Michigan

[ChicwannaB]

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Opa does!! hahaha, I know I shouldn't step in there for him, but I've heard he keeps his new ones over 100 yds away from his flock. wow. I don't have that option. I probably shouldn't bother doing what I do, cause the new ones can walk right up to the old ones and sneeze all over them, only fencing deviding. dumb

 

[dianaross77]

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I am currently quarantining the new girls in a big cage in the house. Are you getting that Serama hen from Theron? He's a great kid and he has lovely birds. I decided to keep the lone silkie as a house chicken. 90% sure the little booger is a roo.

But he's so precious I don't care.

 

[chickendales]

i have large out door hutches over 200 ft from my other birds

 

[Chickmate]

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Hey Keyt, I hear ya! My coop is SO quiet since the two FBCM roos are gone. They love to crow and would do it all day. Luckily Jen who took them was looking forward to hearing them! I know my BR roo, Joe and Worf the EE roo are both much happier now. They were so intimidated by the "Black Brothers". The coop and run are peaceful and quiet now.

 

[bethanyrae]

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How awful...I'm so sorry to read about this. So sad. Have your missing layers come back? I had one come out of hiding after a hawk visit only after my dog flushed it out of the flowerbed. We couldn't find her for a day and a half and thought we had lost her.
I had a stray dog visit yesterday, and the neighbor has a dog that gets out. I think we might all be a step away from your experience.......

 

[Chickmate]

Wow, I'm so sorry for those of you who have suffered predator attacks and lost chickens. It is heartbreaking to lose birds, especially to domestic dogs. With wild animals you have no one else to blame, but stray dogs have owners who should be shot!! I'm so sorry for your loses.

 

[bethanyrae]

The other morning we ran outside to the awful fracas of chickens making horribly loud noises in our front flowerbed. From the door I saw a huge dark hawk rising up and over the driveway toward the west. I recognized it as one I'd seen earlier in the summer, when it had made a swooping tight U turn attack out of the west right into a tall dense evergreen shrub where I knew sparrows were nesting. Sheesh.

This time it didn't look like there was anything in its talons.....but it was hard to tell, it was all so fleeting. As I ran out to the bed, searching, the only bird I could see was Percy, my Mille Fleur OEG Bantam roo, standing all alone in a small clearing under the birch tree, stock still except for his head....searching vigilantly.

There was no one else, and no feathers anywhere.....except some frightened birds standing over near the henhouse. While my son and I were rounding everyone up for the day, every once in a while some bantees would come racing across the grass in 1's, 2's or 3's to be locked up. So scared. Eventually all were accounted for... except one of Percy's two girls.

Later that day, on the way to Wynette's to pick up a couple of hens, we noticed a huge swipe of blood across the side of my van that had been parked next to where we had found Percy standing. So I sadly wrote her off as gone.

Late the next day.....our Min Australian Shepherd flushed her out of the flowerbed! My inventory so far has shown no one missing!

All I can say is it had to have been hawk blood, on account of my little bitty Percy, fierce protector of his girls. Look how small he is next to that brick.

He shall from now on be addressed as Sir Percy, Avenger.

bethanyrae

 

[Opa]

The coffee is on so grab yourself a cup. Sunrise is still a ways off but I was just outside and the night sky is just beautiful. If you want to sit on the deck and watch the sun come up with me you might want a light jacket. There's just a hint of coolness in the air, just enough to remind us that summer is quickly winding down.

I have started a policy of never introducing a bird to my flock until they have been quarantined for at least two weeks. It doesn't really matter how healthy the flock they came from appears to be. Each flock will develop its own immunities that keep it healthy. Often the stress of being moved will allow problems with a bird to become apparent and the quarantine period will allow those to surface.

Since most problems are airborne it is imperative that you keep new birds at a distance that will not allow them to breath the same air. A wire dog cage approximately 18x24x18 will work quite well. I installed a roost board in mine and use 1 pint plastic freezer containers for food and water. It very easy to attach a wire loop to them to hook them to the cage. I set the cage in shaded area during the day and in the garage at night. If that isn't possible a small tarp can be placed over the cage however, nightime predation could be an issue.

Yesterday I was contacted by a individual want to get some chickens. If any of you, within 50 miles of Howell, have any chicks or young pullets for sale please contact me.

 

[fifelakelooper]

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BRAVO SIR PERCY!!!

 

[babigyrl22]

Good Morning!

It must be the time for Hawk prowling. Our neighbor called to warn us yesterday and is missing one of her birds due to a hawk.

I hope it just ran off and she will find it today. My DH has been so excited with our egg production he asked me if we should get additional birds when we open up the coop. :: chuckles :: So maybe when we open up the coop we will create a mini run on the other side and make a bantam suite Then add additional chickies next spring like some Icelandics, Welsummers, and BCM's.

We will seeeeee.......


My chicken math at work....we started with 6....then 8.....then 10.....then 14....oops a rooster back down to 13.....then ChickenStock happened....up to 18....arg two more roosters back down to 16....then 17....