South Carolina

[KrisH]

Joy, I'm really sorry about the predators. I've surely been there and it stinks. Coyotes are hungry and getting more and more bold. It's really scary. Thankfully we haven't seen any coyotes or the hawk since our new dogs arrived. At least not in the middle part of the farm where everyone is. We were seeing coyotes during the day getting closer and closer. Wish I were closer to the Farmer's Market. That sounds fun!

Time to get everyone's water going. Brrr....

Not that you want to, but i have an electronic preditor call. i believe that i read it is legal to call cyoties in SC to "hunt" them. i have never actually used it, but if you need it, i will be goung to greenwood on tuesday this comming week. from what i understand you would have to have a hunting license even on your own property.

RobertH

 

[Joycats]

Not that you want to, but i have an electronic preditor call. i believe that i read it is legal to call cyoties in SC to "hunt" them. i have never actually used it, but if you need it, i will be goung to greenwood on tuesday this comming week. from what i understand you would have to have a hunting license even on your own property.

RobertH

Thanks Robert, that is very kind of you to offer. We've had people hunt here for the coyotes without luck. The last guy came with an electronic call, special super duper scope and high powered rifle and he was dressed in a full camo ghillie (sp) suit! NO LUCK, didn't even see a coyote. They tried the call several times but it just doesn't work. I even let them take one of my roos in a cage down into the woods with them to bait the call. Coyotes are very cunning. And I don't think you need any kind of license to hunt on your own property. Not sure if the electronic call is something different though. It doesn't matter to me anymore, I just want them gone. I now understand why sometimes Farmer's have to take matters into their own hands. We know people around here that use leg traps and catch coyotes. I don't know if that is legal or not and I wouldn't ever do that as I would be afraid I'd catch somebody's dog or cat. Plus I think it's cruel. But we're getting to a point where the legal road isn't working for nature. The coyotes are abundant and the wild game is getting scarce and the coyotes are a big nuisance. They cost us Farmer's a LOT of money. I saw Gail today at the Farmer's Market and got to chat about turkeys with her. I can't wait to add a few more as I believe I have the wrong breed for us. I'm pretty sure mine are intended for short lives (meat birds). I'm not sure if we'll be able to hatch from them as they don't breed and reproduce very well on their own. I will see what happens with them. But now I know that I do love turkeys and I'll have some more .... I really like those bourbon reds.

 

[Joycats]

Home from the farmer's market. Sold out of all eggs. Brought home a few goodies. Just had a bacon and TOMATO sandwich and a fresh cucumber for lunch. YUM! They also had homemade lotions and soaps there today. And grains....does anyone here grind their own grains for making bread and such? I need about 12 more hours in each day so I can do what I need to do and then some of what I want to do. So I'm off to feed and water and move some more birds into the new coop. DH put up a temporary fence at the new coop so I can turn them out without having them all scatter (hopefully). It is too cold for me, 24 degrees and everything frost covered this morning. I'd like to place my order for 70 degree days, sunshine and just a slight breeze please.

 

[WestKnollAmy]

WestKnollAmy I was looking at your webpage and I see you don't have a spot for turkeys yet, I know its too early, but should we reserve a spot "comming soon"?

preliminary shipping from porters early April

RobertH

Oh my! April? I thought I had more time!
Yes, they will get a page to themselves.
I need to link my Ameraucana page today. I have it finished and since they are laying I need to get it up.
The turkey page should be a hoot as I snap photos of them growing up and then becoming quite majestic in their plumage.
So many pages to keep up with and still not all the birds I have on the farm.

Jackie and her friend just had a nice visit here and actually didn't go home with any birds though they would have liked to have had meal worms but since I am back ordered already then I could not sell them any. I did show them my set up though, which gave them a kick since there are lots of tubs and there are hatching dates on them. I can't grow the meal worms fast enough for all the folks that have sent in orders. Who knew?

 

[WestKnollAmy]

Yancy, the babies are truly beautiful! Love, love, love the names!!!! I have a list of names but have yet to put any with the new Porcelains. You have picked out some great ones and can remember them. Good for you. I sometimes forget the exact name of one and have to run through a list of them before I remember! Old age is horrid!

 

[WestKnollAmy]

Talk about predators!!!!

I heard the birds start making a ruckus and ran outside to check on them and saw a hawk flying up in the sky. I went down to the barn because no one was out and all the ducks were huddled in their coops. A sure bad sign!
I have a few Brahmas in one of the duck pens and saw one laying in the pen with feathers scattered. The ducks still would not come out. I picked up the Brahma and she was a fresh kill but no blood or wound. I started calling for Jolie but there was no sign of her. I was in a pen near the woods and called and called her and thinking she was sleeping behind the barn I went back over there carrying the dead bird to show her and found another dead pullet on the other side of the barn in another pen.
Both of these had started laying.

So I am now screaming for the &%#@ dog and my DH is up on a ladder fixing one of the M*A*S*H unit roofs that got blown to pieces the other night and he says she is back in the woods. I am carrying both dead birds, calling her and she finally comes out of the woods. I showed her the birds and she hung her head and seemed very contrite.
I was yelling at her because I thought she let the hawk kill both while she was sleeping down in the woods but DH said that maybe she chased the hawk down into the trees there after it killed the chickens. Both birds were inside open top pens where Jolie could not go and could not get close enough to get the hawk but was maybe able to bark and scare it off.
I don't know what happened but I hurt her feelings until Jackie came and she forgot all of my screaming at her. I have no idea if she was there protecting or back in the woods sleeping as DH didn't notice anything except a white blob down in the woods and he wasn't outside until after I was.
I really am going to have to get another dog as Jolie needs help so she can catch up on her naps or be able to sprint after hawks and she isn't a pup anymore.
Have I said how much I hate hawks???

I am glad it wasn't one of my good show ducks that was killed though. I am not very pleased to have lost a Brahma or a EE pullet but would have been seriously screaming, frantic, murderously mad if it had been one of my really good Runners that was killed in that pen.

 

[WestKnollAmy]

I am so sorry to hear this, Susanne. I know it seems things just can't go your way but maybe a bit more patience and things will turn around. With the election in November I hope we will see some great improvements in our economy in 2013.

 

[Moonchild]

Just had to share "The Fighting over The Dog Bed" I like to let the d'Uccles out just for a few moments everyday to run and fight and play, but they do poo to much so time is limited...

These Babies are the Cutest!!! and a mess.....

 

[RedBugPoultry]

Well, life on the farm is hard. I've been moving my birds into a new coop. Hopefully a safer coop. I lost several birds last week to a fox or coyote. I've seen hawk attacks everyday this week. I found one hen dead in the nest box with her side ripped out. I'm pretty sure that was a hawk. And tonight I came home to find a coyote chasing my ducks around the front yard, 5 feet from my front porch! Of course by the time we got into the house to grab the gun and spotlight he was gone. This might be one time I wish I'd had my concealed weapon permit. I saw him coming into the yard just as I pulled up so I drove right into the front yard with the headlights on him. No doubt it was a coyote. Thank goodness I had left the cats inside because it was so cold. And what were my pyr girls doing? Sitting in their run watching without making a sound. At least I didn't hear them bark. And they are on my bad list because they nearly killed a leghorn hen that flew over into their run this morning. She's hanging in there. I don't know if she can pull through this or not. I put her in the brooder house to stay warm and quiet with antibiotics. Hope everybody is doing well, staying warm and "grounded" in all this wind. And if you're having predator problems like me, I hope you have your shotgun handy when you need it.

Also wanted to mention that there is a Farmer's Market Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at Sharon Rose Farm, 1872 Sharon Road, Woodruff. This is where Reidville Rd intersects with Hwy 101 for you local people. There will be about 10 vendors and they always have different things. Usually fresh baked goods, winter greens and Native Meats will have their pasture raised chicken, beef, pork and lamb for sale. I'll be there selling eggs. It's held inside a horse barn so it's not too bad in cold weather. Just wanted to share in case someone is looking for something to do.

Joy, just saw this and I am sorry to hear you are having such a bad time with you birds. I hope you get the culprits before they get anymore birds. This is such a bad time of year with the cold as it get the predators out looking for food.

 

[WestKnollAmy]

Yancy, I love your little dog! She is precious. And so good not to snap at the birds. Roxy thinks they should be dinner, especially when one crows.

And yes! They are horribly messy! Mine seldom get out and never together, only for holding time or TV time but that is now limited since Roxy is not so good with baby birds yet. But just from their cage they are nasty little creatures but Terry won't let me put them down in the barn. I have a hard enough time keeping this house even close to looking liveable, much less having birds that are such messy creatures. I know your very neat house can't stand too much in the way of house birds. Maybe just one at a time out of the cage time?