MARYLAND THREAD!

[SunnySkies]

I just chased out a fox.  I woke up to chicken screams.  There is only 1 torn up body I saw my shy girl run off but it looks like I only have two in the coop. 4 are completely missing.  

What a crummy thing to have happen and especially first thing in the morning I am so sorry. I lost a lot of birds in the last 2 months to various predators, despite putting in a lot of security. It is such an awful feeling to lose birds. I added 2 LGDs in training as a result.

 

[Maligator Love]

So sorry for your losses.

I had a fox come in the middle of the day and take out 14 juveniles, six laying hens and my duck. I set my coyote trap and a few weeks later I caught her son. My grandpa came over and took care of him and I haven't seen a fox since.

Mine free range during the day and I lock them in the pen at night.

 

[HaplessRunner]

Sorry for your loss. I thought that i had lost one of my smartest hens last night. She is an exceptional escape artist! I had let her range in my fenced garden with some young birds while I worked the garden. My wife got home and we had dinner. When I went back out it was just past sunset and I could not find her anywhere. So if figured she had gotten out and had become a predictor's dinner.

This morning my very randy SFH rooster was pacing the fence line nearest my garden. So I looked over into the garden and there she was! Wet and a bit hungry but OK.

I have lost some birds in the past to fox and I can truly relate; it is a miserable experience. Hope you find your missing chickies!

 

[FeatheredFreind]

I'm a newbie from Maryland- checking in from Gambrill Park area in Frederick County.  Just received my first flock this week- 13 chicks, 5 days old today.  All appear happy and healthy so far.  Yay!  Very excited  

HI. Welcome from Washington co.

 

[fiddlebanshee]

Hi neighbor! I live off of Gambrill Park Rd too, about a mile north of Hamburg rd. I have 46 chickens right now but about 10 boys will have to be harvested once they grow a little bit bigger.

I'm always happy to talk chickens so if you'd like to stop by you're welcome!

 

[FergieChick]

Howdy, Neighbor! I would love to come visit, fiddlebanshee. I'm new to this whole chicken stuff and have a lot to learn. We are very near each other, I'm just before the Tower Rd/Gambrill park split. Have you had predator issues? We're just building the coop now and I'm trying to make it a fortress!

 

[faerieannette]

Thank you for the kind thoughts everyone. Shortly after I buried Midnight (my cockeral) as the sun came up I found all but one of my girls.

 

[SunnySkies]

Thank you for the kind thoughts everyone.  Shortly after I buried Midnight (my cockeral) as the sun came up I found all but one of my girls.

That is great news! And what a brave boy Midnight was, sacrificing himself for the girls.

 

[faerieannette]

Sunny those were my thoughts exactly

RIP Midnight

That is great news! And what a brave boy Midnight was, sacrificing himself for the girls.

 

[creaney]

Hi.

Hello fellow Marylanders! I haven't been on this forum for quite some time. I came across a situation that I do not know what to do about. I'm hoping someone can advise me. Right now I don't know if I should be concerned or get involved so I'd like to ask for answers and/or opinions.
My mom lives in another state and is in poor health. I travel down to see her as often as possible. It's a long drive - almost 9 hrs. so I try to visit her every couple of months. In May I noticed the neighbor children jumping around and laughing at something in the alley behind our houses. (For time's sake I'm going to refer to my mom's home as ours) These 2 boys had a stick and were poking something. I went back to the alley to find 4 young ducklings in a wire cage. The boys ran off when they saw me, of course and I realized they had been poking the ducklings. The cage is about the size of a medium-sized dog crate but the home made type with no bottom or top, just entirely wire. There wasn't much room for the ducklings and the water and feed bowls had been turned over. I couldn't reach the owners at that time and never saw anyone taking care of the ducklings although I'm sure they belong to the house where the backyard butts up to that alley. I figured the ducklings at that time were about 4 to 6 weeks old but that was a guess. Later when I saw the little boys playing outside I tried to find out more about the ducklings, owner and teach the boys how to be kind. I doubt they cared or listened. On July 21st I returned back to my mom's. I was shocked to see the ducks still in the small cage, still sitting out in the alley. Now these ducks are quite abit larger. The cage is way too small. There is no place anywhere for them to swim. Luckily the alley is well shaded so they're not sitting out in the hot sun. The little boys next door are still going down and terrorizing those ducks. Evidently the owner of the ducks works days and is not home. I've heard this owner has grand children and that is why he first bought these ducks. I'm very concerned for the welfare of these 4 ducks. I thought ducks needed somewhere to swim, even if just for a short time every day. I can't understand why the owner has not found them a new home or built/accrued a bigger and more appropriate pen. I hate to think of a dog or other animal attacking during the day. There is very little protection in a wire cage. At night the cage and ducks are carried inside a metal garage/building. I imagine it's very hot in there as there are no windows or fans. When I tried to talk to the owner about the condition he's keeping these ducks in, he became belligerent and down-right mean. He told me to mind my own business and slammed the door shut in my face. I called the local animal shelter and was told that only one agent patrols the whole county and that abused, neglected, sick dogs and cats kept him overly busy. Unless several neighbors made complaints about the ducks, nothing would be done. I have my own flock of chickens at home. They're very well cared for. I don't know much about ducks but I'm pretty sure they need more than they have. Don't ducks need water to swim in every day? I'm pretty busy with the demands of my 80 year old mom when I'm there but it makes me sick to see those poor ducks in that horrible small cage. I've tried to get our neighbors to call and complain. No one wants to get involved. I can't even get the next door neighbor to curb her cruel children! I asked her to please watch them when they were down in the alley, that they tortured the poor ducks in the cage back there and was told it would be better if those ducks died! Does anyone have some useful advice? My next visit will be in late September. I'm dreading what I might find. I can't bring the ducks home with me. The drive is very hard and long and I travel back and forth with two dogs that would love to get a hold of such noisy toys! I don't know any place to take the ducks there where my mom lives. I'm not sure they would survive if I took them to a lake or pond and turned them loose. I doubt they've ever been turned out of that cage - I've never seen them out. Those two boys that are so mean seem to notice every time I go down to the alley - and I'm sure they'd tell on me if I took the ducks away. I don't need that nasty owner charging me with theft. It seems I am the only one that cares what happens.

Hi.