What did you do with your flock today?

[PopoMyers]

I don't have netting over my free range run anymore. So hard to get it out of the trees when it is time to change it! I did buy new netting, but we haven't installed it. When we used it, we put up T-poles to keep it high and away from the chickens, and give us room to walk under it. I have a picture somewhere. Of course, that doesn't help with small birds like sparrows. We did have a small bird stuck in it once. We freed her and were happy it never happened again.

Hoping there will be no aerial predators this year. We normally don't have them, but when the Bald Eagles were adjusting to having so few fish available in the river, they came after all our chickens. That was several years ago, and haven't heard of an eagle attack since. If we have one...up will go the netting again.

I once found a small bird, dead and hanging in the netting. None since then.

 

[PopoMyers]

Yesterday filled both feeders, which were empty. Changed our the shavings for the pullet coop, and did a branch cleanup in the run. The pullets did not need an adjustment period to work the treadle, and they are treat trained. So fun to see them stampeding through the fenced run to come to the shaking treat jar, which is the now obsolete Costco nut containers. Glad I'm a container hoarder.

 

[fuzzi]

The door to my hoop coop was getting hard to close, so I raked debris from around the frame and found lots of earthworms. So did my chickens!

I tried to get a picture but the hens insisted on checking out the freshly raked soil.

I had a bucket of debris, and decided to use it as a side dressing for my recently planted iris. Their new garden bed soil is mostly clay.

 

[Shetland lover]

I wish I didn’t have to use it! I’m lucky I haven’t had those issues more than twice, but I know it’s always possible and I hate it. On a couple of coops I changed over to shade cloth…it’s better but not ideal.

I refuse to use it where I can’t monitor it at least 3 times a day. Years ago, I found a hedgehog hanging upside-down in pea and bean netting. It had dislocated a hip and the netting had badly cut into it's stomach. I did what I could then took it to the vet the next day. He put some stitches in and de-flea'd, de-mited and dewormed. I had to keep him for a week or two before setting him free because of the stitches and by the time I could let him loose, he'd decided he much preferred living in comfort to the wild! I had him - and later his lady friend - for 10 years. That was a happy ending but I've witnessed too many wild birds die in bird netting over the years.

 

[Shetland lover]

I don't have netting over my free range run anymore. So hard to get it out of the trees when it is time to change it! I did buy new netting, but we haven't installed it. When we used it, we put up T-poles to keep it high and away from the chickens, and give us room to walk under it. I have a picture somewhere. Of course, that doesn't help with small birds like sparrows. We did have a small bird stuck in it once. We freed her and were happy it never happened again.

Hoping there will be no aerial predators this year. We normally don't have them, but when the Bald Eagles were adjusting to having so few fish available in the river, they came after all our chickens. That was several years ago, and haven't heard of an eagle attack since. If we have one...up will go the netting again.

Wow! How awful for you and the chickens to have to deal with bald Eagle attacks. But how magnificent to see! I was lucky enough to see a wild golden eagle locally quite recently. Truly majestic!

I have to have bird netting round the run due to bird flu regulations, unfortunately.

 

[Shetland lover]

So glad he is ok, and your doctoring got him there. What kind of netting is in your coop? So scary when we find our kids in distress. Velma from last year had gotten caught in netting that was hanging close to the ground, and sprained something in her leg. She hobbled/limped a little for a time. I have aviary 2" netting up so the girls don't fly up on top of the tarps. Onyx is th notorious escapee, btw she is right as rain.

Mostly I just have semi- rigid half inch netting over the run. When it's stretched tight, it doesn't present too much of a hazard - although Ferdy manages to get his spurs caught in it if I don't keep them trimmed.
The problem is the soft mesh type. I'm having to use it periodically to separate Gladys and Ferdy on the days she decides to try to murder him
I'm so glad that Onyx is back to normal

 

[Henora]

Did a little photo shoot while the chicks were having some outdoor time

 

[fuzzi]

Did a little photo shoot while the chicks were having some outdoor time View attachment 3842065View attachment 3842066View attachment 3842067

Love the pictures, but the expressions in the middle photo are funny!

 

[Shetland lover]

Did a little photo shoot while the chicks were having some outdoor time View attachment 3842065View attachment 3842066View attachment 3842067

Just beautiful .

 

[kurby22]

I refuse to use it where I can’t monitor it at least 3 times a day. Years ago, I found a hedgehog hanging upside-down in pea and bean netting. It had dislocated a hip and the netting had badly cut into it's stomach. I did what I could then took it to the vet the next day. He put some stitches in and de-flea'd, de-mited and dewormed. I had to keep him for a week or two before setting him free because of the stitches and by the time I could let him loose, he'd decided he much preferred living in comfort to the wild! I had him - and later his lady friend - for 10 years. That was a happy ending but I've witnessed too many wild birds die in bird netting over the years.

Awww I can just picture cute little hedgehogs they’re so cute! It so doesn’t surprise me that they decided you would be worth keeping in their lives I used to work in the Education Center in our city zoo and I’d teach kids how to pet them and learn about them. The one they had was just so sweet! The other one was not allowed to participate in educating small children as he was a big grump Some days I could totally relate to him…you’d wake him by stirring his towel and he puffed up and bounced around How I feel when my alarm goes off