NY chicken lover!!!!

[featherz]

I had squirrels eating my sunflower seeds.. I thought it was rats - finally caught the squirrels red handed. Everything's now in a metal can. =)

Found a few eggs for the NYD hatch - not sure what I will do with the chicks, but if anything hatches I'll have more naked necks! woot! Lost a few this year - one to illness, rest to predation. =(

 

[stonykill]

I hate the sound squirrels make ...its like nails on a chalk board to me .
New Pic - Is that you playing a guitar ? One of your other older avatar ..I thought you looked a little like Alice Cooper !

yup that's me. The previous pic was me on halloween as Slash.

 

[vmdanielsen]

I have a LOT of squirrels and I've never seen them go in a coop or even in a run for that matter. They seem to be scared of the chickens

I wish the squirrels around here were afraid of the chickens!! So far I have terminated 7 greys, 2 reds and two chipmunks....I should have learned how to skin them...plenty to stew!!!! Grey squirrels are nothing but rats with tails!! And speaking of rats, I have been on the rampage terminated them too. Unfortunatly the are nocturnal and I must resort to more toxic measures.........

 

[stonykill]

I wish the squirrels around here were afraid of the chickens!! So far I have terminated 7 greys, 2 reds and two chipmunks....I should have learned how to skin them...plenty to stew!!!! Grey squirrels are nothing but rats with tails!! And speaking of rats, I have been on the rampage terminated them too. Unfortunatly the are nocturnal and I must resort to more toxic measures.........

I'll trade your squirrels for the 16 coon's, 3 possum, 2 foxes , 3 weasels and the bobcat I eliminated so far since spring

 

[vmdanielsen]

they might not like the texture if it is too wet ..I let mine drain well in a strainer before I serve it to them ..
Does anyone else like to watch their FF bubble ? i just love to watch them come to the top .
Mine drink a lot less water ...as all there pellets are moistened / broken up ..plus I guess bugs have some liquid in them Ick

Dont like clams ...like most everything else

I just started FF. Can't seem to get mine to bubble......I think that my Braggs is too old. I need to get some fresh vinegar. I tried to ferment cracked corn. I fed it to the chickens anyway. Smelled more like pickled corn. In any event, they seemed to like it!!

 

[vmdanielsen]

I'll trade your squirrels for the 16 coon's, 3 possum, 2 foxes , 3 weasels and the bobcat I eliminated so far since spring

There is a fox den in my horse pasture (I think) Would they take over an abandoned woodchuck hole? Can I put in one of those smoker things and kill them, or do I need to take my trusty .22 and have a nice long sit near the hole?

 

[stonykill]

There is a fox den in my horse pasture (I think) Would they take over an abandoned woodchuck hole? Can I put in one of those smoker things and kill them, or do I need to take my trusty .22 and have a nice long sit near the hole?

.22 has been my weapon of choice for foxes. I am willing to bet they would dig out an old chuck hole and make it their den.

The smoker thing might just work, if you know for sure they live there and have the other hole, the exit hole blocked off.

 

[pharmchickrnmom]

Morning all. Lost one of my original hens some time last night. Trouble was a glw and she was looking poorly yesterday morning when I went to let the girls out. Her crop was all distended and I could feel something long and hard in there. Not being too sure what to do, I brought her inside. I gave her a warm bath as her butt was a mess and she seemed to like that. I put her in a cage with lots of bedding. I did try to massage her crop to see if I could get it to move or break up. Anyways, she must have passed during the night as I found her lifeless this morning. She would have been 3 in april, which is old for a laying hen. She will be missed. Her sisters look fine and healthy, all running out and doing their chicken thing this morning. Life goes on.

Yes, Ginny, foxes will use old groundhog dens for their own. Best to get rid of them now as there will be babies in the spring. Skinning squirrels can be a chore as their skin is such that they can turn around in it to bite a predator. However, they are worth the trouble for a tasy meal. I only do greys. Reds and chipmunks are just target practice and chicken headaches waiting to happen.

Stony--you are one busy guy with that 22!

Warm again today and so back to work. My war with my sinus infections seems to be a stalemate so far. Heres hoping the antibiotics start winning. The boys are noisy this morning. Egg production is dropping in the big coop. Only 7 from 19 hens yesterday. The big girls arent back to laying yet. I dont supplement lighting and the roof on the big coop is polycarbonate, smoke color so they do get light through the roof. I prefer to let nature take its course as the hens do need a break from time to time.

Everyone have a good day.

 

[stonykill]

Stony--you are one busy guy with that 22!

sometimes it is the 12 or 16 gauge. The bobcat met it's demise with my .308

 

[vmdanielsen]

.22 has been my weapon of choice for foxes. I am willing to bet they would dig out an old chuck hole and make it their den.

The smoker thing might just work, if you know for sure they live there and have the other hole, the exit hole blocked off.

I will have to explore for the other hole. I have been seeing the foxes near that hole and recently there has been major dirt movement and paw tracts around it. Time to start collecting rocks too fill the "back door"!! Do you do anything with a fox pelt?