Surviving Minnesota!

[Bogtown Chick]

Gray Stone College my Dad calls it. DH should have taken a job he was offered there. We'd be retiring about now...

 

[Cluckies]

Gray Stone College my Dad calls it. DH should have taken a job he was offered there. We'd be retiring about now...

I may have missed something here? He was offered a job at Belarus?

I would like to retire someday. My retirement plan isn't coming to fruition like I thought it would. Dang lottery. 20 more years of working for me....

 

[Cluckies]

Just saw below, there is a new member of the chichen family, name? Drumstick Diva. Best name ever!

 

[ejb3810]

Ralphie, you made little reference to evidence related to the 96 missing chickens. Was there feathers or carcass parts there? Any type of foot print ? No sign of entry ?
I would first suspect humans if there were that many gone and no evidence of mayhem ?
The camera being bumped to result in no photos is another piece of evidence ?
I think you may need a Rottweiler chained to the coop at night!

Holms, I suspect that you are using Golden M there. Be very careful with that stuff and for sure don't drink the Mountain Dew after you mix it in.

 

[Momof3plustwins]

I am missing 8 birds. I just noticed two nights ago, Minnie our olive egg pullet I hatched from Holms, 2 of my Dom pullets I hatched from Ralphie, 2 mixed cockerels, and 3 hens are gone. BUT all of the Toads who were in a much more open pen are still around. As well as the many hatching eggs under broody hens that went missing all of the baby chicks that did hatch went missing too.

I never find ANY evidence that something has been in my coop. Put up a game camera two nights ago. First night nothing on the camera and I have not checked again this morning yet. WHAT would be coming in and leaving no evidence? I have portable fencing up for the run and the hens are too big to be pulled through that. No blood or feathers. I do not have predator birds flying around either. I am at a loss.

 

[Bogtown Chick]

Graystone college is the big prison that Ralphie indicated next to hwy 10 by St. Cloud.

 

[I Love Layers]

Official count for hay
15 stacks, 3 bales in each stack, usually make over 100
3 bales make usually around 90

So today I get to go clean out and off the stack maker. Plus the chickens love all the "crumbs" that lay on the edges

 

[duluthralphie]

I am missing 8 birds. I just noticed two nights ago, Minnie our olive egg pullet I hatched from Holms, 2 of my Dom pullets I hatched from Ralphie, 2 mixed cockerels, and 3 hens are gone. BUT all of the Toads who were in a much more open pen are still around. As well as the many hatching eggs under broody hens that went missing all of the baby chicks that did hatch went missing too.

I never find ANY evidence that something has been in my coop. Put up a game camera two nights ago. First night nothing on the camera and I have not checked again this morning yet. WHAT would be coming in and leaving no evidence? I have portable fencing up for the run and the hens are too big to be pulled through that. No blood or feathers. I do not have predator birds flying around either. I am at a loss.

I wish i knew.


Does the electric netting seem to work? I have just ordered 2 rolls.

@ejb3810 I have thought about a 2 legged predator, but who would want 96 birds? Some where show birds most were mutts....

I did have a shoulder and arm opening the door on the cam, late at night. We were stumped by it thinking one of us went in the pen, and forgot we had...The dates and time were all screwed up on the csamera...That could be operator error,,, BUT we seldom go into the pens after dark. The lighting was poor so it was just an outline... It would answer a ton of "how did they do it" questions... I am just not sure.. Even with my past career I like to think better of people...They constantly disappoint me.

 

[Momof3plustwins]

I don't have it electrified right now. We did turn it on last summer as the dogs were eating the netting trying to get to the chickens. It kept the dogs from touching it and I was out there when they tried! It was quite the yelp that came out of that dog! But it also taught them to protect the birds and not eat them! Now they don't mess with the netting on the fence or with the birds when they are out free ranging. It keeps the chickens in, the cats can fit through as they take short cuts through the runs, but steer clear of the chickens! The cats are terrified of them! You should see the kittens scramble around if you are holding one and walk into the coop with them! So yes I do believe they are worth the effort. I may just have to electrify it again. I just wish I had some evidence of foul play. There just isn't any yet!

 

[holm25]

Ralphie did you find any dead birds? Are birds still going missing? Maybe putting a little sand in front of the doors when you close things up so you could get some tracks?