Minnesota!

[Rhetts]

Day 30 and still no sign of the turkey hen. I am keeping watch though hoping to see her soon.

@Nordic that was nice of your husband to give you the heads up on the predator.

About a week ago one of my geese was attacked at night. I think it was a fisher. The goose was somewhat beat up and bleeding but I think if the predator were any larger it would have killed it and taken off with it. The goose is healing up now, he still looks rough but is feeling better by his behavior. Always gotta be something going on around here. Can't ever seem to catch a break these days. Seems that way with most folks though.

 

[scandiafowl]

Day 30 and still no sign of the turkey hen.  I am keeping watch though hoping to see her soon.

@Nordic that was nice of your husband to give you the heads up on the predator.

About a week ago one of my geese was attacked at night.  I think it was a fisher.  The goose was somewhat beat up and bleeding but I think if the predator were any larger it would have killed it and taken off with it.  The goose is healing up now, he still looks rough but is feeling better by his behavior.  Always gotta be something going on around here.  Can't ever seem to catch a break these days.  Seems that way with most folks though.

Was this during the day?

 

[Rhetts]

Was this during the day?

No it was during the night. I heard something in the yard earlier in the night and didn't recognize the sound. Then a couple hours later the geese were attacked. After seeing the goose and putting the sound I heard together I figured it was a fisher. Not to mention I know they are here since my neighbors have them on their decks. I figured a coyote or wolf would have managed to kill the goose.

 

[lalaland]

Question for you expert chicken folks. I live in suburbia and because of how the streets run in our neighborhood, three of us homeowners have backyards that are triangle shape and therefore they meet in one corner. Of the three of us, we used to have the nicest landscaped backyard but then I went and purchased chickens. I've fenced them off to the back half of the backyard which is where my yard meets the backyard of my two neighbors. Over the past week, both neighbors have begun nice landscaping projects near that corner whereas my corner of the lawn is barren and ugly as the chickens have killed all grass and vegetation in that area. I would really like to do some sort of landscaping back there as it looks really, well too be frank, it's an eyesore. Looking to see what some of you have done with the area of your lawn where the chickens spend much of their time.

My first though was to put a colored mulch down but as we know, chickens love to scratch so it wouldn't be long before all of the mulch was in a pile 10 feet high and I would be back to a dirt barren lawn except now I would have a pile of mulch. A large area of their run is shaded but 1/3 of the run is in the sun. Along with something to cover the lawn of dirt, I was also thinking of flowers and plants the chickens wouldn't eat and dig up.

Any ideas on how to 'beautify' our run? Although our neighbors, of whom we're friends with, say they don't care, I would still like to make it a little more pleasing to their eyes when they spend time in their backyard.

If you have pictures of what you have time, I would really like to see them.

Any ideas? Thank you!

If money is no object, I would go for some larger, established shrubs . Shrub roses are great and if you are careful about what you get, very fragrant. Bonus with the rose hips at the end of the season. Wood chips in the run itself, and landscape the outside of the run. Also, consider a hardy vine on the fencing on the run - hops are fast growers and attractive and won't hurt the chickens if they eat any. Grapes too, but that is a longer term project as it will take 4-6 years before there is enough grape vine growing to do any shielding or to look attractive.

If you have space and time, Dandilioness's idea of portable runs where you move the chickens before the turf is damaged is a great one. That would require reseeding the barren run....

Pretty much any large esta

 

[Minniechickmama]

The predators are many this year! I see at least a couple of mink a year scurrying across the road near some wet areas, and during the day.
The one thing that I can control is the grass around and inside my pasture. With lack of cover, the weasels and mink are less likely to come up from either wet area we have close enough by. Skunks are just stupid and the sickly ones are out in the daytime, or the young ones come out in the evening before it is dark. Those are usually easy to spot and take out, even if they do stink up the place for a while.
I have a love-hate relationship with Great Horned Owls. They prey on skunks and weasels and mink, along with other rodents, so I love them for that, but they will take a whole chicken or two at night if they are not in and under cover. I have to train my birds well to go inside and and not just under where the roof sticks out some. I have a Splash Cochin rooster that I would hate to see snatched up by anything, but he insists on sleeping next to one of my gates, even after I scoop him up and put him in a coop, he doesn't stay in.
It seems like a pretty tough year for many of us for various reasons, and I hope that all the excitement and drama that has been going on ends soon and things settle back to normal, except for Ralphie's flock and their entertaining drama and escapades.

 

[Cearbhael]

Question for you expert chicken folks. I live in suburbia and because of how the streets run in our neighborhood, three of us homeowners have backyards that are triangle shape and therefore they meet in one corner. Of the three of us, we used to have the nicest landscaped backyard but then I went and purchased chickens. I've fenced them off to the back half of the backyard which is where my yard meets the backyard of my two neighbors. Over the past week, both neighbors have begun nice landscaping projects near that corner whereas my corner of the lawn is barren and ugly as the chickens have killed all grass and vegetation in that area. I would really like to do some sort of landscaping back there as it looks really, well too be frank, it's an eyesore. Looking to see what some of you have done with the area of your lawn where the chickens spend much of their time. 

My first though was to put a colored mulch down but as we know, chickens love to scratch so it wouldn't be long before all of the mulch was in a pile 10 feet high and I would be back to a dirt barren lawn except now I would have a pile of mulch. A large area of their run is shaded but 1/3 of the run is in the sun. Along with something to cover the lawn of dirt, I was also thinking of flowers and plants the chickens wouldn't eat and dig up. 

Any ideas on how to 'beautify' our run? Although our neighbors, of whom we're friends with, say they don't care, I would still like to make it a little more pleasing to their eyes when they spend time in their backyard. 

If you have pictures of what you have time, I would really like to see them. 

Any ideas? Thank you!

Some one put a lattice screen up between the chickens and the outside world. That is one option you may consider.

 

[The BlanchRanch]

Question for you expert chicken folks. I live in suburbia and because of how the streets run in our neighborhood, three of us homeowners have backyards that are triangle shape and therefore they meet in one corner. Of the three of us, we used to have the nicest landscaped backyard but then I went and purchased chickens. I've fenced them off to the back half of the backyard which is where my yard meets the backyard of my two neighbors. Over the past week, both neighbors have begun nice landscaping projects near that corner whereas my corner of the lawn is barren and ugly as the chickens have killed all grass and vegetation in that area. I would really like to do some sort of landscaping back there as it looks really, well too be frank, it's an eyesore. Looking to see what some of you have done with the area of your lawn where the chickens spend much of their time.

My first though was to put a colored mulch down but as we know, chickens love to scratch so it wouldn't be long before all of the mulch was in a pile 10 feet high and I would be back to a dirt barren lawn except now I would have a pile of mulch. A large area of their run is shaded but 1/3 of the run is in the sun. Along with something to cover the lawn of dirt, I was also thinking of flowers and plants the chickens wouldn't eat and dig up.

Any ideas on how to 'beautify' our run? Although our neighbors, of whom we're friends with, say they don't care, I would still like to make it a little more pleasing to their eyes when they spend time in their backyard.

If you have pictures of what you have time, I would really like to see them.

Any ideas? Thank you!

My run is all covered by a low roof so it doesn't look so bad. But I am all for the large rock garden idea. Of course leaving them some area to scratch.

 

[duluthralphie]

Day 30 and still no sign of the turkey hen. I am keeping watch though hoping to see her soon.

@Nordic that was nice of your husband to give you the heads up on the predator.

About a week ago one of my geese was attacked at night. I think it was a fisher. The goose was somewhat beat up and bleeding but I think if the predator were any larger it would have killed it and taken off with it. The goose is healing up now, he still looks rough but is feeling better by his behavior. Always gotta be something going on around here. Can't ever seem to catch a break these days. Seems that way with most folks though.

I am thinking back to when Ethel was away hatching her eggs, and as I recall we would see her every couple of days up in the yard, eating or drinking. She would stay for about a half hour and sneak away.

That makes me think, and I hate to say it, your hen may have had an accident. They are so vulnerable when sitting on a nest. I would think by now she would have the babies back to you. I hope I am wrong.

 

[Minniechickmama]

Some one put a lattice screen up between the chickens and the outside world. That is one option you may consider.

But be careful with lattice, I have had chickens hang themselves on that stuff.

 

[holm25]

Wild child and someone else sorry I cant find the post. I sold all but 1 of the 5 ducklings but have more hatching the begining of July. If your still interested then please PM me