The Old Folks Home

[pennyJo1960]

stinks to loose power kitchen here we have propane for the
stove and our old trash burner in the living room for heating

 

[perchie.girl]

Sorry for your loses.

Microchick I hope you get to feeling better soon.

Deb are you doing the rain dance?

yup

 

[Wickedchicken6]

I'm so sorry you lost a hen.

It's very frustrating.

I had purchased a quad of Silver Spangled Hamburg chicks in July.
I don't bring in live birds but I made an exception. These are the parents.

They were in quarantine in the tractor shop; large building, cement floor...two full wooden walk in doors with conventional door handles. Should have been secure. I had their cage set on another because we were having rat issues and I didn't want rats to be around the cage. Racoons broke the corner of the one back door, knocked the cage over and pulled the 5 month old birds through the wire. How terrible to think that's how they died. I was just sick about it.

The top cage is the cage they were in. That's all their feathers on the ground.

I keep this pic so I don't forget this...when I catch one and they have that cute, sad face.



They're also destructive with equipment with wiring and such.
The following fan cost us about $600 and a 4 hour round trip parts run when a silly 'coon got in the combine fan...in the middle of the day.

 

[miss heny]

Went and did a walk about, and saw a possum. Time to learn how to do target practice :/

 

[microchick]

I feel the same way about raccoons as I do ticks.

They all must die.

Around us people skin the animals they trap and sell them. I guess they get a pretty good price for the pelts.

Thanks for the well wishes guys. I'm feeling some better tonight. Doc said it may take a few days. Just an old problem that has resurfaced with age. I swear if I could get a spine transplant I'd be first in line.

 

[NotAFarm]

I got two emails (DS1 and friend) and a phone call (DS2) about the Chicken People movie being on CMT at 7 on Wednesday.
Just thought you'd like to know...in case you want to watch, they said.

I think my chicken addiction is showing

 

[pennyJo1960]

I got two emails (DS1 and friend) and a phone call (DS2) about the Chicken People movie being on CMT at 7 on Wednesday.
Just thought you'd like to know...in case you want to watch, they said.

I think my chicken addiction is showing

CMT? not very up on the channels but know we get most of them ands
would love to see it

 

[1FlewOver]

Went and did a walk about, and saw a possum. Time to learn how to do target practice :/

Funny...all I have is possums and coons.. City won't let me have chickens goshdarnit.

If youre gonna shoot 'em tho , you should eat them.... Me.. I don't care...I probably raised them from babies. They don't cause me any problems...and eat up my spoiled food.

I tried for a while to make pets out of possums. I had one baby that became a lap possum and went from about a half pound to nearly 20. Big gal. But they just don't make good pets, really...they never lose that extreme paranoia . No fun when your pet is scared to death of you. But..they are easy to care for...easily litter box trained, and not difficult to manage.

Another thing you could do ( just for fun...if you wanted)...is feed the little boogers. I'm serious. They like cat food....and if you feed them , they pose no greater threat than a dog or cat that you feed...( get it?).

 

[perchie.girl]

Quote:
Be careful.... Feeding wildlife is Never a good idea. feeding them alone makes them dependant on humans to for survival and allows the population to grow larger than it would normally. Thats the threat to the wild life...

The threat to humans is exposure to various diseases carried in the feces and urine.... Possoms have a lowere body temeruature ttherefore they carry a smaller load of diseases . Apparently they are resistant to rabies.

http://www.wildliferemovalusa.com/opossum-diseases.html

they do have several diseases and parasites that are transmittalbe to livestock. INcluding the chance they could carry equine protozoal myeloencephalitis (EPM). Which effects horses.

here is the short list for EPM symptoms:

• Ataxia (incoordination), spasticity (stiff, stilted movements), abnormal gait or lameness.
• Incoordination and weakness which worsens when going up or down slopes or when head is elevated.

Here is a bigger write up
http://www.horsetalk.co.nz/2015/07/...cephalitis-epm-signs-treatment/#axzz4QiLcYhmB

the treatment is expensive and the effects of the disease are hard to watch. Often times people choose to have their horse humanely put down.

Wild animals should be left in the wild unless you have specific training in their needs. This includes the threat they pose ranging from disease to handling and housing. Even then its not a task to take up casually.

Dont get me wrong I am not one to grab up a gun and go do em in either. They serve a purpose in the ecology... Take one predictor out another moves in maybe more till the territory is re established. I will do in a dog though. SSS if necessary.

So better yet make animal enclosures predator proof... (no such absolute) or as best as you can. Hot wire strategically placed to make the fences bite. Well secured substantially built strucutres too. Train the existing predators that this little patch of food is not worth the effort.

I have Mountain Lion, Bobcat, Coyote, loose dogs, Hawks, owls, Vultures, Ravens, Raccoons, Weasels, Rattle snakes, Ground squirrels, Rats Mice and voles. The mesh on my wire is small enough that the only thing that can get through to the poultry will be edible.

I dont have the hot wire up Nor have I rebuilt the coop. I have had three major predator episodes that have wiped me out completely... whole flock. I consideer it my fault for not thinking through the housing as I should have. last one happened about five years ago and I tore down the coop for a rebuild when I get a chance to move back home.

deb

 

[Wickedchicken6]

I feel the same way about raccoons as I do ticks.

They all must die.

Around us people skin the animals they trap and sell them. I guess they get a pretty good price for the pelts.

Thanks for the well wishes guys. I'm feeling some better tonight. Doc said it may take a few days. Just an old problem that has resurfaced with age. I swear if I could get a spine transplant I'd be first in line.

And I would be right behind you in 2nd place to receive one after you.

Gosh though...spine transplant. Can't help but think that sounds painful...the WHOLE spine. Freaky thought.

...ticks. Hubby's uncle has had up to 20 ticks on him in a day. But that's because his dogs ride with him. Ick, ick, ick.

I got guineas Because I had them as a kid and because I wanted them as predator alarms. I'm more than shocked that people are right when they say they eat ticks. Didn't see a tick in this yard all last year with just two. Dog never had a tick until he was away from home. I'm loving that aspect of guineas...even though they are more irritating than a pebble in your shoe.