Okies in the BYC The Original

[okcarla]

Quote:
Tina, It sounds like raccoons to me. I don't know what will keep them away, other than some good dogs, and some strong pens. I wrap my pens in used barn metal (corrugated sheet metal) and bury it about 4-6 inches and attach it to the pens. Plus, I'm lucky that my german shepherd and australian shepherd mix are good to take out all predators. I hate it that we have to dispose of their bodies though! My dogs deposit bodies of raccoons, beaver, possum, armadillo, gopher and occasional wild cat near the house every week. Gosh, I feel bad about it ... but I haven't lost chickens due to predators in a long time ... other than chicks & eggs to the snakes. The dogs jump back when they come upon snakes ... now why won't they get the snakes too? Hopefully my new pyrenees puppies will be good protectors too. They've been great to hang out at the barn around the chickens most of the day. Can you get your dogs to hang around your chickens at night?

Oh, and my parents live just down the road from me, and they're having trouble with coyotes getting in their garden and hauling off & eating their canteloupe and watermelon! Dad claims he's seen them carrying them off! And he's found the mostly eaten rinds on his property. I tried to get him to put a fence around his garden, but he said "no, if their that hungry to come steal 'em they can have 'em". Dad feels sorry for the coyotes ... and he feeds the squirrels, and the wild birds, etc. Gosh, I hope he doesn't start leaving out dog food for the coyotes! I've heard of neighbors losing their small dogs & cats to them. I believe we have too many around ... I can hear them howling at night.

 

[coondog74017]

luvs2garden2000 it was proably a possum they pull their head off and drink the blood and let most of the chickens lay in the pen. The best thing to do is get a live trap and set it and use something sweet for bait.

 

[luvs2garden2000]

sorry Carla I ment to answer your post but had to go check on the babies, they are free running outside, I have them put up now. No I just have the 2 small dogs they wont run anything off, and the Gp is usually up at moms.

 

[DutchChic]

Quote:
You know...I think that irks me more than anything. It's one thing if a predator is hungry and kills something like a chicken to eat. But to kill just to kill and leave the whole bird laying there going to waste just ticks me off. I had a oppossum pull a gorgeous barred cochin bantie rooster off his roost, break his neck, and leave him flopping around in the chicken yard one night as a storm was coming in. Made me so mad! I later got that bad boy...cornered him one night and gave him a huge dose of my fury...lol.

 

[countyroad1330]

Sounds just like a racoon's work to me. Possum just aren't smart enough to go in from the top. *ha*

Monty, congrats on the recent BYC promotion!

Carla, Clark and I know some people that have Greyhounds they let loose after coyotes. Farmers call them in the middle of the night to come let the dogs loose. And they don't just run them off. Its crazy, I didn't know Greyhounds were like that.

Grace, I miss you!!! Sounds like you've had a crazy summer. Heard anything about if there's going to be a show in Newcastle next month? I'm excited that the Grady county fair is next month, it'll be the first show of the year for me to get to go to.

to all of our new members! I cannot believe how many we have! We've come so far since last year. We had what, 10 okies? *ha*

Is everyone else melting in this Oklahoma weather!? We've got air conditioning at work, and we've still got fans going, and I'm still melting! I'm going to start cooking hamburgers in the parking lot on the hood of my car.

 

[nnbreeder]

The heat is brutal for me too. I spend many days in a small tin shed under a welding hood. But on the bright side I don't need any of those "open the pores" type of skin treatments! I usually do my heavy work in the morning as in the afternoon both the welders and the air compressor will "trip out" due to the heat. As for the predator problem my vote is for a Coon, they will often kill the entire flock and then come back later to feed. Country coons may be detered by a radio or lights, urban dwellers are used to the sights, sounds and smells of the city, after all your scent is already all over your place and that didn't deter them from attacking your flock.

 

[luvs2garden2000]

Thanks all, i will get some blinking lights, and a radio out there. Hubby came home and totally closed up the top of the pen. He said IF anything gets in there they wont be getting back out. So far all is ok this morning.

 

[countyroad1330]

Since you mentioned the radio, my grandparents used to put a radio out in their garden at night to keep coyotes from getting their watermelons.

My parents' place is far from town. My dad works late, and when he comes home he works on things in the garage. All kinds of wild animals come in while he's out there to get the left over cat food. I even have a picture of a skunk a foot away from us! Anyway my point is, these animals have gotten used to being around my dad. The neighbors had no hope of scaring away the coons from their chicken pen.

Its hard cuz we love all the wild fuzzies, but they seem to cause some havoc from time to time.

 

[luvs2garden2000]

Yea but then i would probably catch my cat or my small dogs, say I did catch a bad critter, who wants it. It is all farm land around here. I know they have some reason to be on this earth but............. I did get some keets so maybe when they get older they can help protect around here.

 

[chickensandmore]

I too like a great deal of fury things, But it's up to me to pick and choose..my place isn't big and so I have it all fenced and posted no Trespassing..and I know that they can't read so I do cut some lead way for the little things..
so here is what I do...(if I see them) 1st warning......run out waving my arms and yelling..
2nd warning pellet gun and wave my shovel at them..
3rd warning 22 short up side the head or anywhere else it happens to stop them in there tracks...
and we all know what I do with the shovel at that point..

This is just my 2 cents worth and that's all I'm going to say on that matter..

Don in Spiro