Welcome to my pond - Swim, wade, or sit on the bank

[WVduckchick]

I had FANTASIZED that I would be able to free range my LARGE geese all summer and fall...

But an eagle killed one, so they are now mostly locked up.

They are eating me out of house and home, being locked up most of the time...

Ewww we don’t have many eagles, but the hawks can be bad at times. Seems to go in spells. And I have so many now, it just breaks my heart (and wallet too lol) to keep them locked up all the time. I just learned to accept a few losses each year.
I do also have one pen on the end of my covered area that I keep open. The prey birds normally avoid it when the ducks and chickens retreat to it. Gives them a place that they know is relatively safe.

Do you have an area that you could put a covered structure. Even a net covered area? I know the raptors are so agile, even my tree coverage isn’t as much protection as one would think. And geese can be so slow. I don’t know….

Not to mention, the dummies also enjoy being out in the wide open too

 

[pennyJo1960]

Morning Pond I slept the best sleep I have had in a month!
DH is on the mend.

 

[WVduckchick]

Morning Pond I slept the best sleep I have had in a month!
DH is on the mend.

Good news!

 

[pennyJo1960]

He is my world I was so worried.

 

[Alaskan]

Ewww we don’t have many eagles, but the hawks can be bad at times. Seems to go in spells. And I have so many now, it just breaks my heart (and wallet too lol) to keep them locked up all the time. I just learned to accept a few losses each year.
I do also have one pen on the end of my covered area that I keep open. The prey birds normally avoid it when the ducks and chickens retreat to it. Gives them a place that they know is relatively safe.

Do you have an area that you could put a covered structure. Even a net covered area? I know the raptors are so agile, even my tree coverage isn’t as much protection as one would think. And geese can be so slow. I don’t know….

Not to mention, the dummies also enjoy being out in the wide open tooView attachment 3933213

I am "special"

I have had eagles land and walk into a covered run...

And I have had them land, walk into the covered run and then stand next to the pop door waiting for someone to poke their head out.

I also have goshawks that like to perch inside the trees and jump down on poultry that are in the tree cover.

I had just thought a flock of 12 huge geese would be safe. I have no idea how I had a flock of 7 free range all summer with zero losses.

 

[sourland]

No eagle problem here, but once had a young goshawk that would run under the brush and coops chasing chickens.

 

[bobbi-j]

We have eagles here - we have a nest less than a mile from our place - but I don’t know that I’ve ever lost a chicken to one. Red tail hawks are the biggest aerial threat to my birds. Mink are the worst land predators, mainly because they can get in through such small spaces and kill so many at a time. Raccoons and skunks are next on the list for me. And of course we get the occasional coyote raid that wipes them all out at once.

 

[pennyJo1960]

I have been very lucky to not loose any of mine to a predator in the 11 years I have had birds here.

 

[muddy75]

I have been very lucky to not loose any of mine to a predator in the 11 years I have had birds here.

That’s amazing

 

[muddy75]

Good Morning, Pond!