Maine

[snowpetals907]

I have some birds I'd like to trade (for more birds) if anyone is interested :

1 gold laced polish pullet...I believe she is 3 1/2 months old
Light Brahmas (seven weeks old, 2 cockerels and 3 pullets)
Hatching coturnix quail eggs (reds, beige, whites, pharaohs)
A few OEGB seven wks old
2 young white guineas

PM me if interested

 

[buckabucka]

I lost a bird today. No idea who or to what but I was missing one at bedtime count.

Sorry about your bird, SCG. All the predator talk is making me nervous. I never saw my fox again after he poked his head into the yard, but I know he is out there.

Yesterday while I was in the garden I heard a big ruckus and I dropped the hose and ran. It was just the neighbor's cat passing through. I only let the chickens into their unprotected run extension when I am home, but half the time I am in the house. Maybe it helps that I have a neighbor with chickens that is a good shot, but I know it is inevitable that I'll have an attack someday.

 

[doggielove]

Sorry to hear the sad news, Superchemicalgirl. This is my first year with chickens so I've been very paranoid about predators. My husband thinks I "baby" them too much. But I tell him, "they are babies."

I think I read somewhere in here that the number of predator attacks is up. For all you chicken veterans, does that seem to be the case? I know they need to eat also and their homes are being destroyed by development, but I think most folks here view their chickens as pets and it's hard to deal with losing them.

 

[ashandvine]

This fox has the same taste as me so that is a problem. I liked these Marans a LOT. Silly really.

I might be getting more Orloffs soon. That feels really good... until I think about predators and sheisters. (sp?) I'm doomed huh. ugh.

How I'm going to get these fences up and built without help is beyond me right now. I had a friend coming today, carpenter, who was going to work with me. No show.

I did some reading about my geese and asked a few of the people I know who are top breeders. I was right and wrong. Tufts can happen as a genetic anomaly but its super rare. Romans and Sebs are NOT related. I have a decision to make. Give them back and get my money or keep them. The guy who sold them offered me two 'pick of the litter' next year... but I don't know. I always hope people are honest about what they sell. I try to be. I have even contacted people I sold to when after their sale something happened here. I just wanted to give folks a heads up incase my chickens passed something along or like when I found out i had worms. What a mess, but it was just worms and easily dealt with. I feel like a food today and resent it. So, I named these and started getting them to like me...

 

[superchemicalgirl]

Can someone please post the info on the Gardiner butchering business? The one where Bucka lost a rooster to the great outdoors?

My neighbor borrowed my butchering book and doesn't think she can do it.

 

[hoppy]

west gardiner beef and westons are in both in gardiner.

Can someone please post the info on the Gardiner butchering business? The one where Bucka lost a rooster to the great outdoors?

My neighbor borrowed my butchering book and doesn't think she can do it.

 

[hoppy]

my advise, if you like the geese, keep them, if not, sell them but tell who ever buys them you are not sure what breed they are, some people don't care, they just want "geese of any kind"
I always tell people to raise birds that YOU like, after all, you have to see and deal with them every day.

This fox has the same taste as me so that is a problem. I liked these Marans a LOT. Silly really.

I might be getting more Orloffs soon. That feels really good... until I think about predators and sheisters. (sp?) I'm doomed huh. ugh.

How I'm going to get these fences up and built without help is beyond me right now. I had a friend coming today, carpenter, who was going to work with me. No show.

I did some reading about my geese and asked a few of the people I know who are top breeders. I was right and wrong. Tufts can happen as a genetic anomaly but its super rare. Romans and Sebs are NOT related. I have a decision to make. Give them back and get my money or keep them. The guy who sold them offered me two 'pick of the litter' next year... but I don't know. I always hope people are honest about what they sell. I try to be. I have even contacted people I sold to when after their sale something happened here. I just wanted to give folks a heads up incase my chickens passed something along or like when I found out i had worms. What a mess, but it was just worms and easily dealt with. I feel like a food today and resent it. So, I named these and started getting them to like me...

 

[ducklucky]

Spoke to these people in Gardiner about a month ago, they do just about every animal, by appointment. She does ducks once or twice a month, and has dates for chickens or whatever. She seemed real nice and was very helpful. You can find them on the net.

 

[ducklucky]

Spoke with a neighbor of ours the other day. He strictly free ranges 100%, has too many chickens to count, they are constantly multiplying. He also specializes in pure bred goats. His theory is that he has "enough for everyone" and doesn't mind sharing his flock with the fox (his attitude, not ours). Yes, the predators seem to be worse this year, we've had a couple of fairly mild winters. We have a hawk that circles our property every single day, just waiting for his chance. Know he will kill a duck, but ours are so heavy he'd never be able to carry it, but can certainly scoop up a hen. Sorry for the person who wrote about having one missing at head count, I always hold my breath that time of day, and it has happened to us many times. Sometimes we saw a trail of feathers, and then...nothing. No other sign. That leads me to believe it was a hawk struggling with its kill, as a fox will just pick it up and take it away. There is a lot of info on the net about the predators' killing techniques if you are interested, but not much you can do about it. If it is fox, you can set live traps, but they're pretty darn smart. Most we ever got was a cat and a 'coon. Maybe if you keep your birds in pen for a couple of days and set the traps they will get hungry enough, and of course, baited with chicken Good luck to everyone with their predators, and unfortunately, we can only hope for a hard winte so some of them will die off naturally.

 

[ducklucky]

Also, for those of you with waterfowl, this neighbor of ours who is an expert in all things from the animal kingdom, says that waterfowl specifically attract predators, especially fox. So keep an eye on your duckies...