Swedish Flower Hen Thread

[HaplessRunner]

I have used electric netting since June of last year. Additionally, I use the Nite Guard solar-powered LED flashers at night. I have not lost a chicken since they were installed. The netting allows me to adjust the forage area for my chickens and also separates breeding stock. While there are many hawks in this area, I have yet to lose a chicken to a hawk. I do have areas, an orchard, some bushes, and under coop areas for the chickens to seek shelter. While I have observed hawks close by eyeing the chickens, so far they have not tried their luck in grabbing one. I do provide some extra protection for the young birds since they would be easier for a hawk to pluck. This year, I now have some roosters that help guard the flocks.

The predators that are in my area include lots and lots of foxes, some coyotes, opossums, skunks, rarely a raccoon, and lots of hawks. Bears have also been sited in the area on occasion. My house and farm are on top of a hill that used to be a hay field. I can view the gaps to Harpers Ferry, WV and to Point of Rocks, MD from here. The only trees near the house are the orchard that we planted, other landscape trees, and a wind break/snow break row of trees that we planted. We are not near a stream (although I would love to be) and do not have a pond.

I strongly recommend the electric netting and the Nite guard solar powered LEDs. They work well for me. I also lock my chickens up at night which does not hurt either.

 

[ki4got]

well, I spoke too soon... caught another coon last night. big and mean. keeps challenging the dog. hubby said he'd take care of it this morning but it's still there, so i'll have to wait for him to get home to take it down to the creek... or else i'll take it down with the tractor later, but for now i'm going to finish unpacking the trailer and go take a nap LOL

 

[SunnySkies]

I surrounded several coops with an electric fence, but I don't think of it as the solution, kwim, because if the power goes out...if it shorts out...if they figure out how to get under it...they are in. The dogs are to be my main deterrent, as well as locking up coops every night, with the electric fencing as backup while the dogs grow up.

ki4got, hope it didn't escape your trap while waiting! That happened to me with the first one I trapped...I went off to bed, and it apparently engineered a way out of the trap.

A funny story...I feed the dogs alongside the chickens every morning as part of their training. Their food bowls sit next to the feeder, and I feed them first so they don't play with the hens while the hens eat (huge no-no) or try to steal chicken feed. Well, my SFH pullets fly from the day pen every morning. They have discovered the dogs' food is delicious. They have decided the dogs are no big deal, and I often see them scratching in the gravel next to the pickup while the dogs are sleeping under it during the day. This morning, the male pup turned his back to eat from his sister's dish, and they dove right in. You could see them thinking, wait, wait, wait...NOW! He turned back around when his sister laid into him and was startled to see them face first in his food. I did let him get on them about that. The dog food is too expensive to be chicken feed...although it will give them some lovely feathers...the SFH are the only ones to not really care about the dogs. My laying flock is still panicky when the dogs race by in their games.

 

[Leahs Mom]

I use the netting. Mainly in case stray neighborhood dogs get running around. So far so good.

The hope with the netting is that they encounter it face first (wet nose, not fur) and it shocks them and gives them the "fear of god" about the net. Of course, if they come in and don't hit it with a non-fur covered area, it wouldn't make much of an impression.

 

[Leahs Mom]

I always wonder about chickens getting used to dogs (the lgds or your regular dog) and then not being afraid of dogs in general as they should be. I have heard folks talk about how they have dogs that can 'guard" and interact w/their chickens but aren't outside all the time. Some of them have observed a coyote walk right in and take a chicken with no fear or reaction from the flock.

Makes me think that if you used a dog to guard you better be sure it's out there all the time.

 

[RedRidge]

I always wonder about chickens getting used to dogs (the lgds or your regular dog) and then not being afraid of dogs in general as they should be.  I have heard folks talk about how they have dogs that can 'guard" and interact w/their chickens but aren't outside all the time.  Some of them have observed a coyote walk right in and take a chicken with no fear or reaction from the flock.

Makes me think that if you used a dog to guard you better be sure it's out there all the time.

Actually, chickens are very discerning. They will sleep with my older maremma. But they know the difference between her and a youngster... They part like the Red Sea for the youngster who they don't totally trust yet but don't even move as the older gal walks right through them.

 

[SunnySkies]

Mine have learned to recognize the dogs that should be here, even though they don't care for the pups much yet. But we had a visitor dog come up the other day -- and was far, far too interested in the chickens for my taste -- and the chickens all screamed bloody murder. Luckily I was outside and grabbed the dog before it could do anything, and my dogs distracted it enough to let me get in there. My chickens also don't react to the next door neighbor dogs, who roam over here, to my frustration, but those dogs don't bother the birds one bit.

 

[PugBug]

I discovered this morning that I've lost my first birds to predators! But not predators I was expecting like coons, bobcats etc- 3 of my SFH chicks that I finished hatching in the bator after the hen abandoned the nest were dead, 2 had just a big hole chewed in them, the other was almost nothing left but bones & feathers! The rat dragged them up on top of the roosting cabin, that's where I found them. I was so disgusted! After cleaning up the mess I took the 1 remaining SFH chick & the 7 Lemon Cuckoo Orp chicks and locked them inside the roosting cabin where rats can't get in. DH wants to put out rat poison in the woods behind the fence since that's where they are coming in from, but I'm afraid if they die inside our property some of the other birds will eat them & get sick or die. Anyone have ideas on getting rid of rats?

 

[RedRidge]

[COLOR=800080]I discovered this morning that I've lost my first birds to predators! But not predators I was expecting like coons, bobcats etc- 3 of my SFH chicks that I finished hatching in the bator after the hen abandoned the nest were dead, 2 had just a big hole chewed in them, the other was almost nothing left but bones & feathers! The rat dragged them up on top of the roosting cabin, that's where I found them. I was so disgusted! After cleaning up the mess I took the 1 remaining SFH chick & the 7 Lemon Cuckoo Orp chicks and locked them inside the roosting cabin where rats can't get in. DH wants to put out rat poison in the woods behind the fence since that's where they are coming in from, but I'm afraid if they die inside our property some of the other birds will eat them & get sick or die. Anyone have ideas on getting rid of rats?[/COLOR]

Could it be minks?

 

[mtadkins5]

I am looking for light color SFH in Tenn.. I would even take a roo I would like some non crested ones as well. Mine are about 3 months so I would like the new ones to be as close as to that as I can get. I tried eggs but felled at that so I want only chicks.