Keeping Chickens Free Range

[OrganicFarmWife]

And once more I reiterate talk to someone in Australia about rabbits. You do not have a pest problem because you have coyotes, not because you have guns. You cannot shoot, or eat, enough prey without predators. It is a balance that you enjoy weather you respect it or not.

you say i can't shot all these predators but the reason Australia can't is because the have up all their guns. I assure you i do in fact hand enough ammo for each and every coyote.each and every fox .each and every raccoon.

Oh no I have no doubt you could kill every coyote, every racoon's, humans have proved to be very adept at wiping the earth of a unwanted species.
I am saying that if you do kill every predator, you could never manage all of your rabbits, and turkeys, and geese, and quail, and ducks, and moles...the list is endless. And unlike your coyote, these animals are very prolific, and will quickly become a much bigger problem then I think you anticipate. A flock of geese can completely destroy a field of wheat, corn, soybeans in just a couple of days. Your food prices would skyrocket, because you would suddenly be competeing with prey animals for food. Meat would be cheap, everything else extraordinarily expensive.

 

[ChickenChaser9]

Oh no I have no doubt you could kill every coyote, every racoon's, humans have proved to be very adept at wiping the earth of a unwanted species.
I am saying that if you do kill every predator, you could never manage all of your rabbits, and turkeys, and geese, and quail, and ducks, and moles...the list is endless. And unlike your coyote, these animals are very prolific, and will quickly become a much bigger problem then I think you anticipate. A flock of geese can completely destroy a field of wheat, corn, soybeans in just a couple of days. Your food prices would skyrocket, because you would suddenly be competeing with prey animals for food. Meat would be cheap, everything else extraordinarily expensive.

Strange. My policies on killing predators have not changed in the last 15 years but I have not experienced wild geese or ducks flooding my land. No turkeys either. Prices for feed in my area has not changed at all due to predators or the lack thereof I suspect because feed is still plentiful in the country. Some times feed is as much as $3 more a bag. Sometimes it is as much as $3 cheaper a bag And yes free meat is the cheapest so I will keep choosing free meat every time it shows up to kill a chicken. I suppose in this hypothetical world the economy might do what you say but we clearly do not live in that hypothetical world.

 

[OrganicFarmWife]

Oh no I have no doubt you could kill every coyote, every racoon's, humans have proved to be very adept at wiping the earth of a unwanted species.

I am saying that if you do kill every predator, you could never manage all of your rabbits, and turkeys, and geese, and quail, and ducks, and moles...the list is endless. And unlike your coyote, these animals are very prolific, and will quickly become a much bigger problem then I think you anticipate. A flock of geese can completely destroy a field of wheat, corn, soybeans in just a couple of days. Your food prices would skyrocket, because you would suddenly be competeing with prey animals for food. Meat would be cheap, everything else extraordinarily expensive.

  Strange. My policies on killing predators have not changed in the last 15 years but I have not experienced wild geese or ducks flooding my land. No turkeys either. Prices for feed in my area has not changed at all due to predators or the lack thereof I suspect because feed is still plentiful in the country. Some times feed is as much as $3 more a bag. Sometimes it is as much as $3 cheaper a bag And yes free meat is the cheapest so I will keep choosing free meat every time it shows up to kill a chicken. I suppose in this hypothetical world the economy might do what you say but we clearly do not live in that hypothetical world.

Perhaps you are talking small scale. You are correct if you only occasionally kill a predator that approachs your yard you are not affecting anything. At best you are managing your predator population. But you are not eradicating the species, you are enjoying the benefits of a controlled population of coyotes, not no coyotes.

 

[ChickenChaser9]

Perhaps you are talking small scale. You are correct if you only occasionally kill a predator that approachs your yard you are not affecting anything. At best you are managing your predator population. But you are not eradicating the species, you are enjoying the benefits of a controlled population of coyotes, not no coyotes.

I already stated that I do not go out hunting predators so I do not know what else you could think I am referring to. I enjoy the benefits of controlling the environment that I meticulously upkeep and my chickens do too.

 

[duluthralphie]

But you have to think is it YOUR right to eliminate them?

It is my right on my property to control it. I am King of my property.

 

[duluthralphie]

I am not saying I like coyotes or racoon's, I hate them. But I respect the fact that in controlled quantities we need them. I do not want a return of wolves or bears, I would much rather it be a coyote who is more likely to run from my children (or even a cow) then something that will turn and attack. But I also do not want to be overrun with turkeys (we have enough) and cannot shoot every one I see.

I have always had wolves and bears here, they have never left.

 

[duluthralphie]

Strange. My policies on killing predators have not changed in the last 15 years but I have not experienced wild geese or ducks flooding my land. No turkeys either. Prices for feed in my area has not changed at all due to predators or the lack thereof I suspect because feed is still plentiful in the country. Some times feed is as much as $3 more a bag. Sometimes it is as much as $3 cheaper a bag And yes free meat is the cheapest so I will keep choosing free meat every time it shows up to kill a chicken. I suppose in this hypothetical world the economy might do what you say but we clearly do not live in that hypothetical world.

I am being inundated with cottontails , they would bring in predators, so they must go, but they are cyclic here always have been and always will be.

 

[ChickenChaser9]

I am being inundated with cottontails , they would bring in predators, so they must go, but they are cyclic here always have been and always will be.

rabbit season it's year long here and they are a pest but i can remember eating rabbit stew before i wad old enough to hop to school. There exists no shortage of prey. I am not going to tolerate some predator snooping around my chicken yard because it thinks chickens are 9easier to catch than rabbits.

 

[duluthralphie]

rabbit season it's year long here and they are a pest but i can remember eating rabbit stew before i wad old enough to hop to school. There exists no shortage of prey. I am not going to tolerate some predator snooping around my chicken yard because it thinks chickens are 9easier to catch than rabbits.

That is my worry, an eagle sees a rabbit swoops on the running rabbit and sees a chicken standing there gawking so he changes his mind and goes for the chicken. Chickens are slower.

 

[OrganicFarmWife]

Perhaps you are talking small scale. You are correct if you only occasionally kill a predator that approachs your yard you are not affecting anything. At best you are managing your predator population. But you are not eradicating the species, you are enjoying the benefits of a controlled population of coyotes, not no coyotes.

 I already stated that I do not go out hunting predators so I do not know what else you could think I am referring to. I enjoy the benefits of controlling the environment that I meticulously upkeep and my chickens do too.

Ok...