Chicken run VS predators

[EddieWalker]

We went out to visit my brother in Midlothian Tx. to pick up an HVAC unit and bring it back to AL.

Don't know how close you are to that Miranda Lambert's place. My wife had to exit there and pick up some wine to bring back home.



It sure was cold in Tx. this past weekend..We went to the ATT Stadium Sat. and saw a rodeo there. Like to froze before we got into the stadium


Made the 12 hr trip back yesterday morning

Quite a few friends where at that rodeo and where posting pictures on FB.

The Lowes and Walmart there in Lindale are where I do a lot of shopping. Closer then Tyler and a lot nicer.

My step daughters husband went to school with Miranda and sat next to her in a few classes. She was just another kid in school back then. One of my clients hangs out with her parents and they go to her concerts with them and then party all night afterwards. I've never met her or her parents. Never been to her store either.

 

[kenmac]

For some reason, my wife likes the wine they sell. They have many other items there as well. Different types of seasoning to put on food, steaks, etc,.

sorry, got off topic. Have a good evening

 

[Clint S]

I once lost 15 birds between 2 and 4 on a summer day some right in the yard . Went in after mowing the lawn showered and came out to a massacre I am guessing a fox , but don't know. I keep them fenced in mostly during the day and always locked up at night. They only range when I am out and about. Once I got the permit for nuisance animals I got rid of 10 fox the first summer. I now get a few a year and maybe lose a bird a year and let them out more.

 

[Jstpssng]

I once lost 15 birds between 2 and 4 on a summer day some right in the yard . Went in after mowing the lawn showered and came out to a massacre I am guessing a fox , but don't know. I keep them fenced in mostly during the day and always locked up at night. They only range when I am out and about. Once I got the permit for nuisance animals I got rid of 10 fox the first summer. I now get a few a year and maybe lose a bird a year and let them out more.

That also could have been a domestic dog, or a fox as you said. Two springs ago I came home one afternoon to see a dead chicken lying in the road; I thought that it had been run over. I swung into my field and saw a fox gnawing on another bird; if I'd been driving my Ranger instead of the Sierra, she would have gone under the tires. I lost all but one of my hens that day.

I once lost 37 three week old birds between the time that I left home in the morning and when I got back at night; a weasel or weasels must have gotten in to the henhouse and had a slaughterfest. I don't care how tight your building is, those little buggers can find a way in.

 

[kenmac]

I once lost 15 birds between 2 and 4 on a summer day some right in the yard . Went in after mowing the lawn showered and came out to a massacre I am guessing a fox , but don't know. I keep them fenced in mostly during the day and always locked up at night. They only range when I am out and about. Once I got the permit for nuisance animals I got rid of 10 fox the first summer. I now get a few a year and maybe lose a bird a year and let them out more.

I can't let mine out. There are always hawks circling around looking for a way in their pen from above.

 

[tomplum]

We used to let the girls out on regular basis. If they would stay out where you can see them, but no they like the back fence line underneath a row of fir and cedars. Hence the large run coming. You can buy a lot of #$$#@! eggs for what the fence cost. But the peace of mind is worth it. Especially her wanting meat chickens. I wouldn't do it any other way.

 

[kenmac]

We used to let the girls out on regular basis. If they would stay out where you can see them, but no they like the back fence line underneath a row of fir and cedars. Hence the large run coming. You can buy a lot of #$$#@! eggs for what the fence cost. But the peace of mind is worth it. Especially her wanting meat chickens. I wouldn't do it any other way.

lol... I can buy allot of eggs for what it cost to feed them too. It's just something about them I like.
They hear me coming to collect the eggs. they all run up to the fence to greet me. Not really, they want me to bring them something to eat

 

[RoyKing]

Use typical fence wire on inside of post, then electric on the outside and over the top, hang some plastic strips to the over the top pieces. I used roundup to keep grass down around the fence so the low wires don't short. Falling sticks had to be cleared regularly.

 

[EddieWalker]

lol... I can buy allot of eggs for what it cost to feed them too. It's just something about them I like.
They hear me coming to collect the eggs. they all run up to the fence to greet me. Not really, they want me to bring them something to eat

My wife is selling them for $4 a dozen. Her hair dresser sells a variety of stuff at her shop, along with ten to 12 dozen of our eggs. We give her all our loose feathers that we find from the birds, that she makes into something crafty that she sells, so she sells our eggs in return for the feathers. Then we sell another 6 to 10 dozen eggs a week to friends and at work. This more then pays for feed for chickens, ducks, guineas, goats, horses and our pig, but it also has enough left over for gas or just pocket money. Seems that the variety of colors is what people get the most excited about!!!

 

[GLyford]

Have a hot wire about 6" off the ground around the outside, rated to burn weeds. "Nose sniffing height" as it was explained to me.

I have done the chicken wire on the ground thing to keep rabbits out of the garden, but that doesn't work for chipmunks or woodchucks.

I don't let the hens out, but the wife does on occasion. We have lost 3 or 4 to hawk strikes but she still does it. The first one was in their run, then we put deer netting over it.

The only thing that has actually dug under our coop was rats, and they weren't after the girls. Trapped them and found a different feeder they couldn't get into and haven't seen them again. We have seen fox and coyote in the neighborhood, I've only ever seen one raccoon. Stray dogs used to be much more common 10-15 years ago. Theoretically we could get pine martens or fisher cats, both have been seen a town away but no sign yet around the place. And for that matter, black bear. Closest one has been that I know of for sure was in the school dumpster, but something tore one of our bird feeders bracket and all off a post out front.

Biggest issue now is keeping up with mites.