The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[stonykill]

I'd like to know more about that, but am worried it will cause a scene.

I've lost cats to predation. Not sure why I've never lost any chickens to predators. My dogs definitely help.

Are night time predators your biggest worry? See my fears are daytime ones. My barn is very secure - and if something got in, my dog sleeps in the barn with the birds, so I think she would handle it.

I have killed "night time" predators 3 hours before sunset and 3 hours after sunrise. Hungry coons out eating. Or trying to in these cases. Foxes hunt day and night. I lost a few good hens and a few good roosters this spring to foxes until I killed them. Took the birds between 8 am and noon in each instance. It is best not to believe the myth that nocturnal predators only hunt at night. They hunt when hungry...period.
I been wanting to mention the "scene" causer since the knarly ones were 1st mentioned. Still pondering all of that.......

 

[Leahs Mom]

I've lost cats to predation. Not sure why I've never lost any chickens to predators. My dogs definitely help.

Are night time predators your biggest worry? See my fears are daytime ones. My barn is very secure - and if something got in, my dog sleeps in the barn with the birds, so I think she would handle it.

Aoxa - I think just having dogs around - any dogs - makes a diff. I think predators smell the dogs and tend to be a little more wary even if they aren't lgds.

 

[Leahs Mom]

I have killed "night time" predators 3 hours before sunset and 3 hours after sunrise. Hungry coons out eating. Or trying to in these cases. Foxes hunt day and night. I lost a few good hens and a few good roosters this spring to foxes until I killed them. Took the birds between 8 am and noon in each instance. It is best not to believe the myth that nocturnal predators only hunt at night. They hunt when hungry...period.

This is a good point. And makes me want to ask you one more question - Do you delay letting your chickens out to range until later in the day...say 11:00 am? I remember reading on another thread that they recommended letting them out a bit later in the morning to help with the early morning hour preds.

 

[aoxa]

I have killed "night time" predators 3 hours before sunset and 3 hours after sunrise. Hungry coons out eating. Or trying to in these cases. Foxes hunt day and night. I lost a few good hens and a few good roosters this spring to foxes until I killed them. Took the birds between 8 am and noon in each instance. It is best not to believe the myth that nocturnal predators only hunt at night. They hunt when hungry...period.
I been wanting to mention the "scene" causer since the knarly ones were 1st mentioned. Still pondering all of that.......

Foxes are terrible. They've taken 23 of my good friend's birds early morning. No traces at all. We had contemplated a human theft until she found where the fox family had laid down in the grass and waited. Also found one pullet who had escaped the attack with minor injuries. Another had roosted away from the coop that night and only one silkie (out of her 3 - the rest were all dual purpose birds) had hidden somewhere in the coop. SO that silkie was much smarter than most. So out of her 26 chickens, only 3 survived.

I really am curious about this scene causer. I'm so nosey.

 

[aoxa]

Aoxa - I think just having dogs around - any dogs - makes a diff. I think predators smell the dogs and tend to be a little more wary even if they aren't lgds.

My farm dog trainer said to take poop and hang them all around the property from the dogs. They smell that poop and steer clear. It has to be fresh though

 

[aoxa]

This is a good point. And makes me want to ask you one more question - Do you delay letting your chickens out to range until later in the day...say 11:00 am? I remember reading on another thread that they recommended letting them out a bit later in the morning to help with the early morning hour preds.

Is this directed at Stony, or anyone who also answered the other questions?

I let mine out when it is still dark. But then again I have a LGD. I would not let them out if I didn't have her right by their door.

 

[Leahs Mom]

This is a good point. And makes me want to ask you one more question - Do you delay letting your chickens out to range until later in the day...say 11:00 am? I remember reading on another thread that they recommended letting them out a bit later in the morning to help with the early morning hour preds.


Originally Posted by aoxa

Is this directed at Stony, or anyone who also answered the other questions?

I let mine out when it is still dark. But then again I have a LGD. I would not let them out if I didn't have her right by their door.

Directed at ANYONE! I want to know how folks are handling this!

 

[TurtlePowerTrav]

I've lost cats to predation. Not sure why I've never lost any chickens to predators. My dogs definitely help.

Are night time predators your biggest worry? See my fears are daytime ones. My barn is very secure - and if something got in, my dog sleeps in the barn with the birds, so I think she would handle it. 

Aoxa - I think just having dogs around - any dogs - makes a diff.  I think predators smell the dogs and tend to be a little more wary even if they aren't lgds.

i know having my Australian Shepherd deters the coyotes. They come up to the fence, but won't jump it.

  I have killed "night time" predators 3 hours before sunset and 3 hours after sunrise. Hungry coons out eating. Or trying to in these cases. Foxes hunt day and night. I lost a few good hens and a few good roosters this spring to foxes until I killed them. Took the birds between 8 am and noon in each instance. It is best not to believe the myth that nocturnal predators only hunt at night. They hunt when hungry...period.

This is a good point.  And makes me want to ask you one more question - Do you delay letting your chickens out to range until later in the day...say 11:00 am?  I remember reading on another thread that they recommended letting them out a bit later in the morning to help with the early morning hour preds.

i let mine out when I put my dog back outside around 7am(he has arthritis, so sleeps inside during winter months).

Aoxa - I think just having dogs around - any dogs - makes a diff.  I think predators smell the dogs and tend to be a little more wary even if they aren't lgds.

My farm dog trainer said to take poop and hang them all around the property from the dogs. They smell that poop and steer clear. It has to be fresh though 

when I scoop poop I throw it just over the fence around the backyard.

 

[stonykill]

This is a good point. And makes me want to ask you one more question - Do you delay letting your chickens out to range until later in the day...say 11:00 am? I remember reading on another thread that they recommended letting them out a bit later in the morning to help with the early morning hour preds.

nope. Between 7 and 7:30 am every day. Summer time sometimes earlier. Letting them out at 11 would mean having to put them in 3 to 4 hours before sunset to get the same results. Doesn't make any sense to me

 

[aoxa]

Directed at ANYONE! I want to know how folks are handling this!

Adjust that. I wouldn't let them out in the dark if she wasn't there by the door. I'd let them out as soon as sun was out. I wouldn't keep them in until 11am.