The Front Porch Swing

[Blooie]

Good night everyone. I am feeling really crummy, so I'm going on to bed. Talk to you all in the morning.....

Night, sweetie! Hope tomorrow whatever is ailing you is long gone!

 

[Blooie]

Lookin' good, Blooie!!!

You going to have straight roosts or ladder roosts in there? Outside access nest boxes or inside only? Nipple waterer or traditional? Deep litter or not? Electric or not? Windows? (the bigger and the more, the better...always) Ventilation? (again, the more you have, the better...can't have too much, really). What kind of pop door..sliding or swinging?

Okay, no final decision on the roosts yet but poop boards will be involved, outside access nest boxes, traditional waterers, deep litter, definitely electrical (since Ken's a professional electrician that part will be a piece of cake), southern exposure window, passive vents in the east and west soffits, another big vent in the tallest side smack dab between the people door and where the sliding pop door will be. How'd I do? Sheesh, now I'm tired all over again!

 

[LBejaran]

I came home this evening to find that something had killed one of my chicks. I thought they were all safe and sound, but it looks like one of them got too close to the wire and a possum pulled its head off. I thought it was just dead, but when I checked to make sure his eyes were closed (I prefer for them to look like they are sleeping when I bury them) he didn't have a head or a beak. It was so upsetting.

Instead of tempting fate, I brought the smallest of the chicks in (the one that got killed was a tiny polish chick) and my new ducklings inside. I'm paying my older brother to come in and cover the larger 1x1 inch wire with .5x.5 inch wire. That should keep the grubby little paws of predators away until I can do some modifications to the coop.

Do chicks that have gotten their heads pulled off still move? The 1x1 wire is by the door of the coop but the chick was at least a foot and a half away from the door. I'm thinking it was still moving when it got killed and ended up there, but I'm not entire sure.

I might put my dogs in the pen where the coop is and let them have at it. If that possum comes back, I want them to kill it and have it at my door by the afternoon. I hate possums. If I had a proper gun, I'd be hiding up above the coop, waiting until it was stupid enough to come back. Grrr, I'm so angry I could spit!

 

[Beekissed]

Yep...they move after their heads come off. Sounds like the dexterity of a coon rather than a possum....did you see a possum?

 

[LBejaran]

Yep...they move after their heads come off. Sounds like the dexterity of a coon rather than a possum....did you see a possum?

We've had them around here more often than coons. However, just because I haven't seen one doesn't mean it hasn't been here. In fact, a squirrel was beheaded a couple months back and my dog brought it to me (she'll kill small pests, but she's never beheaded anything like that). It may very well have been a raccoon. It just seems so odd that I'd never get an inkling that it'd be here. Possums are much more common.

Would putting my dogs on guard in that pen help? They've killed rats and possums before and I'd bet they could keep a coon out of there. Ultimately, I just want my babies to be safe until brother can go in there and fix it up. I'd hate to lose another chick, especially like that.

Edit: All my other chickens are fine, though, that's why I was assuming it was a small possum. I think a raccoon could kill a full grown, alert hen, but I wouldn't know for sure.

 

[lovingmyhens]

I am so sorry! You try and try and try to keep them safe...my heart is hurting for you. I say let the dogs at em!

 

[Beekissed]

We've had them around here more often than coons. However, just because I haven't seen one doesn't mean it hasn't been here. In fact, a squirrel was beheaded a couple months back and my dog brought it to me (she'll kill small pests, but she's never beheaded anything like that). It may very well have been a raccoon. It just seems so odd that I'd never get an inkling that it'd be here. Possums are much more common.

Would putting my dogs on guard in that pen help? They've killed rats and possums before and I'd bet they could keep a coon out of there. Ultimately, I just want my babies to be safe until brother can go in there and fix it up. I'd hate to lose another chick, especially like that.

Edit: All my other chickens are fine, though, that's why I was assuming it was a small possum. I think a raccoon could kill a full grown, alert hen, but I wouldn't know for sure.

A beheaded squirrel sounds like the work of a great horned owl...they love the brains.

I think it certainly couldn't hurt to have your dogs in or around the pen at all times...that's how I keep my birds safe. I have a dog living around the coop 24/7 and he has killed coons and possums...I just find them in the yard the next morning with their backs broken, dead as a doornail.

 

[LBejaran]

A beheaded squirrel sounds like the work of a great horned owl...they love the brains. 

I think it certainly couldn't hurt to have your dogs in or around the pen at all times...that's  how I keep my birds safe.  I have a dog living around the coop 24/7 and he has killed coons and possums...I just find them in the yard the next morning with their backs broken, dead as a doornail. 

I've seen owls around here, but most are fairly small. We mostly have hawks, falcons and vultures.

My dogs have access to that pen and the main backyard (the pen is really just a 30x50 ft extension of the backyard that is fenced; it's meant to be a garden space but it's being weeded by hand right now) but they get distracted with other things. I can lock my big dog in there and leave the little ones out in the main yard to keep the property safe. Sandy is pretty big and can probably handle any large predators. I do worry that locking her in there will make her anxious, though, but I guess if I lay some hay out for her to sleep on, she'll be fine.

Ugh, so much work to do and so many natural predators to worry about. I don't have loads of time to work in the garden or in the coop, so my brother said he would weed it for me....

If I pay for half of his new PlayStation 4. That's $200. Gah!

 

[TexasLisa]

The BCM pullet died.

I am so sorry Lindz. You have had a long day. I hope today you are feeling better! Rest my friend!

Ladies I want to tell you what a wonderfully sweet husband God has blessed me with. As you all know I have been wanting turkey poults so very much but could not find any anywhere. I had even tried the hatcheries and there was a waiting list and besides that you had to order a minimum of 15. I don't have room for 15 little eating machines. But when I got home today my husband had driven 55 miles to Chickasha and purchased 6 of the cuties little poults you have ever seen. He had them nice'n warm in the brooder with water and food and even put in a tutor chick in to teach them to eat and drink. Wow what a man.

How precious!!! Watch these ladies around here, they will snatch your husband! Having said that.....where is his picture??

Lisa, Where did you get your new chicks? Do you know anyone who might sell Maran's around our parts?? not chicks cause I don't do chicks.

I got mine at Steinhausers Feed Store. http://www.steinhausers.com/ Sorry I don't know of any.

You two! Um, now I don't feel so quite so bad for having to fish one out of the toilet. Well, how was I supposed to know that Rosie couldn't swim?

Blooie!!!

I came home this evening to find that something had killed one of my chicks. I thought they were all safe and sound, but it looks like one of them got too close to the wire and a possum pulled its head off. I thought it was just dead, but when I checked to make sure his eyes were closed (I prefer for them to look like they are sleeping when I bury them) he didn't have a head or a beak. It was so upsetting.

Instead of tempting fate, I brought the smallest of the chicks in (the one that got killed was a tiny polish chick) and my new ducklings inside. I'm paying my older brother to come in and cover the larger 1x1 inch wire with .5x.5 inch wire. That should keep the grubby little paws of predators away until I can do some modifications to the coop.

Do chicks that have gotten their heads pulled off still move? The 1x1 wire is by the door of the coop but the chick was at least a foot and a half away from the door. I'm thinking it was still moving when it got killed and ended up there, but I'm not entire sure.

I might put my dogs in the pen where the coop is and let them have at it. If that possum comes back, I want them to kill it and have it at my door by the afternoon. I hate possums. If I had a proper gun, I'd be hiding up above the coop, waiting until it was stupid enough to come back. Grrr, I'm so angry I could spit!

I am sorry for your loss!

Re. your brother wanting to be paid. Is he eating the food that comes out of your garden? Then why are you paying him?

This isn't directed at you but that just gets me. I was raised to help your family out, not charge them. My husband's family has no problems charging each other for stuff. Am I the oddball?

Lisa

 

[LBejaran]

I am sorry for your loss! 

Re. your brother wanting to be paid.  Is he eating the food that comes out of your garden?  Then why are you paying him? 

This isn't directed at you but that just gets me.  I was raised to help your family out, not charge them.  My husband's family has no problems charging each other for stuff.  Am I the oddball?

Lisa

Well, Tony and I both live with our parents (we both in our early twenties and work is a little shifty around here) and Tony is...kinda weird. He always "lends" money, never gives money. I don't him on it much because he is only working part time and he keeps his money pretty balanced. He pays his loans, pays for gas, takes me to work, etc. I sometimes pay him for gas because he'll take me somewhere if I really need him to.

However. tony is a young buck and he still lacks a lot of tact. He was ready to help me out as soon as I told him, but hen weds something out of it. He told me yesterday that he was going to use part of his tax refund for his game system, but he didn't want to use it all because he wanted to put some away in savings. I get it, I just don't like it.

Our garden isn't really ready yet...at all. It's full if weeds and junk wood that I need to burn. I'm thinking of borrowing a friend's goats so they can clear out the area. It'd help me get things done way faster. I'll probably pay Tony $50 for helping with stuff, though, and maybe later if he helps me till the garden, that'll be another $75.

Not all families need payment for helping each other out. If I ask my sisters for help on something, all I need to do is provide food and they'll help me out. My older sis, Olivia, said she'd borrow a chainsaw and help me cut down a tree if I went to a bar with her and paid for her, haha! Or she said I could sing karaoke and win her a bucket of beer.