NY chicken lover!!!!

[rancher hicks]

Just to throw this out there.

Anyone get their flu shot at the RX or Grocery store? What does it cost, do they bill the insurance company. Right now I have a cold, but later I'd rather not pay to drive to the Doc who has moved far away not to mention the bill. Co pay isn't much but we've some bigger ones from DW and I don't like oweing them.

My method is to send everyone what I can afford that month. Even a few dollars is better than ignoring them. I do call and let them know what's going on and that I will send something each month. I just throw that out for those who might be sweating medical bills. Call them, send them a note, never ignore the bill.

Thanks for the advice,

Rancher

 

[wny egger]

Sorry I haven't been on much - went and got my cat irradiated for his thyroid, had to replace a bunch of high $$ crap at the house (septic, well, furnace - ouch!)..

The hawks have been brutal here this year - they got my tiny little hen from CB the other day and within 10 minutes of my deciding to give them a little 'out' time they almost got my little araucana BB. She ran for the electric fence and and got stuck. I was able to free her and lock everyone else up under netting, and that's where they stay except for maybe an hour before roosting when I'm out there. /sigh. The hawks were just perched all around our yard, as bold as can be. Seems like they are worse on cloudy days, oddly enough.

sorry to hear lifes been beating you and your flock up ..it seems like when one thing goes wrong ,everything goes wrong ..was thinking of your hawk problum ..maybe you should look into a crow call ..my buddy has one ..if you could get a flock of crows to come around , it mite help with the hawks..i no i only have to put the garbage out around here and the crows show up ..lol..

atleast you got the big troubles taken care of before winter ..

lets hope better days are coming..

 

[wny egger]

A weasel killed almost every chicken in my fathers flock whithen a couple nights, like twenty+ of them, just bit off the heads. Even his extremly mean and protective rir roo. It took a rat trap with bloody meat bait to get him. It was covered in fleas, my dad said he thinks it went nuts. Good luck.

maybe it was rabid..

 

[wny egger]

Just to throw this out there.

Anyone get their flu shot at the RX or Grocery store? What does it cost, do they bill the insurance company. Right now I have a cold, but later I'd rather not pay to drive to the Doc who has moved far away not to mention the bill. Co pay isn't much but we've some bigger ones from DW and I don't like oweing them.

My method is to send everyone what I can afford that month. Even a few dollars is better than ignoring them. I do call and let them know what's going on and that I will send something each month. I just throw that out for those who might be sweating medical bills. Call them, send them a note, never ignore the bill.

Thanks for the advice,

Rancher

alot of insurance comp will pay the full amount ..i am pretty sure medicare does..i went yesterday to the doc ..she sent me to have some flu test done but wouldnt ya no the place is out of network so i no i'll be getting hit with a bill for that one test ..i had to go to 3 diffrent places just to get all the test done my doc Aasked for ..its nutts..

its been a crazy week for me ..i had a tooth pulled last monday and on friday i had a biopsy and by sunday i was so ill with some kind of bug that i thought i had ebola..lol..not really but i was as sick as i can ever remember ..still pretty sick but trying to feel better ..my wife missed 2 days of work this week with a virus of some sort ..i could tell shes still a little under the weather..she works as an RN for roswell oncology here in jamestown ..she just started the job a few weeks ago..she felt bad about having to miss work already but i think the worst is behind us both ..

 

[demp4]

Gramma- I downsized my flock and sent all the big roo's to the freezer. Thanks for the article on the weasels.

The weasel got another one last night and one during the day in the coop. Must have a hole in the barn somewhere. UGH. I barricaded the inside coop door last night and the weasel (or whatever it is) ate through the bottom corner and got one of my big layers. I just set the live traps with what they left behind. I hope I catch whatever it is! I have never had a predator problem where we used to live (for 4 years nothing!) Now our new house 4 months and in the last week I lost 5 chick/hens.

I feel so defeated. I almost wish we didn't move. This is devastating.

Rancher- Don't get a flu shot while you are sick. You can probably call and ask the drug stores though if they bill insurance.

WNY Egger- Hope you and your wife feel better soon!

 

[Beer can]

When I was a kid my favorite trap set for mink and muskrat was a stove pipe trap. I couldnt find any pics, but its a 2 foot or so section of stove pipe, pvc would probably work also, on a 60degree angle or so. I used a raw egg crack it without breaking yolk and let run down the inside to the bottom where you have the trap. I used a number two coil spring but weasels are light, like a extra long chipmunk, you would probably be better off with a large rat trap or the smallest coilspring trap you can find. The idea is the animal starts down the pipe and if it changes its mind (most furbearers are trap smart) it slips down and is caught anyway.

 

[Beer can]

I used a raw egg crack it without breaking yolk and let run down the inside to the bottom where you have the trap.

With a weasel in your case bloody raw chicken livers would probably work better. Weasels are cute little animals, but they have the killing ability of a wolverine. It wont stop till you stop it.

 

[Tough Old Bird]

Gramma- I downsized my flock and sent all the big roo's to the freezer. Thanks for the article on the weasels.

The weasel got another one last night and one during the day in the coop. Must have a hole in the barn somewhere. UGH. I barricaded the inside coop door last night and the weasel (or whatever it is) ate through the bottom corner and got one of my big layers. I just set the live traps with what they left behind. I hope I catch whatever it is! I have never had a predator problem where we used to live (for 4 years nothing!) Now our new house 4 months and in the last week I lost 5 chick/hens.

I feel so defeated. I almost wish we didn't move. This is devastating.

Rancher- Don't get a flu shot while you are sick. You can probably call and ask the drug stores though if they bill insurance.

WNY Egger- Hope you and your wife feel better soon!

Hi demp4,

So, so sorry about the weasel (or other) predator problem and the loss of more birds. This is terrible... I hope you have some quick success in nabbing the culprit.

I have heard that weasels will kill multiple birds, for no apparent reason other than the frenzy of killing. I cannot vouch that this is true or not, but I have heard it often told from people with poultry. Also, I have heard that they can fit in the tiniest of holes. Being intelligent, your predator has learned there is an easy meal available, so it's hanging around. Trap heavily, if you can, and if you can stomach it, bait with some dead chicken.

Good luck demp. Hang in there. Seems a few of us have been suffering losses for one reason or another.

TOB

P.S. - do you have a game camera by any chance? You could set it up near your coop to see what's hanging around at night? Maybe borrow one from a hunting friend for 3 or 4 nights if you don't own one?

 

[Beer can]

I have heard that weasels will kill multiple birds, for no apparent reason other than the frenzy of killing.  I cannot vouch that this is true or not, but I have heard it often told from people with poultry.

I dont know what the reason but Ive seen where a weasel killed multiple chickens by taking their heds off with no meat damaged, maybe they drink their blood? A good roo wont help either, we lost the biggest meanist RIR rooster Ive ever saw to a weasel protecting his girls.

 

[Tough Old Bird]

I dont know what the reason but Ive seen where a weasel killed multiple chickens by taking their heds off with no meat damaged, maybe they drink their blood? A good roo wont help either, we lost the biggest meanist RIR rooster Ive ever saw to a weasel protecting his girls.

You wouldn't think the head would be the most appealing part to a predator, but I guess they have their reasons! That's too bad about your RIR rooster; poor guy, doing his job....

TOB