So today I had my first predator episode. It was discouraging.
I had... 7 ducklings, and 3 chicks. (Both sets roughly 8 weeks).
The most discouraging part about this is how do I keep them alive if I had my first predator already, and they haven't even been outside for a full month yet? This is the part that bothers me. Its only been less than 2 weeks since putting them outside. I had let them out extra early that day at about 6:30 AM.
The upside is that it was the rooster chic that got taken. I was going to have to get rid of him anyway because of zoning issues. But the part that is a problem is that I don't like that I had a loss. Plus, if anyone's eating their meat it should be me! Not some little furry thief or hawk.
I didn't see the predator take it. But 2 days before I saw a hawk (person of interest #1, in this case) sitting above the pen. And the morning of the 'incident', I'd seen a black cat (person of interest #2) in our yard also that didn't belong there, that isn't ours. So it was likely one of those two. I just came back from a nap and found out I was missing that rooster. Plus, the two remaining chicks with it, were very skiddish the rest of the day but on other days had been more outgoing; they wouldn't leave the hen house the rest of the day. (Maybe they saw it?)
No sign of blood, or 'evidence' on scene. But I looked around for the missing little guy, and there's no trace anywhere. This makes me think it was the hawk. The fences are secure also.
Was my letting them out of the pen into the yard so early in the AM a mistake?
How much would it discourage this from happening again, if I only let them out of their pen after 11 AM? (Someone on another thread said something about this.) Does this mean most people only let fowl out later in the day? And does that also mean that keeping them out of the pen after a certain time near sunset is also begging for trouble also?)
I'm so curious about what is the optimum safety for times of the day that are safe for backyard foraging? What do you think about this?
And how does the risk comparison of predators compare between ducks and chickens?
I'll be honest that I really like ducks more. Its so easy and fun to work with them. I like how they are excited to see me in the morning and will follow me around all over the place. Their quirky personalities are fun also. So it hurt a bit less that it was the rooster that got taken that I was going to have to get rid of anyway in 2 months. But I think I can't just let this happen, even if I'm not as interested in the chickens as the ducks. It would have bothered me more if it was one of the ducks. But I can't just take the loss.
If you were to put numbers on it, how much more risk is there for chickens over ducks for predators? Are ducks better at resisting predators?
Are certain brands of ducks more at risk? (Peking is white; no camouflage. But its also bigger right, which is good for fighting back? But Khaki's are perfect camouflage colors.)
I don't have a huge budget for this. So I'll have to tackle it with brain power as much as I can to solve it.
Another problem also is,...if society continues to degenerate then it will be harder and more predators including 2 legged kinds...so does this mean I should be planning 'replacement' ducklings and chicks all the time to account for a yearly loss, just like how a business has a 'uncollectable accounts' loss write off? How often do you plan for this also, and what kinds of numbers?
If I were in the early 1900s or 1800s before globalism made stupid rules, people probably had to think like, I need to always be building the numbers up right? Is it a mistake you think to just think I'll have a flat unmovable number of animals (when there could be lossess...)? (Like if I'm not going up, I'm always going down; like someone treading water?)
More importantly, is it a mistake to free range ducks if its in my own back yard? (I'm supposed to be in the city... ) If I have the ducklings in my backyard and there's fences...what are the chances of having another incident within the same month? Is free ranging just not safe or smart? (It was still my own backyard but...) I wonder if letting them out of their pen is a mistake now.
I had... 7 ducklings, and 3 chicks. (Both sets roughly 8 weeks).
The most discouraging part about this is how do I keep them alive if I had my first predator already, and they haven't even been outside for a full month yet? This is the part that bothers me. Its only been less than 2 weeks since putting them outside. I had let them out extra early that day at about 6:30 AM.
The upside is that it was the rooster chic that got taken. I was going to have to get rid of him anyway because of zoning issues. But the part that is a problem is that I don't like that I had a loss. Plus, if anyone's eating their meat it should be me! Not some little furry thief or hawk.
I didn't see the predator take it. But 2 days before I saw a hawk (person of interest #1, in this case) sitting above the pen. And the morning of the 'incident', I'd seen a black cat (person of interest #2) in our yard also that didn't belong there, that isn't ours. So it was likely one of those two. I just came back from a nap and found out I was missing that rooster. Plus, the two remaining chicks with it, were very skiddish the rest of the day but on other days had been more outgoing; they wouldn't leave the hen house the rest of the day. (Maybe they saw it?)
No sign of blood, or 'evidence' on scene. But I looked around for the missing little guy, and there's no trace anywhere. This makes me think it was the hawk. The fences are secure also.
Was my letting them out of the pen into the yard so early in the AM a mistake?
How much would it discourage this from happening again, if I only let them out of their pen after 11 AM? (Someone on another thread said something about this.) Does this mean most people only let fowl out later in the day? And does that also mean that keeping them out of the pen after a certain time near sunset is also begging for trouble also?)
I'm so curious about what is the optimum safety for times of the day that are safe for backyard foraging? What do you think about this?
And how does the risk comparison of predators compare between ducks and chickens?
I'll be honest that I really like ducks more. Its so easy and fun to work with them. I like how they are excited to see me in the morning and will follow me around all over the place. Their quirky personalities are fun also. So it hurt a bit less that it was the rooster that got taken that I was going to have to get rid of anyway in 2 months. But I think I can't just let this happen, even if I'm not as interested in the chickens as the ducks. It would have bothered me more if it was one of the ducks. But I can't just take the loss.
If you were to put numbers on it, how much more risk is there for chickens over ducks for predators? Are ducks better at resisting predators?
Are certain brands of ducks more at risk? (Peking is white; no camouflage. But its also bigger right, which is good for fighting back? But Khaki's are perfect camouflage colors.)
I don't have a huge budget for this. So I'll have to tackle it with brain power as much as I can to solve it.
Another problem also is,...if society continues to degenerate then it will be harder and more predators including 2 legged kinds...so does this mean I should be planning 'replacement' ducklings and chicks all the time to account for a yearly loss, just like how a business has a 'uncollectable accounts' loss write off? How often do you plan for this also, and what kinds of numbers?
If I were in the early 1900s or 1800s before globalism made stupid rules, people probably had to think like, I need to always be building the numbers up right? Is it a mistake you think to just think I'll have a flat unmovable number of animals (when there could be lossess...)? (Like if I'm not going up, I'm always going down; like someone treading water?)
More importantly, is it a mistake to free range ducks if its in my own back yard? (I'm supposed to be in the city... ) If I have the ducklings in my backyard and there's fences...what are the chances of having another incident within the same month? Is free ranging just not safe or smart? (It was still my own backyard but...) I wonder if letting them out of their pen is a mistake now.
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