roost system in need of revision

[centrarchid]

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How is your dog doing?

 

[Lbrad7]

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How do you scent mark? Have you had any success using this method?

 

[centrarchid]

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Urinate around perimeter and between cages. Scent alone usless. Must be associated with something that potentially comes after you. I walk keep more than just feeding time. When a racoon is encountered, I give chase and chase it hard. The trees I have near pens, I can climb almost as well as raccon. Climbing up after them causes them to jump / fallout. My location such that racoon can be outrun before it gets to woods.


Occasionally when one is effectively cornered by me in short grass and stands its ground for short periods, it is very much frightened. I do not even have to try to kill them, just swat it with stick / base ball bat. This does not happen very often but they smell me when it does, they associate it with my smells, including urine. This does not work with oppossums. I have resorted to killing those on sight.

This system in place because lack of dog. Dog will be in place very soon saving my efforts for coon that retreats to tree. Value of pelts does not justify efforts of harvesting and skinning, otherwise I would be taking more lethal measures and take pursuit into woods.

 

[centrarchid]

Getting chickens to go reliably to a roost of my choosing has been a learning experience. They seem to have imprinting issues in respect to roost site that changes in small steps. Observations not consistent with what hen can make them do but hen not going to be used in coming years.

Final position of roosting box on ground. Straw bales block wind and enable tighter fit of cage over tub at night.

Elevated tub such that only change in appearance is distance from ground.

Pallets setup so chicks do not have to work so hard getting into roost.

Birds working way up to final launch point. Eventually this will be removed.

 

[mulewagon]

Another advantage of locked coop - don't have to move tubs all over. Just stick chickens on roost, let them get over it.

Have you considered just peeing directly on raccoons? Humiliation might be even more discouraging. Also great increase to badass rep in animal kingdom!

 

[centrarchid]

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Purpose of this thread is being missed. I have used cooping system with lockdown for many years, also had hens and chicks that go for generations without being confined to a coop. Trying to devise reliable method more suitable for resources I have or will have in place. Transition from brooder house to roost without direction from adults often results in chicks failing to move into desired / secure roost. Whole brood can be lost in one night if they fail to use roost when it is cold rainy. If chicks in elevated location with overhead protection from elements and owls, then live stock guarding dogs can do rest reducing need for locked coops. I am trying to understand mentality of these fowl to best accomadate their behavior. Only tubs likely to be a conserved feature in coming production cycles. In future they will be moved directly from brooder house to roost location, no moving in 15-20 foot increments along ground. The moving of tubs was an experiment that may prove usefull when attempting mobile roost later.

Harassment of wildlife a short term measure. Jambing a bunch of chicks into coops that in themselves may be less secure than my system will not be practical when multiple free range flocks of different ages are to be on ground. Coops as used by most folks are too expensive if constructed in a manner where free range birds can take advantage of avalable pasture I want used.

 

[chics in the sun]

I am facinated by this thread, and your methods. Thanks for the interesting thread, and keep us updated!

 

[centrarchid]

Thanks Chics in the Sun,

Just trying to develop understanding of birds themselves so that others can make make management discisions based on logic, not that simply a circle can be crambed into a aquare hole if enough pressure is applied.

The birds are now going to roost on their own as intended. They will be given a couple days with access system (pallets leaned together) kept as is before pallets will be removed. They will then be expected to fly vertically about 5 1/2 feet from ground up and through hole in bottom of roost. Shortly thereafter tubs will be replaced by elevated dowels so birds can roost with feathers not being stepped on by flockmates. Hopefully at that time collection of feces for use as manure in garden can begin.

True revision of roost can then begin. Goal is make about a dozen or so of these structures that are cheap in terms of material and labor, similar in appearance, capable of supporting a couple hundred pounds of live chicken weight and not easily accessed by racoons and oppossums. The access used by chickens being greater than four feet should prevent racoons from jumping up into same entrance. May have to test t-post to determine how readily racoons and oppossums can be blocked from climbing. I suspect post as is will not be an effective barrier.

 

[centrarchid]

Revising further in attempt to make entrance easy access. Now seeing same problem typical of a coop where even though more than enough roosting space is in place, it is not all used. Birds now enter by launching from angle pallet to right of roost. Supposedly all enter opening closest to opening. After birds in place openings closed and pallet knocked down.


New configuration from front.

From right side.

From left side showing area available for birds to stand on.

Here is problem. When I went out to night, 5 birds (owl bait) roosting on top which is unacceptable. Balance clustered around existing entrance, effectively clogging it.

Looking at roost from left side showing unused space.

From left side showing potential future entrance (bottom of curled fencing) that might fix problem. The fencing material will have a horizontal board added for broader entrance area hopefully to prevent clogging of entrance-way so as to not deny late comers access.

 

[HorizonSon]

Way diggin' this thread! Most chickens are waaay overly pampered. I love the minimalist approach