The Old Folks Home

[ShrekDawg]

Well, either use the accessory to the Squirrelinator OR -- my preference -- I take them to our local raptor rescue. Saves her from having to buy rodents and she can use the money for vet expenses and other necessities. (Reuse, repurpose, recycle those crits!)

And, because she does release her charges once rehabilitated, most folks where I live do not use poisoned baits. We need our raptors and owls to take care of the rodents, and not be done in by them.) (And we need the coyotes and bobcats, too, for the larger ones.)

That’s awesome!!! Love that!!

Wonder if we have anything like that around here.

And yeah, I feel bad about using the poison but we had soooo many rats and mice etc. especially rats. Although my dad just found a dead chipmunk outside the chicken run today so I really feel like we are killing the chipmunks instead of the rats.

We have coyotes here and fox but I think they mostly eat rabbits or deer? But idk.

 

[CapricornFarm]

That’s awesome!!! Love that!!

Wonder if we have anything like that around here.

And yeah, I feel bad about using the poison but we had soooo many rats and mice etc. especially rats. Although my dad just found a dead chipmunk outside the chicken run today so I really feel like we are killing the chipmunks instead of the rats.

We have coyotes here and fox but I think they mostly eat rabbits or deer? But idk.

They eat whatever they can catch.

 

[ShrekDawg]

They eat whatever they can catch.

That makes sense!! I do know years ago (Like 10-15 ish ???) when all the coyotes died of Lyme, there were sooo many deer around. But now the coyotes have made a comeback and have more than ever. And I don’t know for sure that they died but my dad always suspected it because our dog got it bad around then and suddenly there were far less coyotes around. It was like they all just vanished.

 

[Beer can]

I still saw a bunch of them a few months ago. I think what it did do is accidentally kill all the chipmunks.

Chipmunks are cute, but... I hate them with a vengeance. Decimate my garden, corn and sunflowers. Dig the seeds up as soon as they pop. Think I squished dozens of them with deadfall traps in my garden didn't even put a dent into their population and they still wrecked havoc...

 

[ShrekDawg]

Chipmunks are cute, but... I hate them with a vengeance. Decimate my garden, corn and sunflowers. Dig the seeds up as soon as they pop. Think I squished dozens of them with deadfall traps in my garden didn't even put a dent into their population and they still wrecked havoc...

Yeah they definitely are terrors! They always raid the garden and this year they or something ate my cucumber and squash starts When I planted them and they always eat stuff! They once ate an entire bag of cat food we had in the garage lol also sunflower seeds. BUT I do like watching them so idk we have plenty of woods for them to hide in and move to if I can prevent them from eating the garden and stuff. They also eat the wild bird food. Them and squirrels. I don’t feed them anymore. The squirrels go in the pen and raid my chicks feeder.

 

[microchick]

Coyotes are a big problem here. Every February the local Amish men get together and hold a predator hunt. Armed with shotguns they form a line and drive predators to an area where other hunters are waiting for the varmints to come by. Fox, Coyote, even Cougar are their main prey although the Cougar threatened them and they were legally allowed to shoot it.

It seems a bit extreme but there are goat dairy farms, sheep flocks galore along with spring and fall calves to be protected and it makes sense to lower the potential predator load around us which is quite heavy.

@KDOGG331 Fox predate on chickens as well as do coyotes. A female fox destroyed local poultry flocks three years ago here feeding her kits which were hold up under a neighbor's hunting cabin. Everyone lost birds except me. That's because my coop is metal sided and my chain link fenced run is hot wired. I found all sorts of prints in the soil around the coop but no fox or her kits got in.

I love wildlife, which is why our timber is geared towards habitat for deer, turkey and game birds like quail or pheasant. I just don't love them coming close to the house and trying to use my chickens as an all you can eat buffet.

 

[ShrekDawg]

Coyotes are a big problem here. Every February the local Amish men get together and hold a predator hunt. Armed with shotguns they form a line and drive predators to an area where other hunters are waiting for the varmints to come by. Fox, Coyote, even Cougar are their main prey although the Cougar threatened them and they were legally allowed to shoot it.

It seems a bit extreme but there are goat dairy farms, sheep flocks galore along with spring and fall calves to be protected and it makes sense to lower the potential predator load around us which is quite heavy.

@KDOGG331 Fox predate on chickens as well as do coyotes. A female fox destroyed local poultry flocks three years ago here feeding her kits which were hold up under a neighbor's hunting cabin. Everyone lost birds except me. That's because my coop is metal sided and my chain link fenced run is hot wired. I found all sorts of prints in the soil around the coop but no fox or her kits got in.

I love wildlife, which is why our timber is geared towards habitat for deer, turkey and game birds like quail or pheasant. I just don't love them coming close to the house and trying to use my chickens as an all you can eat buffet.

Yeah, we’ve had foxes come around a few times and hang around for a bit, usually anywhere from a few days to a week or two, but then they move on

They’ll circle the coop, etc. and one climbed on top but never try to get in. We even had one literally just hanging around in the back garden almost sunbathing? I’m sure he was watching the birds.

We’ve had raccoons try to get in too. Never had an issue with the coyotes though as they tended to stay in the front half of the yard/property but this year we had one stroll by a few times. Just a drive by so to speak but I’m sure it was seeing if any were out.

Anyway, this spring or early summer ish ? I actually lost 3 of my older girls in one day to something I am pretty sure it was either a fox or coyote family learning to hunt since they took 3 and there was a feather trail from one of the birds which I was told could be a pup dragging it? But idk.

That was the first time in 5 years we’ve had a potential coyote issue though. Usually it’s foxes, coins, and our biggest threat by far has actually been hawks!! We have so many and I let mine free range a lot.

We never really had many predators though until the dog died

 

[sourland]

Good morning in the OF Home.

 

[cheepteach]

Friday in the Home---here's some coffee and cookies

 

[sourland]

Thanks, I was needing a carb boost.