big are bobcats and mounyain lions anyways? Do you think they would risk getting that close ro my house? my chicken coop is really close to my house. And or a radio playing out by my chicken coop?

 

[danand]

Ccccc- my cousin caught a bobcat last winter in a trap. I saw the pics and I believe him( SE of Columbus) and I saw a pic of a mountain lion also south of Greensburg last summer, also from a person I know and believe. You might check with your county extension agent or county animal person to see if they've had any reports or other incidents!! I wouldn't think smaller wild critters would do THAT many or that much damage! My dad was putting out the cameras in our woods for a while. It's very interesting to see what you get! They are worth the money!!

 

[bradselig]

I thnk both species of cats are very reclusive and not really a risk. Bobcats are on the smaller size. If I had to guess (too lazy to google lol) they are around 30-40# and mountain lions double that?

I have relatives who work for the Army Corp of Engineers at Huntington (Roush), Salamonie, and Missisinawa Res. Im pretty confident I have seen a mountain lion in southern Huntington co this past winter and after talking with animal control, she had been getting several reports of it as well. Of course it could have been a pet that got loose or let go, so who knows. Ill try to find the pic and info on h bobcat sighting.

 

[oldrooster]

I thnk both species of cats are very reclusive and not really a risk. Bobcats are on the smaller size. If I had to guess (too lazy to google lol) they are around 30-40# and mountain lions double that?

I have relatives who work for the Army Corp of Engineers at Huntington (Roush), Salamonie, and Missisinawa Res. Im pretty confident I have seen a mountain lion in southern Huntington co this past winter and after talking with animal control, she had been getting several reports of it as well. Of course it could have been a pet that got loose or let go, so who knows. Ill try to find the pic and info on h bobcat sighting.

14 to 40 pounds http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bobcat
64 to 220 pounds http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mountain_lion

 

[Too Fast]

I have domestic cats around them. But most of them are afraid of the chickens. Except for the tom cats. They rub up against the chickens and pure other than that they leave them alone. But all of them are afraid of the rooster, because he chases them. It is kind of funny but sometimes I feel bad forthe cats. Now a bobcat. I dont think anyone has seen one in my area. I live in wells county and the closest I have ever heard of one being reported is brown county.

Domestic cats lol. Our yard cat gets run off by the 'gang of 8' around here. They will come up to her while she is relaxing and peck her toes! She gets up and casually walks away.

 

[Too Fast]

Would it be better to have the roosts on the same level rather than graduated in the image? If there were 2 roosts at 2 foot high and a smaller one at 1 foot high (for them to get up to the others), would that be enough space and keep them happy?

The gray boxes were just to show the height of the coop box.

Whew we were all wondering about those mysterious grey boxes! I was thinking it was some sort of government grey opps, glad you relieved me of that scarey thought.


Chickens will roost on the highest roost bar, and on the highest end if it isn't level. They have to be on top! Allow almost 10'' roost space per adult bird.

 

[ShawnaScott]

Does anyone know if someone in Indiana sells Swedish Flower Hens? In the next few weeks I am going to be looking to get some (as soon as DH builds my coop!!) and the closest I have seen them is in Kentucky...