Michigan Thread - all are welcome!

[Candy442]

So sorry! Sooner or later every possible predator will show up, and you have just experienced that. Some fox kits or ??? are getting good chicken dinners, and learning to love them. Time for an upgrade, electric fencing, and some live traps. Mary

Electric wire around and heavy-duty poultry netting over the run would not be overly expensive, and would keep your birds in and most predators out.

I think I am going to just surround the perimeter of the kennel runs with electric poultry netting. We still want the birds to get out and free range, but the groups get about 2 hours a day each at this point. We have a weasel who prefers to catch rats and mice right now.

Hey everyone! Sitting here with RaZ reading all the messages. RaZ is looking great, and is busy expending all his humor here on unsuspecting staff!

Hi @RaZ

BAH HUMBUG! Just saw that another one of the leghorns has her side ripped up a bit. Went out to catch 2 isa browns someone is buying and one's neck is all ripped up on the back (looks to be at least a day if not 2 or 3 old). I have blue kote. That and triple antibiotic is usually all i do for stuff like this. blue kote first? Then ointment (no "caine" in what we buy)? The isa chick is in isolation in the basement. Going to grab the leghorn tonight and probably put her in there too. Also missing an EE cockerel (no loss there). I guess I'm going to have to go dig through the scrap pile and see what all i have for fencing.

Sounds like a weasel to me. If they are in the run, but not being pulled out, then good bet it is a weasel. I read that weasels will kill for the fun of it and they often attack the back of animal's heads (go for the spine and try to disable the prey that way).

We have a weasel...it tried to get into the Chante coup mid afternoon while we were out sitting watching the ducks (about 50 feet away). Heard a ruckus in the Chante run, looked over and saw the durn weasel running away. Brett tried to follow it, I stayed in my chair and saw the thing run behind the coop and then back into the run along side our house. The Buff Chante girls also saw it and took off after it like they were thinkin "weasel dinner". Then our Walter (White chante roo) started in chasing it. That weasel didn't know what to do, but I feel like it may avoid the chante coop. Those birds will go after it for sure!
So after about 20 minutes, Brett saw the weasel exiting the pole barn with a rat in it's mouth! we have to prepare for the time the rat population is gone.... sort of love/hate feelings towards that weasel for now. We have not seen any chicken or egg damage...yet.

 

[gladahmae]

We stapled 2x4 fencing to the bottom of the duck coop last night, with some overhang as an apron against bigger predators. Caught all of the remaining isa chicks and put them in the most secure run we have (so that coop is over-crowded at this point) with a batch of adults. Overall I am only down 3 or 4 chicks from that pen (found one with no head when we were catching and moving everyone last night). I have the 2 injured birds in the basement in my chick brooder, which really isn't tall enough, so i may have to bring the dog kennel BACK into the house and set them up in there. The leghorn's wounds look awful. Lots of missing feathers, big rip in the skin. If she lives through it all she will be our new "Lucky" chicken (previous Lucky chicken survived 3 dog attacks.) Everyone got locked up. Hopefully a couple of weeks of this will convince whatever is getting into things to find a buffet elsewhere.

 

[1muttsfan]

Unfortunately weasels (even skunks) can get through 2x4 fencing. Hopefully it is something larger.

 

[dyorto]

So far, we have live trapped and killed 2 raccoons. We trapped one more (I think) it took off with the trap!! It's the kind of trap that grabs the paw when the reach in and it's staked to the ground. It was stakes in pretty darn well too!

 

[aart]

So far, we have live trapped and killed 2 raccoons. We trapped one more (I think) it took off with the trap!! It's the kind of trap that grabs the paw when the reach in and it's staked to the ground. It was stakes in pretty darn well too!

That stinks!

 

[gladahmae]

Unfortunately weasels (even skunks) can get through 2x4 fencing. Hopefully it is something larger.

yeah. it was all we had on-hand. Hoping it was a raccoon and not a weasel. :/

 

[Featherlyadvice]

Hi folks! My name is Cara and I'm in the SE Michigan area. New to chicken keeping and new member of BYC, loooooong time stalker though. I've been planning my chicken adventure for over 3 years.

I have my first 6 eggs in the bator. Day 6 and 4 out of 6 look good. 1 blood ring and 1 clear. These were shipped and are BR. I'm hoping for a 25% hatch for my first time with shipped eggs.

I have 2 production RIR, a gold laced seabright, and 4 brand new Barnevelders in a brooder. Let the adventure begin! We've been chicken owners for 2 months. Going good so far. We bought a little TSC coop 2 months ago, but quickly realized its deficiency. We are making plans now for a larger coop and run within 7 weeks.

Glad to join you! Will be reading all these posts and catching up while caring for 3 toddlers, 2 dogs, 1 cat and 7 chickies.

 

[Folly's place]

Welcome Cara! You do have a busy life, and the chickens are so much fun! Mary

 

[wannahomestead]

omg I must have counted wrong! My hatch day wasn't suppose to be until Sunday/monday, but I came home to 4 chicks and at least another pipping! I'm completely unprepared!
I went to go pick up momma because I only got 1 egg today, and I figured maybe the other laid in that nest box, and when I picked her up I heard an angry peep, and was totally confused for a moment
I have stuff to do now, and I don't know where to start!

 

[Featherlyadvice]

Welcome Cara!  You do have a busy life, and the chickens are so much fun!  Mary

Thanks Mary!

omg I must have counted wrong! My hatch day wasn't suppose to be until Sunday/monday, but I came home to 4 chicks and at least another pipping! I'm completely unprepared!
I went to go pick up momma because I only got 1 egg today, and I figured maybe the other laid in that nest box, and when I picked her up I heard an angry peep, and was totally confused for a moment
I have stuff to do now, and I don't know where to start!

How exciting! How many did you set? What kinds? Make sure in all the hustle you get some pics! I just love fuzzy chicks.