***OKIES in the BYC III ***

[bardies]

Has two buddies now! Yay!

 

[Kyzmette]

Has two buddies now!  Yay!

Whooooot!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Ksane]

You have SO got to borrow my bigger Brinsea for a hatch!
Here's hoping for more!

 

[artsyrobin]

Quote: she has the heart of a mama, all she wants to do is raise babies, and Jet is there too- we call him papa

 

[Elwood Lightfoot]

So a couple months ago I bought my replacement chickies and a couple weeks ago I moved 53 babies to my best pen it's a little crowded but they're still small yet and doing well but last week I found on two different days some bits of intestine laying on the ground in the pen so I'm sure i'm missing at least two birds, I set some live traps and caught a large tom cat so removed it from being a threat, after work yesterday I found a dead buff orpington with it's chest and stomach torn open and entrails pulled out, now the rest are locked in the large iron coop that could hold any predator at bay so they are safe but more crowded and more traps set, I know that there are more cats around but not certain what got the birds there is a six foot fence so whatever it is is able to go over and carry back out an almost 3 month old chicken, a couple of the cats around belong to my new neighbors they are outside cats and left to hunt as they want to, I'm pretty sure the one I got was a feral one they are really thick out here it's a shame how people have cats and when they move away they just leave them to fend for themselves.

On a brighter note though I have the whole week week off next week so the focus is will be on making the pens even more critter proof, contingent on the weather of course, We have a light covering of ice here not too bad I hope it goes away quickly

 

[NanaKat]

Bill, sorry to hear about the attacks. It is so frustrating not knowing what is getting your birds. Hope you catch your critter.

We finally figured out that the coyote was pacing the outside of the pen until a bird was so upset it flew over the fence. Now, each night, I attach a 2x4 welded wire panel to the front of the outdoor coops that are not covered. Haven't lost another bird to the coyote or owl since. The trap hasn't caught anything. Only bird lost this month was a freeranging freezer cockerel to a hawk.

Haven't been out this morning yet, but there was a glaze of ice last night when the dogs took their last run.

 

[Ksane]

So a couple months ago I bought my replacement chickies and a couple weeks ago I moved 53 babies to my best pen it's a little crowded but they're still small yet and doing well but last week I found on two different days some bits of intestine laying on the ground in the pen so I'm sure i'm missing at least two birds, I set some live traps and caught a large tom cat so removed it from being a threat, after work yesterday I found a dead buff orpington with it's chest and stomach torn open and entrails pulled out, now the rest are locked in the large iron coop that could hold any predator at bay so they are safe but more crowded and more traps set, I know that there are more cats around but not certain what got the birds there is a six foot fence so whatever it is is able to go over and carry back out an almost 3 month old chicken, a couple of the cats around belong to my new neighbors they are outside cats and left to hunt as they want to, I'm pretty sure the one I got was a feral one they are really thick out here it's a shame how people have cats and when they move away they just leave them to fend for themselves.
On a brighter note though I have the whole week week off next week so the focus is will be on making the pens even more critter proof, contingent on the weather of course, We have a light covering of ice here not too bad I hope it goes away quickly

Cats have killed several of my smaller birds. They don't even get a chance to walk through the yard anymore before they're labeled murderers. They can scale a 6' fence as easy as they can climb a tree. A 10x10 dog kennel with a tarp over the top will keep them out. I think too often other predators get blamed when it was really the family cat.

 

[Backyard Bob]

Hello! Fellow okie member here! Does anyone know if the Fletcher or Cement it Alex auction is still going on? If so, any details?

 

[Kassaundra]

Cats have killed several of my smaller birds. They don't even get a chance to walk through the yard anymore before they're labeled murderers. They can scale a 6' fence as easy as they can climb a tree. A 10x10 dog kennel with a tarp over the top will keep them out. I think too often other predators get blamed when it was really the family cat.

I have lost chicks and young birds to cats, but never a grown bird.

That is why we built the brooder run w/ a fenced top. If the chicks have a broody mom or not all chicks and moms go in the broody run until big enough not to worry about cats.

 

[Kyzmette]

Dang Elwood, sorry to hear about your lost chickies. I hope you catch whatever it is and eliminate it from your predator pool.