I started out with 6 chickens last spring, 2 older ones that were given to me and 4 babies which turned out to be 2 laying hens and two roos.
Last week I had to go out of town and something started getting my chickens.. First to go were my 2 older girls, (The only laying hens) Lucy and Wynona. Then next was my chicken one which billy had named she had just started laying and the people taking care of my animals traced the feathers and found mountain lion/cougar prints. SO I mooved the remaining 3 to a totally enclosed coop. My henretta hen was the only hen I had left and she had just starting laying... She was Billys favorite, and would let him pick her up. I hated one roo cause he attached Billy, but after a few swift kicks from my boot he seemed to turning around.
Today I went to do chores and my when I called for my chickens, no one answered me back. As I rounded the corner to the coop the only chicken still standing was that mean roo.
The coyotes had attacked my my little dog this morning while she was with me feeding horses, and has puncture wounds on her back. She is doing ok... Gave her some Butte, and she is doing better. I think they were too full from my chickens to carry off my Tiny dog.
I am mad... Got my chickens, got my dog and then next time a dang Coyote or Mountain Lion steps foot in my space them will meet my trusty 45.
I still have a Roo, so atleast I can still be a part of the family here at Daves Garden...
Only one left, that dang Roo who I have come to love
You know you're welcome regardless, but I'm thinking now along the lines of guard llamas and guard emus. We lost about 8 chickens to a fox this past summer and if I coulda killed the sucker I would have. Once a wild animal learns to feed at the family trough they're in too deep.
We made a chick enclosure with about 6 strands of electric fencing and plastic-wire mesh on the inside to keep them in. It did deter that fox while the fox lasted (roadkill) -may be worth a shot this spring...
I am so sorry MissJestr! I haven't lost a chicken yet to a predator--but I know it could happen at anytime. The mountain lions are getting so bold and coyotes out here take everything not nailed down. Right now they are having a great time with the wine grapes--
That is really unfortunate and I am so sorry for you that it happened. I cannot imagine losing mine that way. I don't think we have mountain lions in Iowa but we do have coyotes and foxes. The llama suggestion is a good one. One of our 3 llamas killed foxes that got into the sheep enclosure at her last home. I do worry about hawks too.
I'm so sorry for your loss and you don't need alot of chickens to talk here. It's not how many you have it's how much you love them and want to share things about them.
* It's all about the shareing ^_^ *
Claire, they have mountain lions in OK: one was found with a collar showing it had come from S? Dakota. Just don't count on not having them...
Oh gee, I feel much safer now....
If it got from SD to OK, it probably passed through IA.
My thought exactly. Shouldn't be a problem ever, but knowing they can buzz thru helps, IMHO.
But I haven't got a trusty 45.
Yet. Just so long as you don't play football...
I'm sorry for your losses MissJestr. I know all too well how horrible it is to walk up on a murder scene. (that's what it feels like) and I know it's hard to take.. but hang in there.. you'll get it figured out.. Poor lil dog. I hope it's okay.
I have been building more pens to keep them safe.. it's a pain to do, but well worth it to sleep at night.
Moxy you may not have to worry about Mountain Lions but I think you may have a few bobcats.
www.radioiowa.com/gestalt/go.cfm?objectid=70B7F684-D361-AC8F-943F43415985CB9B
May need to get you a 45, LOL
Sheila
Oh wow, thanks Sheila! I didn't know about that either! I am not south of Hwy 34, but they still could be around. I doubt I have one at the moment because my rabbit population is quite healthy! But, if there is a sudden drop, I will have to keep vigilant!
Claire
We keep our chickens in enclosed pens. 1" x 2" welded wire. They are locked in the buildings at night. To expensive to have some dumb old predator get them.
We lost a bunch of hens years back to a mink. There were a couple small holes in the walls of the old barn they were in. Found the hens dead & stuck in the holes. The mink kills first & then drags them off. Of course they did not fit through the hole he could come in.
Coyotes are thick around here, too. A couple different neighbors hunt them during the winter. One group killed around 60 last winter. Haven't heard any reports yet this year.
Bernie
So sorry to hear about your chickens.
And Yes we do have mountain lions here. It is said that there is one or more running around the lake here by us. I am 1/4 mile from the lake. So far I have not heard or seen this critter. My GP's do not take anyone or anything strange on the property.
Update.
I have no chickens... I went out this morning to feed and my heart sank. I dont know how they got him, I cant see any visable signs of entry but he is gone. I talked to a friend, and we are going to build a pen closer to the house with welded wire before I get more. I sure am going to miss my chickens, and all I can do is start over. Have not told Billy yet, he will be sad but if I can get a pen built before he comes home and get some more, then he will never have to know he lost his favorite.
I cant let them free range, I have heard the coyotes are really bad up here this year and they are bold. They are coming in to yards in Broad daylight. Cant wait till home depot opens up....
BUT I am not going away from Daves garden, I will get a stuffed chicken and then I will be a chicken owner...
Thanks to all for your thoughts... the llama idea is not a bad idea though....
Oh no, I am so very sorry to hear it. Sounds like you need the chicken equivalent of Fort Knox. I am sure you already know, but a couple of pointers I have learned about welded wire pens...
1. Bury the wire 12 to 18 inches in the ground on all sides. This prevents predators that dig from going underneath it.
2. Use the welded wire mesh with the smallest hole size you can get. Apparently mink or weasels can get through really small openings.
3. Make it tall enough so that the predators can't jump the wire.
4. Make a roof if possible to prevent climbers (i.e. raccoons)
5. If there is a chicken resting area inside, try to make it central rather than along the edges. Some predators reach through wire and kill chickens holding them against the wire even though they can't pull them through.
You're always a member of the crazy chicken crew even if you don't have any chickens.
Hugs to you and Billy,
Claire
Free range is anything other than being caged in the 2' x 3' pens of 3. Not necessarily running loose. A building where they can run around & a pen they can go outside in works. Also "chicken tractors" would be considered free range. A chicken tractor would be the best bet for a few chickens. No critters should be able to get in to them.
Bernie
You can see our chicken pen in this picture.
These panels were tables in our greenhouse. We are going to enlarge it this spring.
Bernie
I'm so sorry about this MissJester if you don't want a llama a good friend of mine got a donkey.
She and her husband raise Americanas and something was killing them at night. They thought it might be a coyote and they lost alot of their birds and she heard a donkey would run off anything that came in the yard. So she got one last year and they haven't lost a bird since it's a female and very cute.
I'm SO sorry for your loss MissJestr. My heart is just breaking to hear that you've lost all of your flock. :*-(
Get your new pen ready, and then buy baby chicks to raise indoors for the winter... that might be fun for Billy and you.
{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{BUG HUGS to you and Billy}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}
Kristin
GOOOD NEWS...
I found a chicken farmer that has some rocks and he is willing to let go of some medium size not quite laying yet hens... He thinks he also has a roo. He feels bad for billy and is willing to help. He said he had no chicks, which at this moment I dont want to try and raise, I am waiting until spring for that. I have one more chicken coop on the property that will take some fixing up and has the wire already buried underground and a coop that needs a whole new backside., I am going out right now to look at it and see what will be needed to fix it. Hopefully by the end of the weekend the new coop will be ready and I can bring some chickens home.. I really missed the roo waking me up this am, and am determined to be a chicken owner again... WHOOOO HOOOOO (Doing the chicken dance)
PS Someone told me to hang a wind chime (heavy one) up by the coop which will make noise if they rattle the wire and it may scare them off. Since I love windchimes, I can spare a few that have them big bells on them to attach to all 4 sides... Sounds strange but at this stage of the game I am willing to try anything...
Just catching up here. So very sorry, that is just HORRIBLE to go through. Very glad at least that you have someone local who has a few extra birds -I think that's pretty hard to find this time of year. Harmony's right about the donkeys -they are supposed to be really good companion animals as well as guard animals. Hope the weather hold up for your 'coop'ing. And hope all goes well with Billy -he's really getting the life-lessons, ain't he?!
I am so sorry about all the loss. What a horrible thing to happen.
I am thankful for good nieghboring people who want to help out as well. What a wonderful offer. It is tough this time of year. I hope the new coop will not take too much work. But those chickens are worth it.
Well there is a mini donkey about 10 feet away from the new coop.
Speaking of the new coop, its going slow. It needed to be cleaned out and as I was getting to the bottom of it there was a box in there with a dead chicken in it. Ewww So I stopped and went to the 4H christmas party (I am an adult volunteer for our chapter) I have not gone back in there but it is really strong, completly covered and has a line of boulders all the way around the bottem in the back. They are heavy boulders, I made sure of it. Should have it finished by this weekend. I even have the stuff to make a electric fence around the outside, just need to find out if the electric pole that is out there has juice to it. It will be done with in the next two weeks for a present for Billy.
A friend of mine also lost chickens yesterday, to a cougar. She was able to trap it and take it to Fish and Game. Then I found out they release them back into the wild about 5 miles from where I live in Volk Canyon. It is my choice to live here among the wild life but I tell you I dont have warm and fuzzys if they release them 5 miles away.
Congats on the Donkey!! Nice going on the coop and the dead chicken i would have lost my cookies.
Sorry to hear about the losses. It is hard to loose them.
We saw a fox the other night. My husband took a shot at it but he got away. We have a dog right by the chicken pens so most predators stay back. This fox was way out in the field but still too close for my comfort.
Bad thing about chickens is that they are food for almost any animal. Guess we all have to build Fort Knox for the chickens to keep them safe. :)
That is so true Smedgekles! There are many hungry animals looking for the easy meal!
Fort Knox is right! ;)
Sounds like you're doing everything you can and doing it right! Keep on truckin' an' more power to ya'!!
5mi? Mountain lions? Is there no better option?!
Nope that is where they have been releasing them for years, and getting Fish and Game to change is well like getting the goverment to do anything. A long time ago, Volk Canyon was way away from anyone... Now people are actually living at the base of the canyon... Them I worry about.
No easy answer I guess. Doing away with predators can't be the right thing, but trying to coexist sure ****s (I don't really care what 4 letters)
Mountain lions can take out a mini-donkey... Rottweilers can take out a mini-donkey. And any donkey worth its ears knows it. A lady near Albq lost mini-horses and mini-donkeys to neighborhood dogs a few years back.
Normal sized to mammoth donkeys do work for anything dog sizes or smaller. I was loosing chickens to dogs and skunks until I put a 'donkey moat' around them. No more losses. My jack has even killed a skunk. And boy, did he stink the next morning! LOL
I'd give Fish and Game a call and see what your options are for killing the problem mountain lion. Please don't use a pistol, get a good sized rifle and learn how to use it. Wounding a mountain lion just creates a bigger problem. "Scaring it away" just makes it smarter.
Rhodesian ridgebacks are lion-hunting dogs... they may make good guard dogs, I don't know.
Jay
Fish and Game says they are protected unless they are attacking me or my son. Even if they were to go after my Livestock (THAT being chickens or my cattle) or my pets (Horses or my dogs or my cats or my future chickens) I can not legally shoot them unless I have a permit to...(That is defined by F&G not me) Yep I have thought about getting one of them permits.
But bet your sweet tea I will shoot to kill if they do come after any of my Critters. I am lucky enough to have one of them there Rifles you talk about Jay, and know how to use it... My Trusty 45 is always loaded, the rifle is not. If I can say so my self, I am a pretty good shot, my daddy made sure of it. I also ride in a Mounted Cowboy Shoot and am a member of SASS... This Cowgirl can protect whats hers and my boy just like the old west days... LOL a Woman with guns....
Oh cool! I've been vaguely interested in SASS for a while, as well as buckskinning (not enough time to get really interested). Sounds like YOU probably can do some lethal damage to the lion with a 45, but I'd still prefer a rifle for this one. With a night scope.
I just love it... can't do a thing until they attack you... that's trouble brewing for sure. I think I'd try for the permit; the neighborhood will be safer BEFORE it eats someone. There's clear evidence of a lazy lion and they want you to just not worry your pretty little head about it?
There's always the 3 S's...
But you didn't hear that here. =0)
So sorry for all your losses,MissJestr. I had read awhile back that if you lay several strips of barbed wire on the ground surrounding your fence it will keep out coyotes and bobcat. Haven't tried it myself.
I think you should be able to protect your animals when they are being attacked. So you go girl!
Letting them learn that domesticated animals are easy prey can hardly be the best lesson for them!! Farms are a great food source...any number of highly questionable lessons they'll be learning!
Although it was not my mountain Lion, this bobcat had been hanging around the ranch and I am sure it feasted on a few chickens.
With Billy coming home this weekend, cant have him going up and wanting to pet the kitty.
Not quite sure how it came to be in this situation ;~} , but I can assure everyone it was not a random act as it was found next to my new coop.
Legal disclaimer: I dont know who did it but she must be a crack shot and it was taken to the F&G by a legal trapper person, that is where the pix was taken.
SO SORRY if I offend anyone, but with a Boy and Horses to think of, this had to be done.
Fine with me... good, clean shot is humane, not random, animal lurking near susceptible livestock.
Studies have shown if livestock killers are taken out selectively, and non-livestock killers left, a stable population of non-killing predators will keep out the adventitious killers, thus reducing livestock predation long term.
I find the humaniacs more offensive.
Jay
No offense taken here. What would have happened if you went out and accidently cornered him.
I agree with Jay. I see coyotes and foxes running through all the time. They do make me nervous but they have left my animals alone so I will leave them alone. As a matter of fact, the coyotes have helped keep the woodchuck population down which in turn keeps them out of my garden. I've had more problems with neighbors' dogs then the wildlife around here.
Pretty kitty - too bad it was messing with your livestock.
No offense taken here.