What did your chickens do today?

[tweetr1979]

Predators are my BIGGEST fear, we went on vacation about 2 weeks ago (drove halfway across the US 4 times lol don't ask hahaha) when we came home, my husbands other work van that was parked on the grass at the side of our house (to corral a neighbours horse that got out before we left) when he went to move it, I walked down and saw a dog RIPPED to shreds, nothing left but fur and bones and what looked like a pile of bear crap!! We live in a small town just outside the busier town i'd guess you say and live about 2 1/2 miles from a mountain, we know people that live ON the mountain and they have bear problems ALL the time - from time to time the locals have said they get the occasional bear in town but it happens rarely

, we have also been hearing a LOT of coyotes in the farming fields around us - the farm down the road raises chickens for meat and also have a bunch of cows so we think that is where they mainly hang out. Last summer when we first moved in we heard bobcats (fish & game claim there are none) but we know people here that have shot them, seen them etc

It worries me but doesn't at the same time. The chicken coop is extremely secure, doesn't have a run attached to it to make things easier for predators to get in, it will be locked up securely each night after the chickens are done free ranging in their little fenced off area that goes all around their coop.

I hope everyone having predator problems catch and dispose of the animals doing it without any more loss of chicken life

 

[LaLa Chickie]

Predators are my BIGGEST fear, we went on vacation about 2 weeks ago (drove halfway across the US 4 times lol don't ask hahaha) when we came home, my husbands other work van that was parked on the grass at the side of our house (to corral a neighbours horse that got out before we left) when he went to move it, I walked down and saw a dog RIPPED to shreds, nothing left but fur and bones and what looked like a pile of bear crap!! We live in a small town just outside the busier town i'd guess you say and live about 2 1/2 miles from a mountain, we know people that live ON the mountain and they have bear problems ALL the time - from time to time the locals have said they get the occasional bear in town but it happens rarely

, we have also been hearing a LOT of coyotes in the farming fields around us - the farm down the road raises chickens for meat and also have a bunch of cows so we think that is where they mainly hang out. Last summer when we first moved in we heard bobcats (fish & game claim there are none) but we know people here that have shot them, seen them etc

It worries me but doesn't at the same time. The chicken coop is extremely secure, doesn't have a run attached to it to make things easier for predators to get in, it will be locked up securely each night after the chickens are done free ranging in their little fenced off area that goes all around their coop.

I hope everyone having predator problems catch and dispose of the animals doing it without any more loss of chicken life

I agree with the securing. I make sure my Hens are in and locked up after being out. We did have a Coyote early afternoon take one and the others when taken was early am when the Hens' latch wasn't secured and they let there selves out and we lost 3 at once, they just scaled our fence and took them down the neighborhood street. Horrible site...I have also seen prints from BobCats, had that Fox last year and who knows what else..Thanks for posting..

 

[CinnamonQueen]

Today, my chickens tried once again to attack our blackberry bush. This is why I do supervised free-ranging.

 

[tweetr1979]

I agree with the securing. I make sure my Hens are in and locked up after being out. We did have a Coyote early afternoon take one and the others when taken was early am when the Hens' latch wasn't secured and they let there selves out and we lost 3 at once, they just scaled our fence and took them down the neighborhood street. Horrible site...I have also seen prints from BobCats, had that Fox last year and who knows what else..Thanks for posting..

Mine are only a just over a week old so I haven't had to worry about them being outside just yet - won't have to worry about that for a few more weeks, although it is really starting to warm up here during the day and over night so they may get booted out of the spare room sooner. Hubby is going to put a light outside overlooking the coop (their fenced area backs onto our garage) and there are windows at the back of the garage so we will be able to see if there is anything without having to run around outside with a predator. I am also thinking of doing an electrified wire running the length of the fenced in area we have for them - just to deter a little more!

From what I have been reading with all the predator attacks lately, planning, planning and more back up plans need to be in place lol

 

[LaLa Chickie]

Mine are only a just over a week old so I haven't had to worry about them being outside just yet - won't have to worry about that for a few more weeks, although it is really starting to warm up here during the day and over night so they may get booted out of the spare room sooner. Hubby is going to put a light outside overlooking the coop (their fenced area backs onto our garage) and there are windows at the back of the garage so we will be able to see if there is anything without having to run around outside with a predator. I am also thinking of doing an electrified wire running the length of the fenced in area we have for them - just to deter a little more!

From what I have been reading with all the predator attacks lately, planning, planning and more back up plans need to be in place lol

Sounds like a plan. When we lost Cocoa Puff she was having a soothing dirt bath just outside my husbands den...unfortunately, those Coyotes are so fast, they were both gone when he got out the door...Ughhh! He's seen them before and gave chase with "ammo" but they glide over boulders and fence like Gazelles.. I keep lots of areas they can get behind and hide in different areas so, they have a chance if they don't do an complete out in the sun Tanning Day!

 

[marvun22]

The fox did kill them, just leaving behind piles of feathers. The fox only killed 2 chickens. One was an EE roo and the other was a New Hampshire hen. They were 2 of my favorite 3 birds. They all are locked in the coop right now and they hate it. They don't realize the danger of being out. I still have 29 chickens (counting my babies), 13 ducks, and 2 geese. My 3rd favorite, a friendly buff orpington keeps on flying over the wire from their perch to get out. I put her and the rest of the chickens in the new coop, where there's no perch yet. I am glad I trusted my gut. When I was ordering my chicks, I was debating getting a rooster or two. I already had one. I was going to have around 30 hens. I didn't want to get too many roosters because I also have a straight run cross. I decided to get two in case either one of them or my elder rooster died. I already miss having a rooster crow every morning. My rooster had quite the personality. I'm not even sure why I liked him. He ripped up hens and he didn't defend them. He still was probably my favorite chicken. I'm extremely glad that I have 2 more roosters with me right now. I hope I can find another one of him somewhere. If any of you have someone that looks like this and would ship him to me, that would be amazing.

 

[LittleBits]

Quote: LaLa: Thank you - we loved our little kitten - It found us a few weeks ago. I heard it meowing outside, so we kind of adopted it. It had already used up one of it's "9 lives" by getting stepped on - completely. It laid on it's side for >24 hrs, just breathing really fast and then slowly (very slowly) came back from that semi-comatose state. It would sit up for 5 min, then topple over. Poor thing, but she became so playful and cute; we just loved her! Should of seen her trying to make friends w/ the chickens! lol They weren't too receptive.

We don't know what got the chickens - maybe a raccoon but the next day we secured the coop even more. They get locked in at night, but something got under the fence and then inside the coop. It was such a sickening site. Next nite, just a few went inside to roost - had to carry the rest of them in. Whatever it was hasn't been back and no luck with a trap, either. There's some wild cats around, too; fox, mink, weasels, coyote, you name it, it's around. Would had to be able to squish its body or climb up the side of the coop.

So today, what our chickens did was be lazy, as far as I know! They gobbled up some food when I fed them a second time (just got home), ran after me to the run door, begging for treats. They get a bunch of clover every time I go out there.

Yesterday, though, they got some yogurt mixed in w/ their feed for the first time. Also some vegetable soup and some bread. Not that I'm going to do that much. Chicken feed is expensive enough. I just wanted to give them something special~!

 

[LittleBits]

Quote:

Marvun22: Too bad you don't live closer. We have a roo that we would like to sell.

He's pretty close to the picture above.

 

[LibRat]

It certainly must be - at least must be exhausting when you're name is PigPen!!!  lol
Are you sure there isn't something wrong with him?  Does he live in the house?

There is nothing wrong with him. He's pretty normal when he's outside but he's a Mommas baby and when I come home from work he wants to be by me so then he comes in the house until bed time. He just sleeps weird :/

 

[Shark Akhrrana]

Had to separate Domingo from his father.. they hate each other.