***OKIES in the BYC III ***

[NanaKat]

We caught a coon in the live trap...a female...not sure if it is the same one raiding the pens. But she won't be back.

Have had to set out rat poison in containers for the rats in the garden that are nibbling on my cucumbers, squash and melons! I sure don't want to use ratshot in the garden...like The movie Caddy Shack, I wouldn't have a garden left!

Today, I'm taking the youngest ducks to an outside pen to swim and explore. Moving the last hatched chicks from the inside brooder to the barn brooder. Then I'll tie up the last tomatoes to their cattle panels and plant some beans.

Everybody....have a great weekend.

 

[CLSranch]

Congrats on the coon. I got a possum Sat night and a neighbor's cat last night (didn't shoot the cat, for those who are worried). I don't know how many cats they have dozens yeesh. But they eat my chicks. And with dozens of cats and several large rat snakes I lose eggs and chicks AND STILL HAVE MICE in the chicken coop and barn.

 

[NanaKat]

Lost another hen in the Columbian Wyandotte pen yesterday morning. The critter actually carried the hen back out the way it had entered, across the top of another hoop house and left scat marking his territory...another raccoon. There were also coyote tracks around the outside of the pen...I'm wondering if there is a hunting agreement between the coon and the coyote!
After spending 5 hours yesterday replacing the wire screen on the 14 x 16 hoop house and adding more ties to the chain link fence on all the pipes something got into the CW pen. The cattle panel hoops are supported in the middle by a field cattle gate turned on its end...the top is 8 feet from the ground. I had removed the CW breeders to the barn but left two OEGB hens in that pen that like to roost near the top of this gate....thinking they would be safe. The predator got one of them but could not get the bird back outside the pen like the night before. Still puzzled about how it got in the pen and there is no way for the raccoon to climb any where near them. Outside the pen there were tracks from both a raccoon and a coyote...none of the traps had been tripped.
There was also evidence that something had tried to dig up a gopher in the garden and had eaten some pears on the ground. Again those traps under the pear tree were not tripped. We are talking about putting hot wire along the bottom edge of the garden fence....looks like talk turns to action.
I guess I'm going to have to spend time at night in the truck we park near the pens and try to eliminate the critters when they show up.

 

[CLSranch]

I put up a deer cam in front of a live trap made out of a bucket. The same one that caught a possum Sat night. Any way after having the bait eaten after days and days in a row I put a foot trap in front of it, same thing. Cam showed a big tom cat. He later got caught in a smaller live trap.

 

[dunnmom]

I think I have a broody. She camped out on 3 eggs for hours today. We took her out of the nest box to get the eggs, because she flattened out over them in such a way I couldn't get my hand under her. Usually, my hens will lift up and allow me to collect from under them without resistance. At no point was she aggressive, though, she's always been sweet. A few minutes later, she went back into the coop looking for eggs to sit on. Now instead of going to roost, she picked a nest box to sleep in. I would allow her to sit on a small clutch of fertile eggs, except it's supposed to be nasty hot soon, and I don't want her to get heat stroke. I also don't have a secure place to put her away from the nest boxes right now. I'm not able to spend all day making sure she's not sitting on other hens' eggs, either. What do ya'll think? Ideas?

 

[NanaKat]

@dunnmom Do you have a transport cage (18x24x18) you could hang on the wall in your coop? Sometimes I put hay in one and let the hen go ahead and sit on eggs. The elevation makes her a little cooler. Keep food and water in there too. She and her chicks would be good in there for a few days. Gives you 21 days to come up with a secure spot for her and her brood.

 

[dunnmom]

That's a great idea, NanaKat! After talking it over with my husband, though, I think we're going to try to break her of it. He's still very firm on his no new chickens stance. It's tough for me (because I just love babies), but he's right that we don't need the extra responsibility right now. Poor girl is grumpy today, and watching the nest box like a sentinel for new eggs to be laid. She must have been hogging everyone's favorite box this morning, because I found 2 eggs on the coop floor. I know it's not funny, but her "don't mess with me" posturing, and crow-croak sounding grumbling is so like a PMS ridden woman that I can't help but laugh a little.

 

[dunnmom]

Here's my broody-girl this morning. I slipped an igloo cold pack between her legs a few minutes before this pic was taken, although this is how she's been greeting me for the last few days. Hackles up and everything! I managed to pry her out to go eat some breakfast before the others ate it all.

 

[NanaKat]

@dunnmom she is absolutely broody and gorgeous.

I broke down and gave eggs to two broody hens yesterday...because I run a swamp cooler in the barn, I had the empty 18" x 30" x 18" pens, and the eggs they will hatch are some of the last from the hens and rooster killed by the raccoon.

Put up kosher dill pickles and salad peppers yesterday.


and senfgurkens today. These are made using those too big cucumbers that always seem to pop up under the vines.


Will go back to the garden and check the beets to see if there are any ready for pickling....yep, I'm a gluton for punishment in the heat outside.

 

[Duckymomlol]

Anyone want to jump in on a duck order? Located near southwest corner of Oklahoma. Can deliver within 100 miles of Erick Oklahoma. You pay when I deliver. Wanted two hens for my pet flock and minimum is 6. Which is about 4 too many for my duck yard.