Texas

[MamaDucken]

What's the app called?

it's called hatchabatch

 

[MultipleAnimals]

it's called hatchabatch

I have a great pyrenees. No cougars bobcats or coons here. Just coyote and foxes and snakes.
And the app is called.... hatch a batch

Thank Y'all. I was wondering about the app of course, but I was also wondering about protection, 'cause we do have Bobcats, Cougars, 'Coons, and Foxes. But do certain dogs keep them away, or will any type do? 'Cause I have a Boxer-Dalmation-Something Mix Breed Dog, Will He Do?

 

[RoosterCogburn7]

As far as protection I build my coops out of wood and hardware cloth. As far as four footed predators I like my 10mm they don't come back from that. As far as snake a .44 magnum with snake shot.

 

[newchickjess]

Good morning from East Texas! I had to take a little hiatus to catch up on school and work on our "Ugly Coop." So far, all 8 of my girls are doing well and loving the warm weather!

 

[bnjrob]

What does anyone do as protection against Bobcats, Cougars, 'Coons, Foxes?

You can't just rely on one method of protection because eventually something is going to find a weakness to exploit, and the weakness may not be present all the time. It takes just the right combination of circumstances to allow a predator to get in, no matter how many protection methods you use.

Our breeder birds and all birds growing up until breeders are chosen, are kept penned at all times unless we are outside with them, actively watching them, and armed.

Our pens are made so that we use welded wire doubled up with either chicken wire or hardware cloth, depending on which type of pen it is, and which type/age of bird is in the pen. The welded wire gives the most protection from larger predators outside the pen, while the chicken wire and hardware cloth keep chicken body parts inside the pen. Hardware cloth, done correctly, can also keep out the smaller predators like raccoons.

Our pens have an area that is solid walls for roosting. Some of them have actual 4 walled coops that can be closed up, others are open air, but they have 3 solid walls that they can get into for protection from grabbing paws if the paws happen to fit through the wire. This roost area also has a floor of either plywood or hardware cloth to offer protection to that area from digging and our largest pens have the roost area elevated off the ground. Our wire setup has been able to withstand attacks and we've found wire bent and bite marks in plywood, but we've never had a bird injured or killed by a predator getting through the wire.


All of our pens are mobile, so we do NOT have protection underneath from digging in the run portion of the pens. We've only lost one bird from a digging coyote, and that bird failed to go to the loft roost at night and was roosting on the ground right next to the wall of the run, away from the roost area. The coyote dug underneath and snagged it easily. After that, the birds in that pen learned to go to the roost apartment at night and we have not had any more digging episodes because the birds are not such easy targets when they are in the roost apartment.

Some of our pens are surrounded by electrified fence netting as well.

We also have donkeys which have been known to protect against big cats not just coyotes. Coyotes are our most prevalent predator and they do exploit a weakness in the system because we have birds scattered throughout our pasture, and the donkeys do not stay in one spot. The coyotes stayed away for a long while after we first got donkeys, but they have no figured out how to watch the donkeys, and silently sneak into the pasture on the side AWAY from where the donkeys are at.

Currently we are in the process of replacing all of our property line fencing with field fencing, so any large predator will have to climb/jump the fence in order to get into our pasture. It has already worked, as this past week a coyote tried to attack our guineas that were in our neighbor's pasture. We had already gotten the new fencing up on that portion of the property line, and the guineas were able to run back through the fence while the coyote was left standing there looking stupid because it couldn't follow them through the fence.

We do have a free range guinea flock, and free range chicken flock of non-breeder birds. The guineas are our sacrificial birds, as they roam much farther than the free range chickens, and are likely to be the first attacked. We want the guineas for their specific attributes, but they are not as important to us as our breeding stock of chickens and turkeys, so we'd rather lose the guineas to a predator than one of our breeder birds.

It's a lot of work and can be a lot of money, to provide a multi faceted defense for your birds. You'll have to do what you feel safe with and can afford. But one thing you can count on is that no matter how much you do to protect your birds, determined predators will look for a weakness until they find it, and no matter how hard you try, you can still lose birds. You have to take the precautions that you feel you can live with and when you still lose some, know that you did what you could to protect your birds.

 

[jtn42248]

What does anyone do as protection against Bobcats, Cougars, 'Coons, Foxes?

Pretty much the only thing you can do is predator proof as much as you can. Don't let/leave your birds out past sunset or before sunrise and even then there is a chance of a straggler with an appetite. If you don't have one get a gun and don't be afraid to use it. The whole catch and release thing is very well intentioned but only invites them back to try again. Once they know there is food to be had they will return again and again. Bobcats, Raccoons and Foxes along with Skunks, Opossums and Porcupines can all be cleanly dispatched with a shotgun. A Cougar is going to require something larger and probably you will want to notify your local wildlife authority and let them deal with it. We have all of the above and recently have had several Mexican Black Bears sighted and one hit on the highway near our house. So, along with the strange weather we have had in West Texas we have the wildlife that results from it. Good luck.

 

[MamaDucken]

Woke up this morning to a little duck trying to break through and another that has a small pip!!

 

[Kiki]

HOW EXCITING!!!!

I can't wait to see the new born baby duck pictures!

Congrats!


My only two pics from today.

They don't keep still!

 

[MamaDucken]

HOW EXCITING!!!! I can't wait to see the new born baby duck pictures! Congrats! My only two pics from today. They don't keep still!

Thank you!! I keep telling him to come see the world haha!! I have two the have pipped. I'm excited to say the least lol. Your birds are ADORABLE!!

 

[MamaDucken]

And we have a BABY!! Hes decided to snuggle up to the two that have pipped a little.

When would be a good time to take him out?? I know he needs to dry out, but i dont want him to be the only one in rhe brooder.