Sdwd

[halo]

Serrin, that doesnt sound like a bird of prey. Id be keeping your eyes out for a fox or a coyotes. Sorry for everyones losses. Its so tough giving them a great outdoor free range life without danger always lurking.

 

[NellaBean]

Yes, I agree that it doesn't sound like a bird of prey attack to me either. I had a bunch of hawk attacks last year......the hawks hit the chicken at high speed, causing the feather POOF. That should be it. They will eat right there if they can't carry it off.

Seeing a trail of feathers leading to the woods is more likely a dog/fox/coyote type of attack.

 

[Serrin]

Scott, I've heard that brewers yeast added to moist food helps to keep most creepy crawlies at bay. You can get it at nearly any health food store. Ask for active brewers yeast in the powdered form.

Halo, while we do have fox and coyote both in our area, I'm highly doubtful this is the case for the following reasons:
1) Our dog Jasper! He's awesome at keeping four legged predators away, especially during daylight hours.
2) Jasper's reaction to the scene of the crime did not indicate a predator of mammalian origins. Meaning, he reacts differently to the scent of each type of predator we have out here. Be it dog, coon, fox, or coyote, his body posture and reaction is different for each. Jasper did not indicate that the attack came from any of those vectors.
3) The trail of feathers leading off from the sight of attack went straight as an arrow, up over a large pile of pine branches, and over several large rocks [each about the size of a VW Bug] before the trail petered out. No coyote, dog, coon or fox would waste the time and energy, with a 6 pound hen in their jaws, to go over those obstacles. Nope, everything at the scene of the crime, coupled with Jasper's reaction, points to a large bird of prey.

When we tally up all of the number of times that we've lost a bird to predators, wild or domestic, and pit that against the number of trouble free days that we've allowed them to free range, the frequency of attacks is relatively very low. Of course, my knee jerk reaction is to confine them to their fenced in yard and try to wrap them in wool batting. They're miserable for the duration. Eventually, I come to my senses and return to my long practice of allowing them to be chickens. To be sure, they'll spend a few more days yet in confinement, in the hopes that the perpetrator will return to the scene of the crime and we can dispatch them forthwith.....

We're all going to face death someday. If our lives have been lived to the fullest each and every day, then it is not a life lived in vain, regardless of how long or short it may be. I'm pretty sure my chickens would agree with me.

 

[Cetawin]

Scott....TSC has a product and I cannoit remember the name but it something wiht a commanding sound to it....look for the large weight dog version it runs under $20 for 3 months...I used that stuf on Casca (I will try to find the package) and the tick bite him, die and shrivel up. It is great and easily half the price of frontline plus the number that actually get on him are few now using it.


Amy, my birds spent today in the coop, unhappily and they will soend the weekend in there as well. Hubby is going to go in the am and buy me two box fans to put in there until the guy comes to wire the coop and the AC is installed, plus I will only free range them now if I am outside with my rifle the entire time. Hell will freeze over before something snatches one right next to my porch or in my yrd again if I can help it. I cannot get the sight of her remains out of mind or even my dreams yet....thank all that is holy that I found her and only Sarah and I saw her....Cheyenne could not have handled it.

Oh and BTW I HAVE Speckledhen I HAVE Speckledhen neener neener she is asleep upstairs. I called her husband earlier and said "I have your wife and I am keeping her...I waant 2 million dollars in small unmarked bills and the Suede, yes Suede and oh Isaac too, brought to the specified location and NO cops"

Tom cracked up.


Pray for her and I...tomorrow we attempt cutting the spurs off DeDe the Sumo Kung fu Chicken.

 

[kathyinmo]

TWO MILLION DOLLARS????

That is a lot of money! Have you got it yet?

 

[Serrin]

I have proof! [of a sort] Proof that it was indeed a hawk that got Ginger! Just like I figured would happen, that blankety blank hawk was back again yesterday!

I didn't get a chance to see it, but Denny, who was cleaning up pine cones and needles yesterday, DID! He proceeded to tell me a most interesting tale:

While Denny was doing yard clean up, he happened to be on the side of the house that looks out over what we call "The Meadow". He caught a flash of movement, at the edge of said meadow, just in time to watch a large bird of prey come crashing down to the ground with a small white domestic duck in its talons. The impact dislodged the duck, who was still alive. Denny said that the duck wasted no time or opportunity to get the heck of Dodge in a hurry!

This sudden burst upward by the duck distracted Denny just long enough that he lost sight of the hawk. [bad Denny! Bad! Bad Denny!

] Even though he spent another hour and a half watching the skies and the trees constantly for the return of the bird of prey, it never did. Though I'm betting he/she probably will return within the next few days. When they find the pickings fairly easy, they tend to hang around until something or someone convinces them that it's in their best interest to move on.

And where was I during all of this drama? Why, stuck inside of the house, making repairs to the bathroom floor tiles, of course! Repairs, I might add, that I wouldn't have to be doing if that dang DGD of mine would learn to dry herself off before she stepped out of the shower!!

I missed everything!!

The one saving grace? It sounds and appears to me that my little aerial attacker is young and largely inexperienced. That just might work to my advantage, if that is indeed the case.

LH, I sure hope you get your predator ASAP! It sucks knowing that there is a creature out there, who has designs on our little feathered friends!

 

[kathyinmo]

I really need to make plans. How many, which breeds, etc..... Any volunteers to help? Nella, the Queen of Downsizing, scares me. I might end up with rabbits if I listen to her.

 

[rancher hicks]

Quote:
I hear that. I've got every color of orp except a few and have to decide which to keep. The whites I have are huge compared to the blacks. The lavs ok. and the buffs too. Jody reallly does have the best.

I won't give up on Dels. Even though this post is supposed to be about them, we know it's not so much.

I've got these silkies but am reluctant to part with them since they're special. Came from Chapel Farms. Have you seen her birds?

Now of course the BR's and how am I going to part with any even the roos. Not to mention the money spent to build their own coop.

I can't find anyone who has Rosecomb bantam brown leghorns and I have no idea why. Are they really that rare? Eggs in the bator to hopefully get a few more hens.

Really I'm just waiting for the new girls to grow and lay and then the oldies can go to the auction.

And of course gotta have the EE's. Just cuz. I like my mixed flock. I just don't want to relegate some breeds to that flock cuz I just keep two or three. The rhodies can go there.

But the others I need a roo for. Del, Orps, (one of each colore) BR's , Lav Amer for more EE's, so that's just 7 roos not counting the Brn lghn and silky . Is that to many? Ok so 9.

Any suggestions. Other than buying my self my own U.S. state.

 

[Cetawin]

Well Cyn and I had a nice day albeit not very interesting. It was so hot, I could not leave hte birds locked up so, I let them out and Cyn and I sat on the front porch with coffees and me with the rifle. The chickens were able to enjoy themselves while we watched like two hawks for anything to move. As we sat talking, my having already determined that the predator I am dealing with is a coyote, decided that it was quite likely a female with a den nearby. As everything but Hera's one thigh and both feet and wings were gone....the body was taken to pups.

So, as the day progressed and my uneasiness increased, I went inside and asked the guys to take my rifle across the street and down in the draw where to woodline is and search...when they asked what for I said a Coyote and/or her den. They were back a short while later...they followed the same tracks I did to find Hera but they continued on and just caught Ms. Coyote going into her rock den. They blocked off all the entrances to it they could find, except the one she went in and came back. So....as their beliefs will not allow them to kill the family of coyotes, it is falling to me to do so.

My position is simple....mama has set up her den near where she feels there is a 40 feeding buffet close by....my chickens and the Goblin Gnome's 30 or so. She killed my Hera, in the confines of my yard, broad daylight and right near my front porch so now she is dangerous to my birds, my little dog, my cat and possible Cheyenne or I....not to mention the Diva horse could be injured if she took out after her. So...one solution....Mama yote must die. Now, my heart and sense of fairness to animals, will not allow me to sit back and allow the pups to starve to death so, I must dispatch them as well. Now the question becomes...how? So, the plan is now...hunt mama and shoot her then make sure all entrances to the den are closed off, mix a nasty concoction of bleach and ammonia, put an open container of it inside the den and seal it up....gas the young ones. I am not crawling into a yote's den not knowing what else may be in there aside from youngsters. Not happening. I will try to find a rehabber who might want to rescue the little ones but it is doubtful as we are overrun with yotes in Kentucky. But either way, they are 4 - 8 future problems for me and must be eliminated now. So...sad but fact.

On a funny note...my Delaware, Fattie has acquired a nasty habit of laying her egg in my proch swing every day. Well today Cyn and I were sitting on the swing. So she was very leary of Cyn at first and then she hopped up into the swing in my lap and got the pats and rubs she wanted. Cyn reached over to pet her and she decided that Cyn was good people too so she got up and walked over to Cyn and climbed up in her lap for loves and pats. I warned Cyn that if she stopped before Fattie was ready or if she was not patting and rubbing enough, Fattie would bite. Sure enough she nipped Cyn a couple of times and then she was restless to get down because her and Cyn had gotten hot sitting there. So, Fattie proceeds to sit in the swing seat I had vacated and promptly laid her egg after having made the swing comfy enough. Then she hopped down and went about her business.

The Sumo Kung Fu chicken got loves and rubs too and got her nails and spurs trimmed. That girl had respectable spurs on her.

So, Cyn is sleeping, my birds are safe and I am faced with a distasteful job ahead...but one that must be carried out.

Oh and Sarah's Black Orpington roo that she bred...won best of variety in the show today. So to some who thinks she has no clue what she is doing all I can say is BITE ME!

 

[kathyinmo]

YAY for Sarah! That is great news!

Get those coyotes, Ladyhawk! They have to go!