Silence Is Not Golden Here

[Kiki]

My mother caught a fox in a live trap at her place, but it has only ever gone after the cat food on the porch and the eggs that get laid when the girls are free ranging: I think her fox is lazy. The raccoons and possums go in after the chickens any chance they get, so those are trapped and dispatched.

I’m not going to lie: There are many times when I wish some mystery predator would get (only) my polish rooster, yet he always prevails... We found a large feather from some bird of prey in our yard the other day: maybe it could be selective if I painted a big red X on Jeraldo, lol...

I know! I know! That’s really not nice of me, but he is so very useless. Other people may love him, but I just don’t. I’ve tried.

With my luck, it would be my favorite best broody mama leghorn that would get snatched... so instead we remain vigilent.

The favorites alway go first...right?

 

[Cyprus]

The favorites alway go first...right?

Right.
We are looking at effective live traps now.

My friend didn't seem to care that her chicken died meanwhile I'm devastated.

 

[Cyprus]

Also irritating is that took one of our 6 active layers. It had 12 non layers to choose from!!!!!

 

[Conan]

Also irritating is that took one of our 6 active layers. It had 12 non layers to choose from!!!!!

They always take the favorites and the layers. Meanwhile, useless (albeit pretty) roosters manage to live full long lives. Just posted on the Balut thread regarding the coyote attack this morning on my old cat, but I will mention again here. I'm feeling Cy on this one. I see a coyote going forward, it dies.
On a positive note, my EE just started laying. In the woods. Found a little nest with three blue eggs behind the wood pile. My chickens are crazy.

 

[Kiki]

They always take the favorites and the layers. Meanwhile, useless (albeit pretty) roosters manage to live full long lives. Just posted on the Balut thread regarding the coyote attack this morning on my old cat, but I will mention again here. I'm feeling Cy on this one. I see a coyote going forward, it dies.
On a positive note, my EE just started laying. In the woods. Found a little nest with three blue eggs behind the wood pile. My chickens are crazy.

Candle them now!

 

[jwyles]

The mighty mealworm . I am swarmed by birds every day when I get home from work - they know what time it is. Emerging like reanimated corpses from beneath the deck. I'll need to get a video of it sometime. It's a little creepy. I also can't help but kinda enjoy the tiny bird on tiny bird violence that occurs occasionally over the mealies. Tiny ducks noodling and jumping on tiny chickens. Tiny chickens puffing up and bawking indignantly over such poor manners... good times.

Tiny bird on tiny bird violence.

 

[jwyles]

My mother caught a fox in a live trap at her place, but it has only ever gone after the cat food on the porch and the eggs that get laid when the girls are free ranging: I think her fox is lazy. The raccoons and possums go in after the chickens any chance they get, so those are trapped and dispatched.

I’m not going to lie: There are many times when I wish some mystery predator would get (only) my polish rooster, yet he always prevails... We found a large feather from some bird of prey in our yard the other day: maybe it could be selective if I painted a big red X on Jeraldo, lol...

I know! I know! That’s really not nice of me, but he is so very useless. Other people may love him, but I just don’t. I’ve tried.

With my luck, it would be my favorite best broody mama leghorn that would get snatched... so instead we remain vigilent.

No judgement from me. I'm tempted to borrow someone's fox in hopes that it would rid me of my awful egg eating Marans.

 

[adrikeen]

@Cyprus
I am so sorry about your hen. It unfortunately happens to all of us and it's never easy to see/accept/get over. Something (I assume a fox or coyote) got my beloved roo a few weeks ago and I still find myself outside looking into the marsh and woods hoping he'll just come wandering back into the yard - even though reality is he's gone. Again...

 

[RUNuts]

Do you have a separate coop? Put them in time out for a couple of weeks.

The puppies are using my freshly planted, beautifully growing bananas as teething rings. So, we just fenced them off. 1 week left, then they go to another foster place. Since we had all the rains, they are too delicate to get their hineys' wet, so they have been relieving themselves on the concrete - where I walk.

Doing the right thing is so hard.

It is a lovely morning. Hot, humid, threatening rain. More rain. We have lovely mud everywhere right now. The fence and clean up job has prevented me from integrating the chicks. Or free ranging the chickens. The mulch around what used to be bananas was full of pill bugs and termites. The chickens could have helped me pull the mulch back. But they always scatter it in the other directions from where I want it piled. Need more mulch. And here is the rain.

 

[Zinjifrah]

If you're going to build a birdfeeder... don't blame the birds for eating from it.