Not giving up...

Date sort Score sort
jasonropp

jasonropp

In the Brooder
Jul 12, 2016
12
1
16
Boise, idaho
I became a chicken daddy for the first time about 2 months ago, with 3 adults. 1 week later, one just dropped dead while I was in the yard working all day. The other two were fine for 3 more weeks. My family went on vacation and a neighbor, who had chickens looked after them, but one found a way out of my yard and was MIA for about 10 days, then I found her in the road, run over. My last bird was around for about a month, and about 3 evenings ago, she was not in her coop (I let them free range in my yard) and found her in the bushes, head missing and moldy torn up. I suspect red tail hawk, per research on Google, and we see circling birds of prey frequently where we live.
It was 1-2-3... And very heart breaking, especially for my young children... So I joined this site and was re-motivated to not give up... With a lot of time invested in building coop and run already invested. I'm getting 5 new ladies from someone who needs to move tomorrow. I've decided to extend the run for more space, and cover it to keep the Hawks at bay, and plan to invent a modular tractor, so I can let them roam my yard safely, instead of confining them to a run all day. They can de-bug my yard, stay safe, and I can manage their dropping to add to my compost pile and keep my kids from tracking it in the house.
I get my new ladies tomorrow morning, and I'm excited to bring them home, and utilize this site to help me, help them live long, safe lives.
I look forward to becoming well versed on chickens from this site, and to one day offer my knowledge gained here, to other, future newbies.
 
Hello and welcome to BYC!
frow.gif


I am so so sorry for your losses!!
hugs.gif
Predators are brutal on chickens flocks. I can not let mine out without supervision at all times. We have all kinds of things lurking, creeping and flying. Build your coop and run like Fort Knox. If you feel safe sleeping in there, then they will be safe.

But congrats on the soon to be new flock! How egg-citing!! Give them time to settle in and adjust to their new homes. If you have any questions about them, feel free to ask here.

Make yourself at home here and enjoy your new babies!! :)
 
Thank you for the welcome. With my first three birds the last two months, I googled many questions, and majority of the time answers came from this site… Which led me to join. My experience with my new flock will be much different, my coop and run harbor secure… just kind of bummed I can't let them range free in the yard… But my modular chicken tractor idea I think will give me that peace of mind, and give them more than just their fixed run, and offered me the benefits of free ranging chickens, with security for them as well.
 
Seems like anything you need to know about chickens leads you back to BYC. LOL

Yes, I wish I could let my birds wander the yard, come down to the house, stare in the windows. LOL But the predators are awful around here. So they do spend much of their time in a very large run. Give your birds as much room as you can, and things to do in their run area...ladders, mirrors, hanging veggies, (cabbages, apples, etc..) levels too to hop up on. They can be quite content in a run if they have stimulation. And when you can go sit with them outside, you can bond with them closer as you sit and read a book or something. :)
 
See, I just learned something new just now. I have never heard anyone ever suggest giving them activities like ladders, hanging fruits and veggies, and mirrors… Great idea, I will have fun with this!!
Levels to hop up on?... Like raised platforms? My first thought was a bubble level, like what are used to level their coop. :)
 
I always have a naughty or hospital cage in my run. LOL And they love to get up on this thing. I have a big wooden block they love to hop up on, a ladder that is on a big incline so the can walk up the rungs....just get creative. They are easily amused. LOL
 
Oh and put in a dust bathing pit! I got some cinder blocks and lined them up to make a square. I filled it with play sand ...they love it!
 
A naughty or hospital cage?
I guess they perch every night, did not think a little ladder with actual rungs would be something they'd like. I plan to make little tubes on the chicken run, that lead to bigger rooms covered run area… Kind of like a hamster cage. I wonder if they would run in a oversized hamster wheel? Ha ha Ha
Might actually have to try that, could maybe construct something out of some old bike wheels…
 
Cages come in handy for mixing in new birds, somebody needs to do some jail time that day, LOL or you have a sick bird.

I doubt they will use a hamster wheel, LOL, but they will use a swing.
 
Last edited:

New posts New threads Active threads

Back
Top Bottom