NY chicken lover!!!!

[LadyHawkeAvry]

Oh- the part that pushed me to the poison was I heard something one night an wandered down the hall and a oppossum sized animal ran out of my step-daughters room.  She'd had her Easter Candy up there...against our instruction.

That would do it for me too!!

 

[LadyHawkeAvry]

At time for everything as the good book says. 

For vermin, it's a time to DIE!   And I don't care how they do it!  

So that's where that possum I saw the other night went! He didn't come back to steal any more food last night. Now I know why!!

 

[Purpletie3]

So, I am running through about a 50 lb bag of feed every two days for my chicks. What can I do to buffer the cost of this? They are all 5 weeks - 4 months.

 

[LadyHawkeAvry]

So, I am running through about a 50 lb bag of feed every two days for my chicks.  What can I do to buffer the cost of this? They are all 5 weeks - 4 months.

The only thing that cuts my feed use back has been pasture. Those early stages where they are still to young to safely be foraging is the worst. You feel like every day you are opening another bag of feed! This is a tough time of year before the bugs are really out and the grass is lush - we feed bowls of chopped produce, when it comes into season, squash and apples in the fall, plus leftover boiled veggies in the winter (broccoli, cauliflower and the like). Anything healthy you can get to help supplement their diet helps cut down on the grain consumption, and the beta carotene in the grass and veggies make for amazing eggs and nice meat birds!

 

[Beer can]

Awesome pics Rancher Lol!
I hate using poison, yeah not good if you have other animals and you never know where the little buggers will hide the stuff, or have a animal eat the poisoned dead vermin. Worse yet they tend to die inside your house in a wall you can't get to. We ended up using poison in our house when we bought it. Didn't want to but it was a hundred plus year old house and when they cut the eighty acre corn field out back the rats came in. Caught eleven of them and then they got smart to the traps. We used blocks of poison that looked like corn cobs and screwed them in to our back room and basement so there couldn't just drag them off and come back for more.
I have bucket traps now, one in the basement and one in my garage. Haven't caught any in the house in a couple years, but I've got a dozen mice with the one I have in the garage. It works as a repeater, the more meeses the merrier, they all want to try for the peanut butter and take a swim. Lol!

 

[LadyHawkeAvry]

Awesome pics Rancher Lol!
I hate using poison, yeah not good if you have other animals and you never know where the little buggers will hide the stuff, or have a animal eat the poisoned dead vermin. Worse yet they tend to die inside your house in a wall you can't get to. We ended up using poison in our house when we bought it. Didn't want to but it was a hundred plus year old house and when they cut the eighty acre corn field out back the rats came in. Caught eleven of them and then they got smart to the traps. We used blocks of poison that looked like corn cobs and screwed them in to our back room and basement so there couldn't just drag them off and come back for more.
I have bucket traps now, one in the basement and one in my garage. Haven't caught any in the house in a couple years, but I've got a dozen mice with the one I have in the garage. It works as a repeater, the more meeses the merrier, they all want to try for the peanut butter and take a swim. Lol!

I'm going to have to build one of those! I have all the materials!

 

[Glasshen]

This morning a beautiful Coyote trotted through my yard. I ran upstairs and had my gun in hand, but it paid no attention to the coop or pen, and it was very beautiful. Probably couldn't have gotten the window open anyway...but it's a good reminder that they are out there.

 

[cutipatooti]

So, I am running through about a 50 lb bag of feed every two days for my chicks.  What can I do to buffer the cost of this? They are all 5 weeks - 4 months.

Fermenting the feed really helps cut costs. It just takes more time and effor on your part, but totally worth it IMO

 

[bakingintherain]

Awesome pics Rancher Lol!
I hate using poison, yeah not good if you have other animals and you never know where the little buggers will hide the stuff, or have a animal eat the poisoned dead vermin. Worse yet they tend to die inside your house in a wall you can't get to. We ended up using poison in our house when we bought it. Didn't want to but it was a hundred plus year old house and when they cut the eighty acre corn field out back the rats came in. Caught eleven of them and then they got smart to the traps. We used blocks of poison that looked like corn cobs and screwed them in to our back room and basement so there couldn't just drag them off and come back for more.
I have bucket traps now, one in the basement and one in my garage. Haven't caught any in the house in a couple years, but I've got a dozen mice with the one I have in the garage. It works as a repeater, the more meeses the merrier, they all want to try for the peanut butter and take a swim. Lol!

we have a couple of those too, are put a bit of antifreeze in it so they don't stink

 

[Lynzi777]

Awesome pics Rancher Lol!
I hate using poison, yeah not good if you have other animals and you never know where the little buggers will hide the stuff, or have a animal eat the poisoned dead vermin. Worse yet they tend to die inside your house in a wall you can't get to. We ended up using poison in our house when we bought it. Didn't want to but it was a hundred plus year old house and when they cut the eighty acre corn field out back the rats came in. Caught eleven of them and then they got smart to the traps. We used blocks of poison that looked like corn cobs and screwed them in to our back room and basement so there couldn't just drag them off and come back for more.
I have bucket traps now, one in the basement and one in my garage. Haven't caught any in the house in a couple years, but I've got a dozen mice with the one I have in the garage. It works as a repeater, the more meeses the merrier, they all want to try for the peanut butter and take a swim. Lol!

What does the can on the rod do at the top of the bucket?