Chicken/egg question

[joel]

When I move, which will be later than I had hoped, I am thinking of using screen wire on the chicken coop, to keep snakes out.
This may help with rodents & Marsupial too.

 

[EastenerWesterner]

I put 1/4 gap wire 2 ft high around my dog runs for snakes.
Put expanded stucco mesh around my deck as skirting to keep Rattlers and Critters out. Had too many dogs chase Raccoons under the deck at night.

 

[user 7704]

When I move, which will be later than I had hoped, I am thinking of using screen wire on the chicken coop, to keep snakes out.
This may help with rodents & Marsupial too.

Deer X is great for snakes. They wind themselves in it and cant get out. I have caught a lot in it.

 

[EastenerWesterner]

I was pulling rotted out plastic fencing out from under the deck. If I do something, it’s gonna be good for 20yrs at least.

 

[Mountain trapper]

I was pulling rotted out plastic fencing out from under the deck. If I do something, it’s gonna be good for 20yrs at least.

I have redwood lumber around all of my decks, and backfilled with 3/4 minus. We have about 75' of redwood deck around the house.
For the chicken coop I use heavy duty 1/8" screen in the windows, around the bottom of the coop I have 1/4" wire buried about 1 foot deep. The wire around the run is 2×4" welded wire. Over the top of the run I have galvanized wire running each direction to keep hawks out. Eventually I'll add an automatic door to the coop, but in 5 years we've lost 1 hen.

 

[joel]

Deer X is great for snakes. They wind themselves in it and cant get out. I have caught a lot in it.

I did not know that, learn something every day.
Thanks, but rodents & marsupials will chew through that.

 

[EastenerWesterner]

I used this steel lath around my bottom of my deck.

Put a Redwood railing on the one side I needed a railing. Didn’t stain it cause it was so nice Looking.

 

[joel]

I used this steel lath around my bottom of my deck.
View attachment 17191
Put a Redwood railing on the one side I needed a railing. Didn’t stain it cause it was so nice Looking.

I know it well, the shops I have worked in called it expanded metal, because of the way it is made.
Anything that can tear through that can have my chickens.

 

[EastenerWesterner]

I know it well, the shops I have worked in called it expanded metal, because of the way it is made.
Anything that can tear through that can have my chickens.

Small enough to keep out snakes, strong enough to keep out coons. Back filled, wired at joints.
Had to use a grinder to cut it, so I know it’s tough.

 

[Cindyd]

Day before yesterday we had a super small egg in the nest...I'm hoping it was one of the new hens ready to start laying...suspect it was either the golden comet or cinnamon queen..it was a dark brown egg...Unless it was a misfire from an older hen.

Btw, this year has sucked with quality of laying pellets. Multiple times this year I've had to take back bags of laying pellets to tractor supply and finally got to where I made them open the bags in the store and look before I brought it home, open bag and the feed is green, moldy all through, and chunks of smashed together green clumps, where it appears humidity got to it. They went through 5 bags in the store one day to find one that wasn't moldy last time I made them check before I bought it. Larry picked a bag up 2 days ago and he just takes off shelf and brings it home. I was getting can full out yesterday and same thing....green down in bag! Also, a lot of ground up pellets in the bag, like filler, just pale looking, dusty pellets! I said I was gonna stop buying chicken feed at TS but the local independent hardware/feed store new owners (which normally I would support fully) are such ********, I refuse to buy from them anymore.

I walked in the hardware/feed store one saturday to buy a zero turn mower that day. Owner says well, it's 15 til 3..we are getting ready to close. Huh? I thought yall were open til 4pm on saturday...nope, "We're a hard 3 o'clock now on saturday..by the time we check the mower, etc ...won't have time". Really? Ok, if yall don't want to make a $6k sale today for an extra few minutes of your time fine with me. Glad they are doing so well they don't need the business! I drove across the street to Tractor Supply and bought the same damn mower I would have previously preferred to buy from the local independent "d!c&" same day, and they delivered it 1 1/2 hours later and was a tad cheaper. But their chicken feed sucks!

I think I got up on wrong side of bed this morning..

 

[user 7704]

I saw a Raccoon on my camera this morning. He had a ringed tail. He did not go to the fence though. Guess I will bait the traps again tonight

 

[user 7704]

Had 9 pictures on the nature cam this morning. I was excited until all pictures were of my cat.

 

[Mountain trapper]

One of our new chicks got out of the enclosure the other day and the GSP pup killed her. Yesterday 3 chicks got out, but we got them back in before the dogs saw them. I found the hole in the fence and patched it.
Robin, get a couple dog proof traps for your coon problem. They're easier to use than box traps, and more effective.

 

[user 7704]

One of our new chicks got out of the enclosure the other day and the GSP pup killed her. Yesterday 3 chicks got out, but we got them back in before the dogs saw them. I found the hole in the fence and patched it.
Robin, get a couple dog proof traps for your coon problem. They're easier to use than box traps, and more effective.

AD, since I have started putting down urine every night, I havent had a problem. Plus, they new neighbors have killed 2. They have chickens too.

 

[Mountain trapper]

AD, since I have started putting down urine every night, I havent had a problem. Plus, they new neighbors have killed 2. They have chickens too.

Sounds like your problem may be solved for now. At least until more coon, possum, weasels or fox move in to fill the void.
I dont understand why we don't have problems with coyotes getting our chickens. We never lock them up at night and we see coyotes around the yard all the time. Last night there was a couple coyotes yipping and howling just outside our bedroom window.

 

[Proud Prepper]

Sounds like your problem may be solved for now. At least until more coon, possum, weasels or fox move in to fill the void.
I dont understand why we don't have problems with coyotes getting our chickens. We never lock them up at night and we see coyotes around the yard all the time. Last night there was a couple coyotes yipping and howling just outside our bedroom window.

No Coyotes, may be because your own dog's have marked there territory and so have you..

 

[Mountain trapper]

No Coyotes, may be because your own dog's have marked there territory and so have you..

That could be. A few days ago we were all sitting out on the back deck. Looked over and saw a coyote sitting just over the fence about 40 from us watching us. The dogs ran after it looking like they wanted to play with it.

 

[user 7704]

When I opened coop, all was good. Just went down to till run and found a dead hen. Not a mark on her. I think she is on of my Spring chickens. The raccoon got one so I dont want to lose another. If I dont get a broody hen, I will have to purchase more in the spring. Dont want that. Too messy.

 

[Mountain trapper]

We lost one of our ducks the other night. I think it was an owl. Ducks tend to wander around a lot at night. We might start putting them in the chicken run at night. I have wire criss crossing the top of the run to keep out winged predators.

 

[user 7704]

The Deer X netting works great as roof netting. A hawk dipped down and as soon as the talons touch the net, it took off.

 

[Mountain trapper]

The Deer X netting works great as roof netting. A hawk dipped down and as soon as the talons touch the net, it took off.

Deer netting works great, except it plugs up with snow and can sag to the ground. I had a couple miles of electric fence wire out in the barn. I wired it back and forth both directions with about 6" between wires. So far we've never seen a hawk or an owl in the run.

 

[user 7704]

Forgot about the snow. We rarely have that problem

 

[Mountain trapper]

We lost one of our oldest hens yesterday. She laid an egg in the morning was still on her nest box. Maybe died of old age?

 

[user 7704]

Sorry Arctic. Sometimes that have a blockage that kills them. It could be old age too.

 

[Cindyd]

I'm fed up with my hens...not getting enough eggs...1-2 per day now...have 18 hens and 4 of the newest are about 5 months old...(unless ive lost count of date I bought them when they were 8 wks. Old)...a few are molting but the rest just eating food and they are older! I gotta go get more hens this weekend! Larry bought eggs this week...Big pet peeve of mine is buying eggs from store! Ain't buying dang eggs from store...Nope! aaaargh!

 

[user 7704]

Caught a young possum last night. He was snooping at the coop and I had stuck a piece of bread in the cage and he wanted it. Lol

 

[GeorgiaPeachie]

No Coyotes, may be because your own dog's have marked there territory and so have you..

We started having something try to get into the run and around the new barn. I did like you noted and “marked” my territory a few times. Problem solved for the moment.

 

[GaRp58]

I am still getting 3 eggs a day from 3 hens...so happy I could just .............

 

[user 7704]

I mark every night, but have caught a possum on camera and a fox since I started. I just killed the possum. Tried to give it away but no takers. My husband asked why I used the .22 rifle instead of 9mm. I said he would have looked like a donut with parts everywhere. There is lots of blood though.

 

[GaRp58]

Hang in there Robin, you will get your thief.