Michigan

[vjwilmoth]

20 coons!  YIPES!  I'd be worried about the poison accidentally taking out other unintended critters, though.  At least with the livetrap I can let them out and send them on their way.  Sorry to hear about everyone else's losses, too.  Seems to be a bumper year for raccoons. 

 

Normally I would too but the bait is inside her chicken building. I can't even tell you how big this thing is. It's not a coop, it's a house with different rooms. Lol! Nothing can get in other than coons apparently. They are scaling the sides of the building and crawling through the eaves! They are in the process of closing the eaves off with hardware cloth and ran out last night. Which is where they got in. Her building must be at least 24x24 and it's 3 stories tall with the top story being a hunting tower. I'll have to take some pictures and post them at some point.

 

[SillyChicken]

I need to get stuff ready for CS. I have about 20 golden willows already rooted and potted with a few still in water. I need to dig up and pot some hops and we shall see what else I can get. I think I'm out of pots now, but I will scrounge about in the garage.

I need to get the truck cleaned out and make room for stuff. Today might be a good day for it. So much to do and not enough time to do it all. How did I fall so far behind?

oh Raz... trade you a hosta for a hops!

The coon issue really stinks... I really wish that people would kill them (or find someone that would do it for them) rather than release them to be someone else's problem Taking them from the location they know, to one they don't makes them an even greater pest because they won't know where to get natural food, other than at someones house, which is easy to find vs... natural foods. Plus, there is NO shortage of the darn things.

VJ, thank you for the complement on my drawing.. (I didn't expect anyone to like what it was) I was just really happy with the way it turned out.

Now that the heat wave is cooling down, I will be busy digging up Hostas tonight and tomorrow, I'm going to give the turkey poults a bath... seriously, they've been dust bathing in some dirty dirt!! They are no longer white.... this will give me the chance to sort them out as I want to keep a few.
So I'll be bringing, hostas, RP turkey poults to sell(various ages) bantums: 1 pr sebright, 1 millie fluer roo, 1 old english (?) roo, 1 porcelian roo. 4 wht silkies (no idea on sex) Maybe an uggo because I don't have quite enough room for them all. And 2 young doe meat rabbits, (live) to sell. 1/2 CA and 1/2 NZ mutt.(born early april). With some handling they could be pets too.

Looking forward to seeing everyone. My DSIL and her friend won't be coming with me..

 

[M.sue]

Hello Everyone,
Haven't posted in a few weeks, just been peeking in now & then. We've been real busy and not really much to chat about. Chickens are healthy, happy and surviving the heat we've had the past few days. Been giving them plenty of iced water and frozen treats.
I see everyone is getting geared upped for CS. I'm looking forward to attending & meeting everyone. I Googled the park and it looks like a nice one with plenty of room to roam.....32 acres I believe I read. I will be bringing things to help keep my kids occupied....fishing pole, basketball, bike, scooter, etc....and of course when they tire of one thing they can share with the others.
My DH is looking forward to coming but I must admit I think the only reason he's interested in coming is to chat with Opa and to try his smoked chicken. He's very curious as to what makes that chicken so good as everyone claims! lol
I have not integrated the youngsters I got from Theron yet into the large coop with the others. They free range together and do well. The roosters keep their distance from each other & keep to their own groups. Figured I could get tips & advice from you guys at CS.

Another hot day so everyone keep cool & drink lots of water!!

 

[vjwilmoth]

I should add that they hadn't closed off the eaves before because in seven YEARS they have never once had a predator in their coop. These guys must be desperate this year.

 

[swampducks]

I asked DH if maybe it was illegal to feed coons. He said no, then he said "you'll just have to kill them........... the people I mean."

Then he gave me his evil smile.

 

[M.sue]

I forgot to ask......Did Nova get the Chicken Sculptures from CR?

 

[RBahmer]

I should add that they hadn't closed off the eaves before because in seven YEARS they have never once had a predator in their coop. These guys must be desperate this year.

They are desperate this year. I was told that with the frost we had the things they normally eat ( berries and things) are gone and I have seen many that look like they are starving. Like I said, I have no problem feeding them as long as they eat with the cats but there is no chicken dinner here for them.

 

[1muttsfan]

I am planning on it! My DH forgot about the date and invited my inlaws over for the weekend.....he may have to entertain them by himself. LOL

Yay! See you there

I'm looking forward to meeting everyone at chickenstock this weekend. We set a live trap, and my husband went to check on it a few hours later.  He came in the house and said "we have a situation." - I went out to see, and found two birds trapped and the coon asleep a nest box.  oops!)

At least the chickens were safe

I'm with Opa, least said soonest mended. Just tell the little darlings that maybe momma got hit by a car.

I'm sorry you lost your chicken.
I'm sorry you're losing chicks to those raccoons too! Argh!
Well I don't want him but I don't want you to feel ignored.
So my mom called this morning and said they killed two more coons this morning in the coop! They came back for the rest of her chicks! She has a live trap but they have had so many that they have started using bar-bait mixed with coca cola in a shallow pan. Kills them dang near instantly. They've gotten 20 raccoons just this month alone!

No matter how desperate things seem, torturous death by poison is never the answer. BYC has a strict policy against even the mention of poison as predator control.

 

[RBahmer]

I asked DH if maybe it was illegal to feed coons. He said no, then he said "you'll just have to kill them........... the people I mean."

Then he gave me his evil smile.

It's not illegal to feed them but it is illegal to have them. I was down this road many years ago with the DNR with 2 baby raccoons I bought from a licensed dealer.

 

[babigyrl22]

RBahmer - Are you bringing your extra silkies to Chickenstock? What colors are they?