The Moonshiner's Leghorns

[McChooky]

They get them at night in the trees. Opossums are mainly nocturnal. If they can get to the chicken they will kill it. Most of the leaner game crosses, Leghorns, etc roost way out on a limb so they stay safe. But the heavier birds roost lower and on sturdier branches so opossums can get to them if they find them at night. Varmints still haven’t made a dent in my population, merely culling some of the fat old birds I needed to cull through anyway.

Thanks! I have some that try to roost in trees sometimes but I lock them up at night( leghorn crosses not purebred)

 

[ABQ chicken keeper]

We bring our feeders in at dusk and lock them up in the well house. We have one very large feeder that stays in the hen house, and it gets locked up in there. An opossum does visit that one from time to time, but we see no evidence of mice or rats.

53,
How does a opossum get in your hen house, sounds like a disaster waiting to happen?

 

[ABQ chicken keeper]

My husband just got finished getting a round done on burning the nerves in his. They did one knee at a time on different week's.

"a round done on burning the nerves in his."
Yikes!
Is he going to a witch doctor?

 

[BlueBaby]

"a round done on burning the nerves in his."
Yikes!
Is he going to a witch doctor?

The burning only lasts for so long until the nerves heal themselves. (He has no cartilage left in his knees, just bone scraping on bone.) Then you can have it done again. He has even had his lower back done there before. He goes to Apex to get it done.

 

[The Moonshiner]

How are your chicken's holding up over there? Mine have started laying, and as of today have given me 60 egg's. Many are still small.

Mines doing alright. Not no where near full production yet but 2 or 3 Xs what I was getting a month or two ago.
Low 60s here until Thurs then 4 days of just above freezing with overnights in upper teens, low 20s. Then what it shows after that is upper 50s.
Waiting to see if the other shoe drops and winter comes back or not. Honestly Feb is way to early for spring here. It's usually right there with Jan for the coldest month.
Interesting though lately I've been seeing/hearing little squabbles in both cockerel and pullet pens. That usually starts when spring does. I think it's hormones ramping up or some nonsense like that.

 

[BlueBaby]

Mines doing alright. Not no where near full production yet but 2 or 3 Xs what I was getting a month or two ago.
Low 60s here until Thurs then 4 days of just above freezing with overnights in upper teens, low 20s. Then what it shows after that is upper 50s.
Waiting to see if the other shoe drops and winter comes back or not. Honestly Feb is way to early for spring here. It's usually right there with Jan for the coldest month.
Interesting though lately I've been seeing/hearing little squabbles in both cockerel and pullet pens. That usually starts when spring does. I think it's hormones ramping up or some nonsense like that.

They are predicting rain here for me overnight, but everytime they do it's always a hit or miss so we'll see. It's been a little overcast and windy today, so the girl's are staying more in the coop.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

53,
How does a opossum get in your hen house, sounds like a disaster waiting to happen?

We leave the man door open all day, and gates open a good part of the day while they free range. I figure as long as possum has plenty of chicken feed to gorge on he won't go after the chickens. He just comes occasionally for a snack on his rounds and so far as I can tell is not going afrer eggs either.

The burning only lasts for so long until the nerves heal themselves. (He has no cartilage left in his knees, just bone scraping on bone.) Then you can have it done again. He has even had his lower back done there before. He goes to Apex to get it done.

I thought once you were bone on bone you got new knees? I'm not quite there yet but getting there. I will ask, next visit.