Long time lurker, finally joined :)

Pics
Date sort Score sort
Dr.T

Dr.T

Chirping
Joined
Nov 30, 2017
Messages
24
Reaction score
68
Points
69
Location
Arcola, IL
Hello all! I have had chickens for going on two years now. I grew up on a cattle farm and always wanted chickens, but my dad hated them so I never got to have them! Now that I'm grown and got myself a few acres, I got into chickens and have loved every minute of it!

Currently, I have 32 birds with 5 roosters. About half of them are from my original, first round of chicks. The other half I got as chicks this past summer. I have battled coyotes (lost six in one afternoon), mink (lost a dozen and my favorite rooster, Rusty, who is in my profile pic), and most recently a hawk (lost one).

What breeds do you have? Black Australorp, Rhode Island Red, Ameracauna, White Rock, Golden Laced Wyandotte, Silver Laced Wyandotte, Light Brahma, Dark Brahma, Blue Andalusian, Pearl White Rock, Black Minorca, Black Jersey Giant, (hopefully getting Ayam Cemani this weekend!)

In searching for information on chicken husbandry on the internet I came across BYC

I also do crossfit/weightlifting and love to travel and refurbish antique furniture.

I have three dogs (Aussie, Dachshund, and mutt) and a husband.
13901499_10153764201721444_8511805939239659124_n.jpg 14448875_10153894096501444_4119217216091569863_n.jpg 14590486_10153918290206444_2776621430391026223_n.jpg 16716192_10154292905961444_3756212651431599456_o.jpg
16992346_10154326921491444_6329301794959223320_o.jpg
16904834_10154326920801444_9167389393372775016_o.jpg
 

Attachments

  • IMG_0107.JPG
    IMG_0107.JPG
    1.1 MB · Views: 1
  • 18922135_10154620235656444_7023014385633815708_n.jpg
    18922135_10154620235656444_7023014385633815708_n.jpg
    49 KB · Views: 3
Welcome to Backyard chickens.

I am assuming you free range your flock. Doing so allows predators to shop - pick and choose their victims. Every time they score they will return to take more. Does your Aussie provide any protection?

When the losses are too great the birds need to be confined in totally safeguarded covered runs. Please visit the "predator threads" to see what that entails. Chickens can be just as content in large enclosed runs as running free and dying prematurely.

You may want to incorporate some electrified fencing to discourage coyotes.,mink and weasels can squeeze through small openings and often have bloodlust frenzies where they kill everything they can reach and don't eat any- other than drinking blood.
 
drumstick diva said:
Welcome to Backyard chickens.

I am assuming you free range your flock. Doing so allows predators to shop - pick and choose their victims. Every time they score they will return to take more. Does your Aussie provide any protection?

When the losses are too great the birds need to be confined in totally safeguarded covered runs. Please visit the "predator threads" to see what that entails. Chickens can be just as content in large enclosed runs as running free and dying prematurely.

You may want to incorporate some electrified fencing to discourage coyotes.,mink and weasels can squeeze through small openings and often have bloodlust frenzies where they kill everything they can reach and don't eat any- other than drinking blood.
Click to expand...

so here's how things went down...

Coyotes: only a problem when corn is being grown by the house (my yard is bordered by row crops) and right before harvest when the coyotes are really on the move. They only got one attack in, and then I got the Aussie. He helps with that. They stay far away now.

Mink: it took us forever to get that sucker. We kept tightening up the coop, then about two weeks later it would find another entry point. Once we got down to the point where we were literally spray-foaming everything and it still was getting in...we called in the big guns. Finally resorted to a game camera to figure out when and where it was coming and going from. Then we waited with a shotgun and my dachshund trained to seek and kill vermin. This was a five-month long process. It was gut-wrenching to not know if one of my birds was going to be decapitated every morning I went out.

Hawk: this was a new one. Those devils are sneaky. It was never a problem when I had Rusty, the Barred Rock roo as he hated the hawk and was on it every time it was near (watched him chase it multiple times) and also watched for it and alerted everyone. New roos don't seem to have that figured out yet.

My set up: Coop that is extremely tight now (got a new one after the mink episode) and it has two fenced in runs. Now I am getting the runs covered over the top due to the hawk.
 

New posts New threads Active threads

Back
Top Bottom