Marans Thread - breed discussion & pictures are welcome!

[Debbi]

He's quite a chunker Susie, he would break my cane if I hit him that hard!

Now Pip is lighter, and I did get a three base hit on him once! Nasty boys... Actually, Pip is getting somewhat better. It's like he's losing it, and Blue Butt has found it! Thank God for Roy and Clyde!!!

 

[gilavina]

Ok...this is off topic for a second..but I have a question for you all. I live next to an old cemetary(last person buried there was very early 1900's) that from time to time people will come and look through. No problem, I don't mind, but usually that leads to people leaning over the fence and looking into my chicken pens, kids throwing things at them sometimes...and people even have harassed my dog at times. I have some not so nice neighbors...and feel if they want to come see what's on my property they should be coming to my door and asking. If they would ask I probably wouldn't think much of it and be happy to. What bothers me is when they use the cemetary as an excuse to snoop. I live on a corner, so my place is pretty open from the road, so I feel like their behavior is rather rude.

I just had this happen a couple of minutes ago. I've gotten to where I will just go out to the barn and keep an eye on things because I just never know who it is or how they will treat my animals. Well...the guy was bee lining to my chicken runs and when he saw me going down the sidewalk towards the barn on the far side of my property, he immediately stopped mid stride and acted as if he was intensely interested in the bark on a near by tree, but his posture...he immediately crossed his arms and got that guilty..."Ive been caught posture." Am I being paranoid? I don't think so, I feel like the least they can do is come and ask if they can see my birds. I guess I"m wondering how you all would handle it? I live out in the country on a small place, but, Its private property..its not open for people to come along and gawk and act as if its their right....sorry...this is just really getting to me. Also...I might add...this is a large reason I am working on building my breeding pens in the configuration that I am....it will afford more protection for my birds from kids and others that seem to think its ok to mess with my stock.

 

[Ivywoods]

BIG FENCE! Post "Private Property-No tresspassing! They used to post signs like that around here that also said "Violators will be Prosecuted."

I was a young, dumb kid. I used to get "prosecuted" and "executed" mixed up in their meaning. Believe me, I never tresspassed!

 

[BarnGoddess01]

Quote:
Big ELECTRIC fence. (I use electric fence for my horse pasture which happens to be at the front of my property. Helps with humans AND wandering dogs.)

 

[gilavina]

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haha too funny! "executed" I would love to put in a big fence, but the chain link fence that exists there now is one put in by the county as a designator for people where the cemetary stops and where our place starts. People used to just walk onto the property all the time. So, this is where a U shaped set of pens I think will help me. They will be roughly in a 45 x 60 foot section. The back of the pens, the lowest point will be 7' or so tall. This will give my birds the protection they need from others. I was told once by a neighbor that used to live here that the private property signs will only work if I catch them on my property...not if they are on the other side looking and that I'd more than likely need some sort of actual proof...like a video or the like to be able to do anything about it. I just feel kind of stuck at the moment until I can get to building. grr

 

[sewandgrow]

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That makes me wonder about 2 possibilities............Could you stretch inexpensive cloth on the outside of the pens that face the cemetary so they couldn't see the birds but the air would flow through? I usemy goodold zip ties for that kind of thing.....LOL Or would posting a friendly sign ( old piece of wood hand painted, drilled & ziptied on to the pen) on the outside of the pens that could be read from the cemetary side help. Maybe asking them nicely to treat your beloved birds with respect & kindness & acknowleding the interest they show in them????? Maybe I am just too positive. I never want to believe that people"in general" mean any harm.

 

[gilavina]

Quote:
Big ELECTRIC fence. (I use electric fence for my horse pasture which happens to be at the front of my property. Helps with humans AND wandering dogs.)

That isn't a half bad idea to maybe help me get through til I can get some more building done. Knowing my luck ( and propensity for being klutzy) I would probably get zapped.

 

[Debbi]

Oh Vicki, I sympathize. So glad I am off the road and have good neighbors that are 1/8th mile down the road. If I were you, I would put up a sign for the cemetary walkers to see. Something like, "Private Property! Trespassers will be Prosecuted...or Shot!" You may also want to get a Game Cam and put it somewhere where they can't see it, but can take nice pics of them. In front of my home is a private road that leads down to my driveway. Used to be a lot of partying going on there on the weekends, that is until I moved here. There were usually 3 or 4 vehicles up there at night, drinking and throwing their beer cans and whiskey bottles in my pasture. I turn off all lights in my house, and grab the shotgun. I will yell up to them to move on, but the little smartarses that they are, they usually shout back some obsenities. That's when the shooting starts!

Of course, I don't shoot AT them, but fire off a few rounds in the air. Peeling tires and spittin' gravel all the way out the road shortly ensues. Haven't had any of that kind of company in a loooong time

Another plus, is my Son laid down the law before he left for Iraq, and basically told the kids and party fools in town; "you mess with my Mama, and you are dead meat, understand??" I guess they did, huh?

You may also want to alert the Sheriff's office of the goings on, just in case you do have to handle things. Out here, they (Sheriff) encourage us all to take care of it as I described above, it saves them the trip..

Good luck girl!

ETA: I love the electric fence idea, however, it lends to a liability problem for you. All it will take is for one of those yahoos to get fried, or better yet, a kid to get fried, and you are looking at a law suit. That is even when you have a sign posted! Now, if the electric fence is not on the community fence line, and totally well within your property line, that may be a different deal, but in this letigious society, I wouldn't bet on it.

 

[gilavina]

Quote:
That makes me wonder about 2 possibilities............Could you stretch inexpensive cloth on the outside of the pens that face the cemetary so they couldn't see the birds but the air would flow through? I usemy goodold zip ties for that kind of thing.....LOL Or would posting a friendly sign ( old piece of wood hand painted, drilled & ziptied on to the pen) on the outside of the pens that could be read from the cemetary side help. Maybe asking them nicely to treat your beloved birds with respect & kindness & acknowleding the interest they show in them????? Maybe I am just too positive. I never want to believe that people"in general" mean any harm.

I have had that green shade cloth up before and come home to it pulled away in spots and have had my neighbor to the east of us that they saw someone looking in. I just can't wait to find a bigger place where I don't have to worry as much about my pens being close to the property line.

 

[BarnGoddess01]

Quote:
Big ELECTRIC fence. (I use electric fence for my horse pasture which happens to be at the front of my property. Helps with humans AND wandering dogs.)

That isn't a half bad idea to maybe help me get through til I can get some more building done. Knowing my luck ( and propensity for being klutzy) I would probably get zapped.

It isn't the end of the world if you get zapped but it is certainly deterrent!! (The little plastic sign with the big lightening bolt usually backs humans right off my fence without them even having to touch it!!! Dogs AND coyotes learn by the zap method.)