Maine

[buckabucka]

Have not seen rat activity since the last death. Some mouse but not bad. Anyone have extra bags? I'd like to make this a bit wider and longer. Egg production has stayed about the same here - about 4 per day on average (from a zillion birds). All my cornish hens have gone broody and birds that weren't supposed to molt this year molted and birds that were supposed to molt this year didn't molt. It was an odd year.

What kind of bags, SCG? I can't really tell what that is made of......

 

[buckabucka]

I need better glasses. DH could see the tiny Crown Royal print. I did have a bag.....it's very old,.....I wonder if I can locate it........

 

[lazy gardener]

I am still having rats squeeze into the chicken run through the door. I may try poison water over my winter break. It will involve more work (locking chickens in, plugging in poison water, and in the morning: dumping poison into a bucket and removing it along with poison waterer, setting out and plugging in regular water, releasing chickens), which is why I want to wait until I have time off. By then I may be able to do the job in daylight.

Meanwhile, I might have found a temporary solution. Just today, I crammed a 2x4 under the door from the outside (they appear to be going underneath and squeezing up through a crack). I'll have to remove the 2x4 if we are expecting rain or snow, so it won't freeze to the ground. The door opens out, so I have to move the 2x4 every morning just to get in the run to feed everyone, but it is worth a try.

Laying here is on a steady upward path. We bottomed out at 46 per week (I don't light, but I have 15 pullets). Early this month we had 61 per week, this week 75. I tried to sprout some red spring wheat this week, but the seed is too old. My chickens are locked up. I'm keeping an eye out for our raccoon visitor. Kind of hard to tell if he's been around again with no snow to track him.

Bucka, wouldn't the rats just eat snow, ice if the poison were out for them now? We have plenty of snow here now. Surprised you don't.

We've started the exhaustive search for the perfect dog. Thought we'd found her yesterday: gorgeous female Aus Shepherd/Beagle mix, 8 months old, good start on obedience training, 30#. She met most of my criteria (young female, 20 - 40#). The deal breaker: "She likes to play with chickens... correction: EAT chickens." So, it's back to the drawing board. In my state, there aren't a lot of shelter dogs available. Very heavy on the Pit Bull and male categories, though. If any one knows of pups/young female dogs being re-homed, give me a PM. I'm partial to terriers, and have strong leanings towards mutts instead of pure-breds.

 

[CoopChick719]

How're the rat wars going??? My egg production has actually gone down compared to 2 weeks ago. Wonder what's up with that? Girls are not coming out at all now. Have just started making sprouts for them now.

Still see evidence of the rats but nothing in the traps.

Have not seen rat activity since the last death. Some mouse but not bad.

Anyone have extra bags? I'd like to make this a bit wider and longer.



Egg production has stayed about the same here - about 4 per day on average (from a zillion birds). All my cornish hens have gone broody and birds that weren't supposed to molt this year molted and birds that were supposed to molt this year didn't molt. It was an odd year.

Cute quilt! Sorry no bags here!


Got some hay for the run & to cover up the dreaded snow in the play yard. Everyone came out yesterday and got some sun. Loved hearing them "discuss" the new hay bale in the run. We got 3 eggs out of 12 girls, well really, 9 because 3 are senior ladies who don't lay anymore but are very good broody mamas. Here's to longer & warmer days!

 

[buckabucka]

I was under the impression that if rats had a source of water, they would use it. It seems like it would be preferable to eating snow, but I don't know that they use the waterer for certain. It is not very far away from the food they've been eating, so I just assumed.

We do have snow here. What I should have said was that DH uses his tractor with a 6 foot wide snow blower to basically clear out the whole yard. There are large, wide cleared paths of dirt and hard, frozen snow. If the raccoon were walking around in front of the coop or near the house at night, it would not leave tracks. A freshly fallen snow will make it more obvious if he is around.

 

[superchemicalgirl]

Yes I have photos taken of the rats drinking from the outdoor waterers. If you have a game camera, put it out.

 

[lazy gardener]

For some reason, some of my posts are getting lost. So, here's a repeat.

We've started the exhaustive search for the perfect dog. Thought we'd found her yesterday: gorgeous female Aus Shepherd/Beagle mix, 8 months old, good start on obedience training, 30#. She met most of my criteria (young female, 20 - 40#). The deal breaker: "She likes to play with chickens... correction: EAT chickens." So, it's back to the drawing board.

If any readers know of any female dogs under the age of 5 who are looking for re-homing, please give me a PM.

 

[superchemicalgirl]

Have you tried Kennebec Valley Humane Society?

 

[lazy gardener]

Yep. I've spent hours on the net checking out everything in the state. Driving 2 hours south very very very early tomorrow, in hopes of coming back with a fluff ball. The lady I've talked to says that folks camp out overnight on the side walk, waiting for staff to show up at 8 AM so they can "take a number" to again be in line to hope for a dog when they open at 11 AM. The rest of the country doesn't have this shortage of dogs available for adoption. Of course, if I wanted a pit, or an old dog... not such an issue.

 

[superchemicalgirl]

Kennebec isn't on petfinder sonjst checking