Pictures around the ranch

[kuntrygirl]

spectrumranch, are you ever faced with any predator problems? have you lost any animals because of predators?

 

[spectrumranch]

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Yes we do have problems at times with predators. In all the years I have raised animals, we have encountered most at one time or another.

When I was in highschool a dog was trying to get into my pheasant pens and even though he didn't get in, I lost 3 Impeyans; and thats when they were expensive.

We had dogs run the outside of out Blackbuck antelope pen, they never got in, but we lost several to injuries.

We have llamas and donkeys as guardians and they work great. We keep them with our sheep, smaller cattle, mini horses, etc and around the buildings and pens. We usually do not worry about predators with full size horses or cattle, but recently we had something chase some cattle and horses over fences, sounds like dogs, but with the growing coyote population around us I suspect it was coyotes or possily a cougar. I do hunt and trap, but try to eliminate coyotes before they become a bigger problem.

We have had trouble with owls and mink. Owls were killing birds in the pens by grabbing them thru the netting, so make sure roosts are not to close to the netting roof.

Mink got into our waterfowl pens last year when heavy rain and flooding washed out a spot for it to get into the pens, Killed lots of ducks in one night- Shellducks, Smew, Mandarins, Mergansers, Silver wood ducks to name a few.

Starlings are also a big problem- they empty feeders quickly!

 

[kuntrygirl]

Sorry to hear about the predators.

One more question........When you lose an animal to a predator, what do you do with it? Do you bury it? Is it wise to bury an animal who has been killed by a predator or are you asking for trouble in that another predator will smell, find and try to dig up that animal?

 

[mckenzie]

Do you have any bar headed geese or barnacle geese for sale?

 

[spectrumranch]

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Just depends on what we loose.

 

[spectrumranch]

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None for sale, infact I am still building the flocks. Thinking- I am heavy on Barhead females, I should go thru and sex them someday.

 

[mckenzie]

Thanks, do you have any other wild waterfowl for sale?

 

[DurhamDuck]

Fantastic photos! Loved this entire thread!

 

[spectrumranch]

Quote:
Breeders-
Australian Shellduck hen
Ruddy Shellduck hen
European Shellduck drake
Mute Swan pair
Black Swan pair
Wild Muscovy drakes

2011 hatch:
Mute Swans
Cape Shellduck drake
Common Canadian geese
Mandarins
Wild Muscovies
Egyptian geese hens

Also have:
Silver pheasants
Abyssinian Blue Ringneck pheasants
Vulturine Guineafowl
Vulturine Hybrid guineas
Breeder Bornean & Malayan Fireback pheasant hens
Benson & Mearns Quail males

 

[Snowygirl]

OMG. you have the prettiest animals that i have ever seen!!!!!!! i need more pics!!