Maine

[lazy gardener]

Welcome. New flock owners??

Hubby and i did some preliminary checking on materials and pricing for the new coop. Can't wait to get it started... but it won't be for a while yet. The guy who was going to cut our trees is not available until at least next spring. We have some pretty big trees near the house that need to come down before the building can be started.

 

[WeLuvRuckus]

U

...

Welcome.  New flock owners??

Hubby and i did some preliminary checking on materials and pricing for the new coop.  Can't wait to get it started... but it won't be for a while yet.  The guy who was going to cut our trees is not available until at least next spring.  We have some pretty big trees near the house that need to come down before the building can be started.

No we have been raising for 6 years now and on are 3rd batch of chickens and second batch of ducks.( we moved once and renamed them and we lost are entire flock last year to predators ) our new batch is 3-4 months old and our ducks are 2 weeks . Our blue Swedish is a year old ( got him from a neighbor a week ago)

 

[superchemicalgirl]

And last night we had a skunk attack the chickens right before dusk. It is always something.

Hit it but didn't kill it with the .22 and unfortunately it sprayed. The coop smells awful.

 

[IZZYBELLA]

Well, add me to the list of predator losses. I just lost a red star to a fox. I am beating myself up about it, because I never let them out of my sight when they are out of the coop, but I was lax and was weeding out front while they had wandered out back. Next thing I know I hear a horrendous screech. I screamed and started running... in time to see the fox carrying her off. The fox dropped her, but she was seriously injured. My husband put her down, while I herded the others into the coop. I know it's nature and the fox was here first, but ugh. The rest of the flock is very subdued/shocked right now.

 

[lazy gardener]

So sorry Izzy. Are you in a no shoot zone? Fox will be back.

SCG: Did the skunk injure or kill any birds?

 

[buckabucka]

Jeez, I didn't even know a skunk would attack. So sorry for everyone's losses. It is getting me worried. I can't get the chicks to go in their jail tonight. Usually, I bribe them with food, but only half of them were interested tonight. They are ranging in thick rose bushes and brambles, so it will be quite a task to catch them all. Back out to try again....

 

[lazy gardener]

I try to keep my flock a bit on the hungry side, but that's not always possible when they have such an abundance of fresh fixin's from the yard. Have had to do a bit of chasing myself on occasion. I expect it will be worse when i put the big meat roos in the freezer. They don't tend to stray too far from the feed bowl, and when they come running at the shake of a can, the rest of the flock "usually" does, so they don't miss anything.

 

[superchemicalgirl]

There were no injuries from the skunk attack but I suspect now that that's what got my babies instead of a weasel a few months ago.

 

[lazy gardener]

Predators=

 

[WeLuvRuckus]

We had a horrible last year lost an entire flock including a few ducks and my in laws next door lost theirs ...all on the same night