Ok, so I have sad news for the BackYard Chicken community...... Racoon massacre!

[McChooky]

Thank you for this post. I clipped mine today as they are 6 weeks old today and had flight feathers. They were not happy campers but got over it. I knew it was getting close to time to do it and I didn't want to lose them even though they might all 4 be boys. My husband told me if I didn't clip them that would be one way to get rid of them but he was only joking as he knows I would rather try to rehome them.

I wouldn't put any faith into them staying around if you don't keep them cut regularly. Maybe if you have a pond (I didn't)

 

[Luv Ducks]

I wouldn't put any faith into them staying around if you don't keep them cut regularly. Maybe if you have a pond (I didn't)

I have their parents that I have had for 3 years now. They stay because they have it made and if I see them acting like they might want to go anywhere then I clip them again. So far once a year at the very most is all I do. I have a lot of my flock pinioned so they stay because they are all buddies too. Thanks though for your concern, I appreciate it.

 

[Kakaruk]

Hi Thanks again y'all.

I've replied to this already twice but it didn't work, disappeared or whatever.

If you will please read the original post. I have two inch wire on the top which was compromised by a freeze storm and branches grew out all wild from a tree. That 'loosened' the connections I had in the wire, which the racoon found and exploited. It did not chew through or break through any chicken wire, it loosened connections and got in that way.

The chicken wire roof was not near the chicken coop. It climbed in through the tree and got in that way after loosening the compromised wire connections.

 

[Kakaruk]

Hey y'all, so I've read all your posts about Guineas and Ducks. Fun!

My brother and I raised some ducklings when we were little and they flew away....... but they came back every spring to say hello! It was really cute.

Guineas are excellent tick and bug eaters, just great! If you leave them out at night however, they will slowly disappear, and as Agitha Christie I believe used to say, "Then There were None."