NY chicken lover!!!!

[sarahandbray]

I know this might not be an option for you, but I absolutely LOVE having electric poultry fencing from Premier. It's not exactly cheap for the netting, the door, and the energizer, but it has been a very effective deterrent for anything four-legged. We have just one section of the basic PoultryNet in a flat area and it's perfectly taut and super-easy to move. We have 1600sf of pasture space now for our 34 chickens and I sleep soundly at night not worrying about foxes, coyotes, raccoons, opossums, etc. that frequent our area. Lost one 6-week-old Barred Rock Roo to a hawk, but have lost none since. Have added more areas of cover to the pasture.

Kind of feels like the best of both worlds--fresh greens for them all the time since I rotate the pasture but they're not all over the yard, pooping on our deck, and getting eaten by a whole host of predators in the area!!

 

[payner59]

Does anyone know of a place to get poultry processed around the syracuse area? Do you all do your own?

 

[rancher hicks]

I missed the show yesterday. I have been off line for a couple weeks...

Rancher- hope you are feeling better...

Lynzi777- Bummer that noone is as friendly.

We down sized our flock and sent them to freezer camp 2 wks ago. 12 layers, 3 roos, and 1 drake.

Then last week our lab puppy (9months old) decided to partake in eating some mushrooms growing in our yard (Amenita Muscaria) which are poisonous. They cause delirium, and can cause liver damage. We caught it in time but had to take to her to vet to induce vomiting, push IV fluids, and an overnight stay. UGH!

Now we are having a predator issue maybe a weasel?! Yesterday 2 chicks had their heads taken off and a 20 wk old pullet was dragged out of coop and had a puncture wound in her neck. This was during the day. Then again today I kept them penned in a kennel type run and another chick was in the coop with her head missing. Is this because I downsized? Why now? I haven't had any predators since moving here in June. I am borrowing some live animal traps from a friend tomorrow. One small and one raccoon size. What do I use for bait?

I'd like to offer a solution. If you have some large trees near the edge of you property you might consider a trap or two. Youtube has some nice videos of how to make one. Weasels are not much more than stretched out rats anyhow.

Have to ask, are your coops closed at night. Reason I ask is I have friends who lost birds thinking they could leave the pop hole door open all the time. Of course something dug under the run and killed all their birds. Clearly they and my nephews who experienced the same thing did not research chickens before hand.

I didn't personally care for these types 1. mouse traps but now have seen the wisdom. Some meeces are just too small to set off the conventional traps 3. I don't like poison, so I now have an assortment of traps. If one doesn't work the other might.

I've been using the 3. traps, I don't care for the 1. as they're hard to set. I just bought the 2. 4. traps and they do work good but being plastic the setting mechanism wears out and makes them useless. They're not cheap either.

The 2. 4. traps are okay but they are lightweight and can be dragged off. This am I found a mouse with his paw caught but he was still alive. I let him go. Just not in the mood to stomp his little self into the ground. I'll get him next time. I prefer an instant death, which I think it usually is. Please don't tell me otherwise cuz I don't want to know.

I had to try to fix this post as one pic I chose of three traps together would not show up. Only in the preview.




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[demp4]

Thanks rancher. I have some #3 traps I can set.
I do close the coop door at dusk and open around 8-9am.

I didn't close it this summer since we weren't having predator issues. And the floor of the "run" is concrete lined with hay. The run is an old dog kennel from the old owners. I will try to go down and take a picture when the baby goes down for another nap.

@sarahandbray will electric fencing keep out rats weasels?

 

[demp4]

Does anyone know of a place to get poultry processed around the syracuse area? Do you all do your own?

WE sometimes process our own but since we just moved we paid a couple in Mexico to process ours. If you want her number send me a pm.

 

[Tough Old Bird]

Have to ask, are your coops closed at night. Reason I ask is I have friends who lost birds thinking they could leave the pop hole door open all the time. Of course something dug under the run and killed all their birds. Clearly they and my nephews who experienced the same thing did not research chickens before hand.

Across the street from my house, the lady walked in her coop in the morning to find a fox trapped inside and 6 dead chickens. Kids were traumatized. The fox had come in the pop-door before it closed in the evening and then gotten trapped inside. I guess it had a great last meal, but the neighbor shot it. Too bad for all involved in that mishap.

TOB

 

[Tough Old Bird]

Now that my Chumley is gone (still can't get used to saying that

) I am in a quandary over poor Gertrude, my Brabanter. Although Chum used to be with the main flock in the day time, she asked to go back into the kennel cage at night and up onto her stick roost next to Gertie for sleeping. Gertie loved to snuggle up into Chum's big, fat warmth. Now she is stuck all alone (reminder: the other birds attack her relentlessly and she is completely blind in one eye as a result of their abuse).

I'm a little worried about her as the temp's are starting to drop down at night. She is still missing a significant amount of neck feathers. I swear, she looks like a naked neck breed. and is now also molting. Ugh. Poor Gertie.


TOB

 

[sarahandbray]

The bottom part of the electric fencing has very small holes...they say not to have little chicks out in the yard with it, but I would say within 4-6 weeks or so, the chicks are big enough to be contained by the fencing. I would think weasels and such would be kept out with this. Further up the fence, the holes are further apart. From what I've read, anything 4-legged is kept out as long as you have set it up properly. My husband installed the actual Kube energizer onto the chicken coop itself (on the outside) and you can see and hear it "ticking"--our dog has touched his nose to it and yelped and jumped back. We have touched it as well and it's like a bad shock in stocking feet touching an outlet--not painful, just makes you jump back!!

I personally think it was worth it, but I'll tell you what--this flock of 20+ hens are going to have to produce a TON of eggs to "pay us back" for this fencing!

Subsequent flocks may help us break even. Premier fencing company was very easy to work with. I change the location of the fencing about once a week, expanding their territory. Not one has even tried to fly over, though I've personally watched a bunch of chickens get "shocked!" They squawk, run away, and shake their feathers, but are unharmed.

System for us was 164' double spike fencing, 48" tall + Hot Gate (priceless!! ok, it was $50!) + Kube 4000 Energizer (but you can find cheaper).

 

[armorfirelady]

I use the electric fencing also. My hens are out from sun up to sun down. I had one loss this year. A pullet when they refused to roost inside. Something got it after dark. But my gate to their are and the compost area are not surrounded by the electric netting so the predator could of entered there. But I haven't caught anything on the game cam since then. I put it out in the spring when the ground thaws and it stays up till it snows.

 

[rancher hicks]

Across the street from my house, the lady walked in her coop in the morning to find a fox trapped inside and 6 dead chickens. Kids were traumatized. The fox had come in the pop-door before it closed in the evening and then gotten trapped inside. I guess it had a great last meal, but the neighbor shot it. Too bad for all involved in that mishap.

TOB

Was this an automatic door? I don't have them. I have been putting a light on during the day as it's too dark in the coop. I always or usually go inside to check and of course lately turn off the light. I wear a head lamp and have a spot light that comes on when I'm out there. I also have white Christmas lights strung around my garden and in the chicken runs.

My trouble right now is blasted squirrels. I have no idea where they are coming from. I set rat trap after rat trap and while I don't catch any expect they've got a good snap! and nosebleed. I see them building nests in the trees. I hate to get out the hav a heart and poison to do them in, but I may have too.

I'm sorry for your friends loss. Sometimes even when we do our best things happen.