Without a trace....

[chicknmania]

We would love to get peacocks; haven't for the same reason, the predators, and of course with peacocks you have a little more invested financially. I have talked to someone who had them and he wasn't real positive; said they poop everywhere, especially on your car, and are very prolific. But, I know someone else who has them who has a large farm. They are a beautiful compliment to the place.

 

[chicknmania]

Hi Amy, don't worry about the predators too much. Just give your birds as secure a place to roost as possible at night, and hope for the best. Like I said, the first year we didn't have any problems at all, except for that hawk, and look what happened the other night, with us leaving the barn open! You do have to tell yourself that you might lose some chickens..that's just the way it is, and unfortunately they are a lot more vulnerable to just about everything, then other pets. They are also prone to a lot of illnesses, and many of those are fatal (boy, do we know about that, too!) We have learned how to accept and handle our losses pretty well, except for our favorites...when we lost our Whitey roo it was just so devastating...and we have had others that were painful to lose, too...but I can't not have chickens, so we just have to keep doing the best we can! We have learned a huge amount about keeping chickens, their illnesses and how to get em well, predators and what to do about em, and everything else; that's part of what makes keeping chickens such a fun hobby, I think.

 

[chicknmania]

Oh, yeah, I'd like to get guineas, too, but my son (who is the owner, really) doesn't want em; says they are loud and obnoxious. They are pretty, though, and I've always heard they're good guard birds.

 

[chicknmania]

OK, this IS bizarre! Another hen showed up yesterday who dissapeared 6 WEEKS AGO! She is very distinctive looking so there was no mixing her up with someone else. She showed up for a drink and a snack yesterday afternoon, then dissapeared back into the Twilight Zone! OK, maybe she's sitting on eggs, but WHERE???!!! I mean, we've looked high and low...everywhere. And she has survived all that time (we're guessing somewhere outside) without being eaten!!! We're hoping she'll show up again with a trail of chicks behind her! Or just show up again, herself!

 

[chicknmania]

Another funny thing re the cats and having a rooster to protect your flock; our Barred Cochin roo Checker has taken to standing and staring into the woods where the cat ambushed Little Brat, while three or four hens will dustbathe behind him. He stands close enough so he can feel at least one of them behind him, sort of a way of having eyes in the back of his head,too!