The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[Leahs Mom]

Good that your chickens are safe. I also think that the young ones take risks that the elders don't and will often get over-zealous trying to catch food in places the parents won't go.

 

[Leahs Mom]

I agree with you re: the sound acclimation. I'd be tempted to fire off some noisy rounds.

That's exactly what the "bird bangers" do. Loud sounds that "pop" right near the birds to scare them away. Seems like if you did that everytime you saw one they would get freaked out enough to move on.

 

[armorfirelady]

 
@lalaland

Hawk update, please.

everyone is tucked in safe and sound.   There was a young eagle that just fledged a few weeks ago circling this afternoon - its parents were just specks in the sky but the baby was so much lower, circling overhead, and making the baby calls still.  Its interesting to me that it isn't just  chicks that make baby noises that stop as they get older, 

I suppose that is what could have been in the pines freaking the chickens out, but don't know.   It spent a few days in a pine tree down the road last week, just screeching.  Its parents were trying to get it to fly, and were dive bombing it, but baby wouldn't move for at least 3 days.  The noise was incredibly grating and it was a relief when it finally left.

Glad to hear everyone is safe !!

 

[gevshiba]

I've often wondered why I've never had a hawk problem. I thought it might be the turkey's size keeping them away from the chickens, but after the coyotes and bobcats took out most of my adult birds, I still didn't have problems with hawks. We have them everywhere and they go after the doves all the time. Then, one day I saw one sitting in a dead tree a ways away. Between the hawk and the chicken run is a wind turbine. It's maybe15- 20 feet from the end of the run. Light bulb moment! I wonder if there's a way you could fix something on a tall pole that would act like the turbine? Who was it that tried flags? Did those work long term? Maybe some shiny whirligig thing on a pole.

 

[Turk Raphael]

I know this sounds crass but for many decades, the hillbilly method has deterred all predators. It's called 'shoot-and-scoop'...followed by keeping your mouth shut. It's rarely discussed, even among family members and never mentioned in a telephone conversation.

 

[subhanalah]

I'd rather keep the predators for their vermin control. Lots of hides and shrubbery for the chickens to hide in.
It would be nice if one of the Hawks could take off with the squirrel living in my neighbor's house.

 

[misbhaven]

Hawks don't like it when you shoot bottle rockets when they are over head....just saying i know in IN you can get them all the time ( I am from NE IN) and lets face it husband turn into 10 yr olds when you hand them fireworks and grin ear to ear...

 

[Turk Raphael]

Hawks don't like it when you shoot bottle rockets when they are over head....just saying i know in IN you can get them all the time ( I am from NE IN) and lets face it husband turn into 10 yr olds when you hand them fireworks and grin ear to ear...

DNR will provide blast shots for a while if one complains enough. They would rather have that expense than have the birds shot and so would I.

I'm not anxious to kill any them but won't tolerate serious predation either. My family will tolerate only eagles in their 'air space' but I'm not quite that far out yet.

 

[lalaland]

I know this sounds crass but for many decades, the hillbilly method has deterred all predators. It's called 'shoot-and-scoop'...followed by keeping your mouth shut. It's rarely discussed, even among family members and never mentioned in a telephone conversation.

yup. called SSS (shoot, shove, and shut up) in these parts. can't say I've practiced it myself.

Have a woodchuck undermining one of my sheds and I know I have to do something about it. Usually I can harass them into moving on, but the shed is new and this chuck has moved in big time and is reluctant to leave such luxury. It is well entrenched ! wood chucks are kind of a bumbly vegetarian, hard to think of killing it.

 

[Turk Raphael]

yup. called SSS (shoot, shove, and shut up) in these parts. can't say I've practiced it myself.

Have a woodchuck undermining one of my sheds and I know I have to do something about it. Usually I can harass them into moving on, but the shed is new and this chuck has moved in big time and is reluctant to leave such luxury. It is well entrenched ! wood chucks are kind of a bumbly vegetarian, hard to think of killing it.

There are plenty of people in your state that have Patterdale Terriers (earth dogs) and they will travel quite a ways to get at a chuck. Perhaps someone would be delighted to catch and move the varmint, well away from your property?