I am lucky to get 6 months out of 6 chickens,,,,,, to many predators around here,,, and they go in bunches, a few months will go by and then2 or 3 will disappear over night
I am thinking of shutting them in at night
Chicks, Chickens and Quackers!
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I am thinking of shutting them in at night
Arcticdude
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Thats probably a good idea where you live. You probably have a lot of coon, skunk and possums at your location.
Even though we've lost very few chickens I dont want to keep pressing my luck. I'm going to build a new chicken coop this spring, as soon as the ground thaws out, and it will have an automatic door opener.
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I was left 10 chickens by the previous owners. i know why they left them. 1st week I got 4 eggs. Mr Bobcat started to get them. Even in the coop.
Coop became home to 3 useless house cats. About a year later Mr Bobcat found them. My barn cat somehow avoids him.
Still can’t figure out how he was getting in and out. But he has left my equipment stored there alone.
Coop became home to 3 useless house cats. About a year later Mr Bobcat found them. My barn cat somehow avoids him.
Still can’t figure out how he was getting in and out. But he has left my equipment stored there alone.
I have a pretty large area and currently down to 15 hens, several breeds from Rhode Island reds, leghorn, Moran, orpington, Americana, wyandott..(about to age out on me). I don't know off hand the size of entire area but have 2 separate coops...they all tend to roost in only one...I have a seperate area where I can keep new younger hens separate from the older for first 30 days then open it all up and they seem to all get along fine after that. I'm getting ready to put in order for at least 15 new 2 month old hens...I have never been able to allow mine to free range without something picking them off! ...be it fox, hawk or whatever. I'm planning to expand the "free range" area in next month or two with netting over top so they will have very large area to roam. Had 20 ducks to hang out in pond a couple years ago...they dropped their dang eggs in the pond! One thing or another picked them off one or more at a time...frustrating! I loved my ducks (as worthless as they were for dropping eggs in the pond) and I love my hens too!
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My ”chicken yard” was set up by idiots. 3/4 acre hillside that is useless was good.
5 ft fencing on 3 visible sides with electric run was good.
4 ft fence with no electric bordering a very thick box canyon was dumb. Mr Bobcat took the first rabbit I put out as bait. Climbed the fence. Another Bobcat moved in.
I would have a lot of work on a steep hillside to make it work after I figure out how the coop was breached.
Have some infrastructure, but not enough to make it feasible at the moment.
5 ft fencing on 3 visible sides with electric run was good.
4 ft fence with no electric bordering a very thick box canyon was dumb. Mr Bobcat took the first rabbit I put out as bait. Climbed the fence. Another Bobcat moved in.
I would have a lot of work on a steep hillside to make it work after I figure out how the coop was breached.
Have some infrastructure, but not enough to make it feasible at the moment.
I have chicken wire buried in the ground all the way around perimeters of the chicken pen area..with chicken wire across the the entire area over top...vinyl tarps over a couple of areas for shade...and shade fabric panel hanging down another area to keep hot sun off them..no animal typically native here to go after chickens can dig or climb its way into the coop..or at least has not been able to so far...IF I let them out to free range that's death sentence..
Somehow, I don't recall when growing up having family or neighbors even when I was in the rural mountains of Kentucky, having the chickens picked off to the extent mine get hit in north Florida, nowadays in a more populated area..weird! Maybe I have a short memory.
Somehow, I don't recall when growing up having family or neighbors even when I was in the rural mountains of Kentucky, having the chickens picked off to the extent mine get hit in north Florida, nowadays in a more populated area..weird! Maybe I have a short memory.
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I live very very rural.
A friend has had chickens for 25 yrs has had Bobcat issues on her 1/4 lot In a small hamlet. I lived1/2 mile down the road, spent lot of time in the woods, and never saw a Bobcat in that half of the state In 50 years.
The creatures are adapting to more populated areas.
A friend has had chickens for 25 yrs has had Bobcat issues on her 1/4 lot In a small hamlet. I lived1/2 mile down the road, spent lot of time in the woods, and never saw a Bobcat in that half of the state In 50 years.
The creatures are adapting to more populated areas.
Ahh..I think so..plus ...bobcat like chicken! 
Update on goose (not that anyone else cares..lol) it poured the rain today but I spotted goose on property...new take on things....it appears goose is not actually injured....psyched by goose! I think female is on nest and male is "scouting" the property...now that I think about it..I recall last year male goose did same..walked the whole property as if scouting out the territory and female was on nest....I think he's good to go...although is limping a bit...but he probably didn't see need to take flight.. either way, he's still around..I'm gonna leave him alone
Danil54grl
Top Poster
That is good news!
Amish Heart
A True Doomsday Prepper
I'm waiting for 8 grey Toulouse goslings to arrive in the mail
Does anyone the ones on this list here which are the best chickens for meat or eggs, or both? Some varieties we don't get over here in the UK, but I think it's probably one of the best animals to have for survival, as of course!
Please share pics when they arrive!
Leghorns, Rhode Island Reds, Orpingtons are good laying hens that I've had..I'm going to order some Brahma and Jersey Red..I think the Leghorns and Jersey Red are good meat chickens too..not sure about the Jersey Red for good layers...I need to do more research on the meat chickens..so far, I've only bought hens for the eggs...I'm sure others here know a lot more about chickens they can recommend...to me you can't go wrong with any chicken!
He has already been banned Cindy. Was going to answer the question too, but saw it was too late.
Barred Rocks and Austrolorps are good duel purpose hens. I prefer to raise meat birds for meat and high output laying hens just for eggs. The reason is you don’t waste any food or time. The Cornish Cross is the meat bird to use. You seriously can start processing some of them in as little as 6 weeks. My favorite laying hen is the ISA Brown. Followed by Leghorns (too noisy and flighty for me, but do lay well) and then Rhode Island Reds.
Barred Rocks and Austrolorps are good duel purpose hens. I prefer to raise meat birds for meat and high output laying hens just for eggs. The reason is you don’t waste any food or time. The Cornish Cross is the meat bird to use. You seriously can start processing some of them in as little as 6 weeks. My favorite laying hen is the ISA Brown. Followed by Leghorns (too noisy and flighty for me, but do lay well) and then Rhode Island Reds.
Only three post and he was banned, what did I miss?
must have been using this site to build his???
must have been using this site to build his???
Oops! I didn't know he was banned. Thanks for the information and recommendations on the layers and meat chickens anyway...I will put some of those on my order list!
Finally found someone to build me a Chicken Tractor! So excited! Does anyone have experience with them that could tell me if one 5’ wide by 8’ long on wheels would be functional? Was considering 10’ long, but think it might be too hard to handle.
poltiregist
A True Doomsday Prepper
Someone just came to my house and informed me backyard chickens in Arkansas and Missouri is now illegal . Commercial poultry operation have been exempt from this decree . That makes me an outlaw as I have no intentions of getting rid of my chickens . Is this a decree targeting preppers ? Buying baby chicks will be illegal in these two states for preppers / backyard farmers . Can any on here confirm or debunk this ?
Have not read any news about that. But the goverment IS after our hens, goats and cows! The feds have killed thousands of chickens, blamed in on the bird flu. Guess what test they are using? Yep, the PCR test. Have also read they are going after people’s private flocks close to the large breeders and killing their hens too.
Hide your hens folks. Mine are not visible from any road or even our driveway. Will keep it that way.
