South Carolina

We are in the country and so farm are biggest issue is dogs....everyone things since they live out in open area they can leave them loose. We have a pack of three that keeps appearing. DH has scarred them off with a gunshots. He has taken out a few possum. I really believe they were in the coop for the warmth. On two occasions found baby possum in the nests at night....all eggs had been already layed and removed from the nest. The one large one was actually sitting under the roost in the corner doing nothing. Unfortunately they had to go....did not want them to come back for a meal.
 
So
what kind of predators do you guys have to deal with living in an SC city?
far I'm not in city Limits but I am in a naghborhood and my only trouble has been my neighbors dogs and one possum that was quickly dispatched. My wife won't let me shoot the dogs but I do keep a paint ball gun in the shed. I think the dogs have learned to stay away, and I keep a large stick by the run waiting for the next possum. But the biggest thing that protects my chickens is I have a rather large run that I put them in at night or if I'm going to be gone for a while the fencing goes under ground as much as a foot in some spots and fencing stretched over the top as well I have never lost a chicken out of it.
 
We always have to be on the alert for predators. I have to supervise mine when they free range anymore. Hawks attacked one of my breeding pair, on Thanksgiving day. Scared the crap out of those two. Now they won't free range unless they can see me out there with them.
The rest of them were not attacked, but they know to keep their eyes open for hawks and dogs. The big flock (of 10) has 2 roosters for alerting etc....and the 7 hens can go about their business of digging and scratching, dust bathing, and laying eggs. They know the roosters will alert them to any danger.


Oh, DH does dog alert on weekends and weeknights with his hunting rifles. We have dogs, fox, possum, raccoon.
 
Thanks! my backyard is fenced in, and so is all of my neighbors.... but i still have a fenced in area for the run but my chicks aren't big enough to be let out of the coop yet.
One of my neighbors who keeps his chickens in the front yard says he has only lost one chicken, and it was from one of his friend's dogs... i'm hoping it will be safe to leave my chickens out in the run while i'm at work once they get big enough.
 
Ahhh...a run is a good thing! We have ours in their big run, but it is also covered with bird netting. We can see where hawks have tried twice to dive after them....only to end up hitting the bird netting and making a hawk sized hole in it. My 2 breeding pairs have to live in their respective chicken tractors. And I don't dare leave anyone out free ranging and myself head to town. I would have none left by the time I got home!
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I just got a brinsea eco 20 incubator that I'm kinda confused about. I would like to practice with it, so I thought I would throw it out there if anyone in the upstate is looking to expand there flock from there own eggs I would be willing to try to incubate them. Then give back to you what hatched at a few days old. I can't Guaranty hatch rate or that I have any clue on how to incubate. And I don't need any more chicks then I already have this spring I'm just trying to learn before I start trying to hatch next year. PM me if you are Intrested in this.
 

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