Minnesota!

[lalaland]

I don't think I could work where they were selling chicks, they would all be coming h ome with me!

saw a bluebird this morning. can't wait for the snow to melt enough to uncover the electric fence, its been off through the wnter, but here comes spring with all the new babies that need feeding. Been seeing a lot of foxes this spring, bet there is a den nearby. I want that fence on!

 

[dipsychicks]

Thank goodness it does seem like spring! The back yard has looked like the Alps all winter; climbing those mountains everyday has proven tedious but always an adventure Now, with the thaw we are dealing with lakes and streams; pumping water away from the chicken house and run. Some of the kids ARE enjoying wallowing in the mud in their run. Not much we can do, they GOTTA be outside. The thing we have been noticing is jet black poop in the coop. Assuming it's because they are pecking around and eating mud?? Is this bad?

 

[Triplell]

Yupee its going away that nasty 4 letter word that starts with an s. I haven't seen much of predator's but a massive e explosion of CATS!!!! None with collars and will wild. We have come to shooting then as our local humane society feels we need to pay them to trap them. They then asked if we are surrendering all of our animals
What the!!!!! We don't own cats and they are the problem so why would we give all our animals to them. This is the 2nd time this has happened to us. The first time and was when we bought the farm. Dad and I shot over 100 diseased cats the first 2 months we were here. Our neighbor thinks its great to have kittens everywhere.
So far I have counted 30 cats all different and wild. I can't let my chickens outside because of them. I hate doing this but the last time it took us 3 years of vaccinating our own cats before they stopped dying from various diseases. Plus we spayed and nuetired everyone we ever had. So far I have caught 7 in the live trap just since Friday morning. Hopefully I get them all within the week. Our neighbor accros the corn field has lost many chicks and ducklings this last week, plus a few hens and ducks setting on eggs.

PS I LOVE SPRING!!!!!!

 

[BlackBrookPoultry]

Unfortunately, shooting stay cats is sometimes the most humane thing you can do for them. And don't worry, our local humane society is useless too. I've decided never to deal with them again.

 

[Triplell]

Same here. During our first time of deal long with then we were given two dogs while we were still in California. We had been broken into. The first dog was an Irish wolfhound. It freaked out my mom so he had to be given away.The second was a samoya he kept getting out of the fence and killing our neighbors chickens a d rabbits. So we tied him up and he was.a Houdini cause he still got out. We called Hart and they want ted us to pay the. $180.00 to surrender him. Ya right, so he was put down. The prices they charge is way out of line. In my home town we had to county pounds and the surrender fee was nothing if fixed and $10.00 if not. Hart charges way to much for an adoption and you still have get them fixed by a vet of their choice. To spay/neuter a dog or cat can run as low as $85.00 at our vet but theirs costs $250.00. Who in there right mind would pay that. No wonder why they get drop offs all the time.lol
Plus when you are dealing with cats by the 100 diseased and sick who is gonna pay to surrender. Who could afford it anyway with fees of $45.00 each and a $10.00 each for trapping them. ROFLMAO!!!!!!

 

[Bogtown Chick]

My parents have a neighbor with a Feral Cat population. My mom used to feed the wildbirds through the winter--Grossbeaks, etc. and Finches in the summer. She was wondering one day why she doesn't see many birds around...I said, "Ma, it's ----'s Cats getting them!" I wish people used their brains when it comes to them. He claims he knows of all of them and loves each and everyone. But I think he's also chemically dependent and delusional with his "pets". Especially when there is 40-50 at the very least. Probably pushing a hundred by the end of this year. I can't stand that. It screams pet irresponsibility! Their mail lady tried to "fund raise" for the kitties. Stating she'd take the money and go to Wal-Mart and get a big bag of food for them. My Dad told her where to stick it. Why would or should he support a nuisance?

edited for typos.

 

[BlackBrookPoultry]

The mail lady tried to do something good. It would be better to get a Farm/Feral/Stray group out there to spay the females and prevent future litters.

 

[Bogtown Chick]

Oh I know she was. But his line of thinking is he didn't want to condone an issue in his neighborhood by donating feed. He's an animial lover too but realizes the senselessness of this and doesn't want to contribute to it in any way. It's a sensitive subject with the neighbor. We've contacted the DNR about him. And they just sort of put their hands up and said: "Touchy Subject."

 

[jbher]

Any chance anyone will have any *extra* Olive Eggers hatching for the Easter Hatch? I'm looking to find a few OE chicks that will be close in age to my Easter hatchlings. Was supposed to have OE sexlink hatching eggs but unfortunately it didn't pan out :-/

 

[Triplell]

No, the cops had me take them back. Three horses at one shot was a hand full. They followed me then I left. I have no idea what was said. If it happens again I will do just that.