The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[Jewelwing]

I'm sorry but that would either be trapped and removed or shot if it was me, I just had to cull my whole flock due to wild critters in my coop carrying incurable illnesses in with them. IMO but that's just me.
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I'm really sorry about your flock.

But I don't see a need to get rid of this opossum. I doubt it's going to attack my full-grown chickens (I have no chicks), and while it could conceivably get some eggs, I'll cross that bridge when I come to it. The nest boxes are up off the floor of the coop, which is up off the ground and inside a 1/2" hardware cloth fence with only one door in it, which is open during the day and closed at night. If a predator is going to get my chickens at night, I doubt it's going to be an opossum.

As far as I can tell, opossums don't carry any diseases that affect chickens (chickens are resistant to sarcocystosis, and opossums and chickens have different species of coccidia). Rural opossums are not so likely to have fleas as urban ones, and I'm not positive, but I think that opossum mites are different than chicken mites.

I'm sure someone will enlighten me if I'm wrong!

I happen to really like opossums. They are North America's only marsupial! They're rarely aggressive - they'd much rather run away or "play possum." And, as my daughter pointed out, their faces look like hearts. Awww! I'm waiting for the day I get to see one use its prehensile tail.

They will sleep with your chickens and become buddies..they love chickens..and love eggs more..they are notorious egg thieves and will rob you blind...and snuggle very night with your chickens. They will have baby's with your chickens and move right on in.

looks like a young juvie to me too..old enough to breed though.

What, breed with my chickens?!? That's a creature I'd like to see!

 

[lalaland]

wild turkey wants to be a flock buddy

There has been a single wild turkey hanging around for weeks. He roosts in some pines and robs the bird feeders daily. This week, he has been following my path to the coop, gets to the gate, turns around and heads back.

Friday I came home to tracks up to the run gate, and then....inside the run. He cleaned up some spilled feed, drank the water dry, and seems to have been dustbathing under the coop.

I'm not thrilled about this. Was less thrilled on saturday when he was back under the coop. I kept the flock inside saturday because of the -20's until it warmed up to about -5. Sunny day, so opened the people door and the flock started sunbathing in the doorway. I was home, so could check frequently. I'm worried the turkey will go inside the coop. Not sure what the roosters will do with a turkey either!

On a side note, windchill last night was -39. it is -22 air temp right now. I have snow up to my a** everywhere, and the snow on my roof has pushed my stove pipe over! I didn't know that was possible. seems to be still attached to the struts, but the base is off. So I can't use the wood stove til this gets fixed. Hoping the chimney guy gets here before anything melts, which might be mid next week. Guess thats what tax refunds are for, those danged expensive repairs that happen.

 

[Leahs Mom]

Wow! Frustrating on the chimney. I keep wondering if it will ever end.

New Headline:

GLOBAL WARMING PREDICTIONS PROVEN WRONG AS NEW ICE AGE THREATENS TO OBLITERATE THE WORLD

People everywhere are being advised to turn on their car engines, purchase and spray aerosol cans, burn as much as possible, and feed livestock gas-producing feeds to help prevent this new threat to life as we know it.....Get the whole story here: www.whatso-calledscientiststhinktheyknowtoday.com

 

[Scott H]

 

[Leahs Mom]

A gift for the person that has everything.

 

[lazy gardener]

One humor point for Scott H, and 2 humor points for Leah's Mom. (BTW, I keep all of my points in a jar on top of my fridge.)

 

[lalaland]

Barley and other grains leftover from making beer?
I have a chance to occasionally get a couple of gallons of grains from some home brewers in the cities. Any reason why these might not be great for chickens?

 

[TeaChick]

I need a running away scared emoticon!!!!!!

 

[delisha]

Barley and other grains leftover from making beer?
I have a chance to occasionally get a couple of gallons of grains from some home brewers in the cities. Any reason why these might not be great for chickens?

wonderful for chickens..they have been fermented!!

 

[chikenscratch]

Barley and other grains leftover from making beer?
I have a chance to occasionally get a couple of gallons of grains from some home brewers in the cities. Any reason why these might not be great for chickens?

I give our spent grains to our chickens whenever we have them. Note: keep them in the fridge otherwise they will mold fast.