INDIANA BYC'ers HERE!

[daskhan]

That

that's funny lol

 

[SallyinIndiana]

We got our year's supply of hay this weekend. I'm so glad we did too as the price did not go up. The lady says if wee need more the hay will cost more since they had to load, store, and unload the bales from the barn. It worked out great that we were home when the call came to get hay as it was baled.

If anyone needs hay at reasonable prices in the area south of Indianapolis, pm and I'll give you her contact info.

As for having a predator free area, I don't think one exists personally. I accept certain risks on my property as I don't have fort knox coops. But I do try some prevention. Turkeys are great for keeping the hawks from landing. Netting over some runs, and ammonia smells to help keep 4 legged critters down. Still we had a skunk spray our barn this past winter. I don't think it got into the barn but I did have a decrease in egg production for a week or so. I can't really say if it was winter low production, chickens scared of the skunk they could sense or if the skunk ate a few eggs. But I know that there are predators in my area even if I don't lose a chicken to them.

 

[daskhan]

Well we have a pit bull a lashit and a bit bull chocolab that seems to mark the surrounding area enough that all other large medium or small preditors keep a wide birth because when we first moved here we seen something about every other day but since they started roaming further we don't see crap sept a pesky garden eating deer or two...

 

[browncow15]

We got our year's supply of hay this weekend.  I'm so glad we did too as the price did not go up.  The lady says if wee need more the hay will cost more since they had to load, store, and unload the bales from the barn.  It worked out great that we were home when the call came to get hay as it was baled. 


If anyone needs hay at reasonable prices in the area south of Indianapolis, pm and I'll give you her contact info.


As for having a predator free area, I don't think one exists personally.  I accept certain risks on my property as I don't have fort knox coops. But I do try some prevention.  Turkeys are great for keeping the hawks from landing.  Netting over some runs, and ammonia smells to help keep 4 legged critters down.    Still we had a skunk spray our barn this past winter.  I don't think it got into the barn but I did have a decrease in egg production for a week or so.  I can't really say if it was winter low production, chickens scared of the skunk they could sense or if the skunk ate a few eggs.  But I know that there are predators in my area even if I don't lose a chicken to them.

Yup, I went over a year with no problems then I had a hawk get one. This spring rats moved in under my coop and killed almost a whole clutch of chicks (I blame my broody, she's stupid!) I've caught 2 but there's still one out there. So far no more losses though.

 

[ChickCrazed]

Well we have a pit bull a lashit and a bit bull chocolab that seems to mark the surrounding area enough that all other large medium or small preditors keep a wide birth because when we first moved here we seen something about every other day but since they started roaming further we don't see crap sept a pesky garden eating deer or two...

I think most people get away without predator loss for a while, but at some point the predators will discover the easy meal and take advantage. I have been relatively lucky, only one lost in two and a half years, but I realistically believe at some point a determined predator could cause loss even though my setup is pretty predator preventative. I would doubt most dogs would be sufficient to keep a determined and hungry predator away. Most of the people who have suffered predator loss probably also have dogs peeing on their property.

 

[daskhan]

I was hoping that the fact I'm in a town and the hope I'm blessed and all the security measures I take was enough but it guess I could try to add some more maybe a motion sensor gun Torret... Hmm my brothers a rocket launch platform opperator I might be able to get him to watch the yard( he can claim they are terrorist since they are terrorizing my birds lol) or hey I was in socom for a bit maybe I can get dayly drone fly overs.. Wouldn't that be a grand way to waste the good American tax dollar (hell since it's such a waste I bet they would go for it lol)

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

Quote: I had severe problems with a fox 2 years ago, lost a few LO roosters. Since all of us in our small area keep poultry or waterfowl we all worked together to get it. That isn't going to stop the next fox, raccoon etc. My neighbor that keeps cows had raccoons getting into the feed in broad daylight when he was feeding them. It falls back to where you are at, if there's been a lot of new construction. Loss of habitat really increases predator issues too.
Our predators here are normally noctournal so most of my birds are locked up at night.

 

[SallyinIndiana]

In a town or city might be helpful or it could backfire. Problems I can think of: if you are close to a fast food place with a not so bright employee that starts to feed the wildlife, the little old lady down the street can't tell a cat from a skunk and sets out food everyday for skunks but then passes away,.... I know there is no way to be fully predator proof and I'm not recommending in anyway that everyone should go out and spend a fortune to protect their chickens. But being aware of what is in your area can help you decide how secure of a pen you want. Also weather considerations will play a part in how sturdy of a coop you want. We have a coop right now that looks like a mini shed. It will not be used this winter unless we get out there and replace some of the cheep wood that has fallen away from rain and snow damage. And once fixed it would be a duck coup as they do better in the cold than my chickens do. All kinds of things to consider when thinking of various coops.

 

[ChickCrazed]

I finally got some pics of this year's kids! They are about 9 weeks old this week. The mottled breda are getting their little crest mohawk poofs! They won't get full fledged crests, maybe a tiny bit bigger than what they have now. I think they are so cool looking! The silkied ameracauna are feathering in slower and still look a bit rough lol. I had more pics but they are taking forever to upload tonight! I am starting to see some red wattles develop on some of them, both breeds take longer to sex but I should be able to tell in the next few weeks.

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

I finally got some pics of this year's kids! They are about 9 weeks old this week. The mottled breda are getting their little crest mohawk poofs! They won't get full fledged crests, maybe a tiny bit bigger than what they have now. I think they are so cool looking! The silkied ameracauna are feathering in slower and still look a bit rough lol. I had more pics but they are taking forever to upload tonight! I am starting to see some red wattles develop on some of them, both breeds take longer to sex but I should be able to tell in the next few weeks.

Babies look great!