Texas

[jockeyeba]

I am sad to say I lost all my black coppers. I had a friend hatch some blue coppers, and got 3. Then a broody killed two of the 3. So all I have left is a blue copper roo, albeit a gorgeous one, but none the less has been sold as he doesn't fit in my program. I have a cuckoo Maran chick in my brooder. Hoping its a pullet. I'm not sure I'm meant to raise Marans. I also lost one of my EEs yesterday. Some time between 12-5pm she disappeared. Not a feather or struggle or anything to indicate she was taken by a predator. Just....poof....gone. I'm really upset over it. She was gorgeous. Gold wheaten ish with a gorgeous blue hue to her feathers.

I'm sorry! The Cuckoo Marans pullets are darker than the roos. It sounds like a coyote or a coydog that grabbed your EE. We have had a coydog run through here in the middle of the day...and I saw a coyote a few months ago stalking some sheep in the middle of the afternoon. We need spike collars for our chickens!!

One of our young AG stags is missing, saw feathers in the horse pen, we've had a hawk hanging around the last few days

 

[jockeyeba]

So you double up the wire?
This will be my chicken coop.  I am putting that inside a larger run area that will be fully enclose (all sides and top) with chicken wire.  Should I look at getting something like this too?

How much you prepare for predators depends on your local predators. In my case the young chicks who got out of the chicken run were killed by our own family doggies (schnauzer/poodle mix = schnoodles). So we had to reinforce the run to keep the chicks IN, as the run was already enough to keep the dogs OUT. We built the inital run with 16' long by 5' high Tractor Supply Horse panels. It has 2"x4" gaps. Not enough for a full size chicken to pass through, but we found out the chicks pop through like it isn't even there.
www.tractorsupply.com/en/store/horse-fence-panel-5-ft-x-16-ft

We added something similar to this but in plastic (cheaper). This would keep the chicks secure inside (excepting for gaps under or around the ends of the wire).
www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=Welded%20Wire%201%22x1%2F2%22

I came home today and was very surprised to see about 8 of my full size birds had either flown over the run fence or wriggled through the gap I must have left at the gate. I'd let the dogs out and heard chicken commotion and went to see what was going on. The chickens were nervous with my dogs running loose, but the dogs hardly seemed interested in the full size chickens. I think my dogs are primarily interested in the chicks which are the same size as their doggie squeeky chew toys. Don't those little chick cheeps sound just like a chew toy squeek?!

I tend to overbuild in general (such as using horse panels for a chicken run), but if you'll have small day/week old chicks running about I'd recommend 1/2"x1/2" mesh or no larger than 1/2" x 1" hardware cloth to keep the chicks where you want them until they're too big to fit through any larger gaps. For me, it seemed about 4 weeks of age before they couldn't fit through the 2"x4" holes in the panels.

We have 6' welded wire fencing for our runs & still have to have netting over the top to keep Bantams in of course that won't keep chicks in, have run netting or chicken wire along the bottom half of the fence.

 

[jockeyeba]

Chickens sound a lot like my seahorses.  They could get themselves into almost any space.  It was not unusual to find one in the sump or some other strange place.  Since I have raccoons and opossums, hawks, snakes and cats running around here (and who knows what else visits the big wooded park across the street), I will over build.  I've never seen anything but the cats in my yard, but who knows what is out there at night.  I think the fact that I have a dog keeps a lot away even though she is in the house.



I have to share these.  They are just too cute!  And they are made with my favourite candy - Reese's PB Cups!  Oreos aren't too bad either.   

We have 2 housedogs but my husband takes them out late every night, it doesn't keep the critters from coming around Love the oreo turkeys

 

[TexasLisa]

Good Morning Fellow Texans!!

A nice morning out. I am reading 60 degrees.

Ms. JellyBean, I would have thought your favorite candy was....drumroll please.....jellybeans!!!

Have a great day!

Lisa

 

[hungnguyen]

Morning everyone.Enjoy another warm day. Got to go to work early today !!!

 

[Heidisgran]

Quote: I find the raccoons will work on it until they get it done so there really isn't an overdo on predator protection....

 

[NickyPick]

I would say the cities laws trump the HOA.

Nope. HOA is the final word for a subdivision.

 

[Ms Jellybean]

Good Morning Fellow Texans!!

A nice morning out. I am reading 60 degrees.

Ms. JellyBean, I would have thought your favorite candy was....drumroll please.....jellybeans!!!

Have a great day!

Lisa

I do like Jelly Belly jelly beans but not my favourite. The little girl I babysit (8yrs old) calls me Ms. Jellybean and I call her Snickerdoodle. Not sure how that came to be but it is fun. Love those kids (she has a twin brother).

It's 47* here right now. Waiting for the temp to raise a bit more so I can get out and cycle. I love to ride, don't like the cold though. Riding always trumps the cold unless it is below 35* though. I just don't have that winter riding mindset yet though. HIgh today is 79*. Rain tomorrow and then a cold front hits. Not sure what the weekend will be. The forecast is changing a lot right now.

 

[jajeanpierre]

Chickens sound a lot like my seahorses. They could get themselves into almost any space. It was not unusual to find one in the sump or some other strange place. Since I have raccoons and opossums, hawks, snakes and cats running around here (and who knows what else visits the big wooded park across the street), I will over build. I've never seen anything but the cats in my yard, but who knows what is out there at night. I think the fact that I have a dog keeps a lot away even though she is in the house.



I have to share these. They are just too cute! And they are made with my favourite candy - Reese's PB Cups! Oreos aren't too bad either.

Lots of the predators you mentioned will not likely be a threat to a full sized chicken.

Opossums generally take eggs and chicks, leaving adult birds alone. Ditto with snakes, rats and cats. I'm not sure about skunks. You can discourage hawks from going after your chickens by simply setting up blocks for the bird to fly in and to fly out. Light plastic deer netting strung over the yard will work. They generally won't put themselves in a position where they can't easily escape; however, starving and juvenile birds of prey sometimes are desperate and make stupid decisions. As someone mentioned, a concrete box is the only guarantee of safety, but by making it difficult, the predators will look for food somewhere safer or that takes less of their energy, a scarce resource for them. Locking your birds up securely at night will prevent a lot of predation. Raccoons are notorious for pulling your birds through very small wire, piece by piece. I have wire on my parrot aviaries that is half inch by three inches. I've been assured by a zoological/avian vet and the San Antonio zoo, that raccoons can't get their hands through that. If they can get their hands through, they can grab a bird. I suspect the biggest predation problems happen during the night.

I believe you mentioned that you live in a suburban environment, which suggests you are less likely to run into foxes and possibly coyotes. Stray and unleashed dogs are likely to be your biggest risk of predation.

 

[jajeanpierre]

One of our young AG stags is missing, saw feathers in the horse pen, we've had a hawk hanging around the last few days

A hawk will leave the bones and the trachea. There is no mistaking a hawk kill. They'll pick the bones clean. This is a falcon kill.