Raising Baby Chick-Along

[WVduckchick]

Y'all are sweet peeps to worry about me, but I'm fine.b far from the epic tragedy. I have 11 people and 3 pets sheltering with me and keeping me busy. Your thoughts and prayers ARE appreciated.

Hugs to y'all.

 

[orrpeople]

she was posting on a hurricane thread and Texas thread, doing updates for folks that had no power. She's been off for a while now tho.



My dogs don't really take care of my chickens, but they don't bother them either. yesterday, my pug and i walked out the door and a wild rabbit was sitting amongst the call ducks out in the yard. He went straight for that rabbit. It ran toward the back of the yard, did a 180 and ran back to the front and out thru the front fence, beyond his reach, but he was hot on its tail the whole way!

he still chases the rabbits and squirrels, but not the chicks. Even the little ones now. I'm amazed that he learned the difference so easily. He's a pug! Lol

I think our pets figure out what's "ours" and what's fair game! I told you all my cat catching wild birds story. They occasionally still do it, although not as much now that i don't have anything brooding indoors.

 

[orrpeople]

Y'all are sweet peeps to worry about me, but I'm fine.b far from the epic tragedy. I have 11 people and 3 pets sheltering with me and keeping me busy. Your thoughts and prayers ARE appreciated.

Hugs to y'all.

So glad to hear it! I didn't know there was a hurricane thread on here. I don't get out much.
Thanks for the update - blessings to you and your whole household!

 

[NorthTexasWink]

We are learning of the importance of planning ahead! You've got those sweet fluffy butts, knowing they grow up. How do you keep them safe should some natural disaster occur? "Food for thought is no substitute for the real thing"

 

[orrpeople]

We are learning of the importance of planning ahead! You've got those sweet fluffy butts, knowing they grow up. How do you keep them safe should some natural disaster occur? "Food for thought is no substitute for the real thing"

We think about that kind of thing a lot. Here, our big natural-ish disaster is wild fire. (I say natural-ish because sometimes they're started by lightning, sometimes by stupid people pulling trailers with a chain dragging on the pavement sparking fires as they drive along).
A couple of times fires have been too close for comfort. We know that it would not be possible to move our large free range flock quickly (unless it was night and they were in their coops) so in the event of a fast moving blaze, we have resigned ourselves to opening all the gates and fences and hoping for the best for them. I know that probably sounds terrible, but unlike weather events, fires are rarely something one has much time for which to prepare. (We also have a huge defensible space with no brush or tall grass, which should help.)

 

[NorthTexasWink]

@orrpeople You can only do so much, and adulting means making the hard decisions. I do not think it makes you a bad person! It makes you a rational sane adult. Still sucketh, but it is what it is.

 

[WVduckchick]

We think about that kind of thing a lot. Here, our big natural-ish disaster is wild fire. (I say natural-ish because sometimes they're started by lightning, sometimes by stupid people pulling trailers with a chain dragging on the pavement sparking fires as they drive along).
A couple of times fires have been too close for comfort. We know that it would not be possible to move our large free range flock quickly (unless it was night and they were in their coops) so in the event of a fast moving blaze, we have resigned ourselves to opening all the gates and fences and hoping for the best for them. I know that probably sounds terrible, but unlike weather events, fires are rarely something one has much time for which to prepare. (We also have a huge defensible space with no brush or tall grass, which should help.)

If the woods behind us caught fire, I could stuff a few in the crates that I have, but honestly, I think I'd have bigger worries. Open the gates, most of mine can fly enough or move fast enough to get some distance away.

If it were a flood, which we had some pretty torrential rains last year, mine all have things inside their pens that they could at least get up on, enough to stay out of several feet of water. Again, if it flooded us that badly, my house would be underwater too, and the chicks gates would be opened.

I do work in a large building now, with a warehouse attached.... if I had enough cages, I could probably temporarily relocate some of them.

@orrpeople You can only do so much, and adulting means making the hard decisions. I do not think it makes you a bad person! It makes you a rational sane adult. Still sucketh, but it is what it is.

x2!

 

[rjohns39]

X3

 

[orrpeople]

...and, as long as I keep the chickens off the roads and out of high rises and dangerous buildings, they can avoid California's other potential disaster - earthquakes! (Redding doesn't get the big ones, but occasionally we will get a tremor or two.)
eta: although I've seen odd animal behavior right before we get one. Some folks say they sense it coming.

 

[calichicken]

Yep! Very good points made by all! For us, fire is also
The biggest worry we have! Having a plan is always good, but sometimes you gotta do what is necessary in the moment! So glad you are ok @NorthTexasWink