Ready to throw in the towel!

[Birdinhand]

folks who want to free range seem to, sooner or later, have to deal with total devastation, one way or another. I live in an urban area where roosters aren't allowed, so that's not even a possibility. you must keep the birds and food protected at night, that's a bottom line that I don't see anyone getting away from, at least eventually. you can do that by either making a small fort knox coop that is wall to wall hardware cloth, or you can go much larger with electric fencing, netting overhead and a fort knox inner coop enveloped in hardware cloth that is closed at night. you either need to except that occasionally you will lose everything, or you need to invest to keep the critters out. for me, peace of mind is gold, so I spent the money up front and made the coop impervious, learned about the micro biome and deep litter method and so far, fingers crossed, produce 400 lbs of meat a year and lots of eggs and no preditors and no major losses to disease. maybe i've just been lucky.

 

[chickens really]

Hello. I also made the decision to get rid of my Flock of Chickens. Lost some to Fox and my issue was random attacks to other Birds in my Flock. The second time it happened I had enough. They pecked the one Pullets head to a bloody mess. All my Chickens were raised here. Space wasn't an issue.
Hobbies should be fun and it definitely wasn't fun anymore.
I currently have 3 Silkie and a Rosecomb. If that goes sideways I'll be Chickenless.
I have Call Ducks that I absolutely enjoy.
Only you will know when you have had enough..
Best wishes..

 

[microchick]

@Blooie! Fantastic news! After reading how much keeping chickens helped your precious grandchildren I can't see you not having them a few birds around for them to enjoy (you too!) and take care of.

What wonderful occupational therapy you have found!What a wonderful Grammy you are! Bless you and your family!

 

[Blooie]

@Blooie! Fantastic news! After reading how much keeping chickens helped your precious grandchildren I can't see you not having them a few birds around for them to enjoy (you too!) and take care of.

What wonderful occupational therapy you have found!What a wonderful Grammy you are! Bless you and your family!

Wow, thanks! I’m just a Gramma who loves her little ones just as millions of others love theirs, but mine have a few challenges to work around. I’d get whatever it took to help them. It just so happened that chickens filled the bill!

 

[Saaniya]

I have had to replace my flock three times due to disease or predation. I've had to say good-bye to more chickens than I care to ever in a lifetime; many times by my own hand. Despite thousands spent on coops, wire, feeders, feed, incubators, brooders, traps, decoys, and medicine, my flock continues to decline. I lost my best, and most beautiful, breeder last night to another Owl attack. My backyard is a mess of chicken poo and dead plants that will never return, and I've given up on trying to grow my grass back. I can't sleep past 4 AM because that's when the roosters wake up....
When do you decide that enough is enough? I have, for the most part, enjoyed this hobby. But, that's all it ever was or will be. I don't sell or eat the eggs, we don't show the chickens, and the level of destruction to my backyard is very likely insurmountable. I've even had to pay to repair the paint on my car after my red sex-links decided it would be a good place to roost! I love my babies; perhaps enough to know that I don't want to see another one ripped to pieces by opportunistic and uncontrollable birds of prey.
I'm not writing this for pity points. I'm looking for an honest discussion regarding thoughts, experiences, opinions, and advice. This is a big decision, and I want to be as informed as possible before making it.

So sorry u have been facing this hugs to u

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

folks who want to free range seem to, sooner or later, have to deal with total devastation, one way or another. I live in an urban area where roosters aren't allowed, so that's not even a possibility. you must keep the birds and food protected at night, that's a bottom line that I don't see anyone getting away from, at least eventually. you can do that by either making a small fort knox coop that is wall to wall hardware cloth, or you can go much larger with electric fencing, netting overhead and a fort knox inner coop enveloped in hardware cloth that is closed at night. you either need to except that occasionally you will lose everything, or you need to invest to keep the critters out. for me, peace of mind is gold, so I spent the money up front and made the coop impervious, learned about the micro biome and deep litter method and so far, fingers crossed, produce 400 lbs of meat a year and lots of eggs and no preditors and no major losses to disease. maybe i've just been lucky.

This isn't always true. I have had a totally free range flock with a large shed that also houses donkeys who keep most predators at bay. We have lost a few birds over the past 20 years, but not many. Free ranging can be done successfully. I have yet to be wiped out. The worse year was when a coyote took 10 birds before my husband took care of him. Otherwise if I lose one bird a year that's a lot. My flock is healthy and productive too. So it's all in the set up and management.

 

[Birdinhand]

This isn't always true. I have had a totally free range flock with a large shed that also houses donkeys who keep most predators at bay. We have lost a few birds over the past 20 years, but not many. Free ranging can be done successfully. I have yet to be wiped out. The worse year was when a coyote took 10 birds before my husband took care of him. Otherwise if I lose one bird a year that's a lot. My flock is healthy and productive too. So it's all in the set up and management.

that's great to hear! hearing more about your secrets to success is what it's all about. sounds like you have found a "companion animal" approach. we are very limited by space and codes as to what we can even have in our back yards. If I were able to go out and shoot the predators I might have a better chance. more and more of us are in metro areas and while I can't speak to all codes, I can say our city doesn't allow any sort of discharging of firearms within city limits, not even pellet guns. they have told me I can't even kill a crow with a rock and a sling shot. So, as farm land is gobbled up by the sprawl of development, for a growing number of us, our options are limited to securing the borders of the coop.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

that's great to hear! hearing more about your secrets to success is what it's all about. sounds like you have found a "companion animal" approach. we are very limited by space and codes as to what we can even have in our back yards. If I were able to go out and shoot the predators I might have a better chance. more and more of us are in metro areas and while I can't speak to all codes, I can say our city doesn't allow any sort of discharging of firearms within city limits, not even pellet guns. they have told me I can't even kill a crow with a rock and a sling shot. So, as farm land is gobbled up by the sprawl of development, for a growing number of us, our options are limited to securing the borders of the coop.

We are lucky that we are rural and can pretty much shoot a gun whenever we want here. Our other strategies include lots of cover up close to the shed, than a mowed area between the shed and the woods so predators can't hide in the weeds. The final strategy is plenty of roosters to escort ranging hens and to look out for trouble.

I find it interesting how people in towns and cities have more predation than us out in the country. Most predators here have plenty of mice and rabbits to choose from, so chicken isn't the only thing available.

 

[WthrLady]

They are limited, but not unobtainable. A hard, well built, well secured coop and yard in a metro area is your #1 expense and priority. Those cheap farm supply coops (OP mentions her pull out coop floor cleaning drawer) are just not sound, sturdy, or long lasting. I KNOW there is a poster here that has a whole village of them and has had luck with them, but not without a great deal of maintenance, upgrading, and security.

Chickens need protection. They are the bottom of the food chain, and let's face it easy, and delicious, pickins.

In 5 years, my two hens and one rooster lost to predators were due to my own laziness in being diligent over my flock. I have now learned the dangers of my area and what time of year to expect them.

DH and I also took the approach that we couldn't afford to do a cheap job over and over and over again. So we did it right the first time-burried hardware cloth, windows covered in hwc, closed gaps, sturdy structure, and due vigilance when they are out. If I don't I know I take the risk of loosing someone. But for this ranch, I feel they are happier and healthier to be out as much as possible.

You may not be able to shoot at predators in a metro area, but you also may not need to. Predators need identified and then appropriate solutions applied.

Cats can be trapped.
Dogs-foxes-raccoons-skunks can be thwarted by kennel fencing with a top placing the small coop inside. or an electric fence with bird netting hung above for airborne predators.

Hawks, Owls, Falcons - all other death by air- fencing and shiny things is all you're allowed to do anyway by federal protection. So you either cover their roaming area with netting or wire, or give them plenty of places to hide and an set of rooster eyes to help watch, knowing you can still become a buffet.

Digging things can be deterred by laying down an apron of hardware cloth around your coop and using 6 inch lawn staples to hold it down. Critters aren't smart enough to back up 18 inches to start digging where they don't hit wire, so it doesn't have to be a wide apron.

Farming, even urban farming carries the risk of loss. All you can do is identify, and mitigate and hope for the best outcome, and learn from faults.

Good luck.

 

[Birdinhand]

We are lucky that we are rural and can pretty much shoot a gun whenever we want here. Our other strategies include lots of cover up close to the shed, than a mowed area between the shed and the woods so predators can't hide in the weeds. The final strategy is plenty of roosters to escort ranging hens and to look out for trouble.

I find it interesting how people in towns and cities have more predation than us out in the country. Most predators here have plenty of mice and rabbits to choose from, so chicken isn't the only thing available.

I've been amazed at what lurks in the shadows here in the northwest. we have more predators traversing our 10,000 sf lot than on the 125 acre farm I grew up on in PA and we are basically forbidden from doing anything about them. full sized bald eagles and red tailed hawks hang out in the trees over head, coyotes trot along the roads at night, raccoons strip the bark off the trees and rats are always trying to find a way in, leaving their oily duff along the hardware cloth. I'm pretty sure our hens are happier behind the safety of the coop walls than fending for their life in the yard.