Lorihadams-- hi guys...been busy!

[lorihadams]

Aw, thanks honey!

The pen is a little heavy, it'll take the two of us to move it but not that bad. The frame is recycled 2x4 posts, I think it is 10x10 or 10x12. The hoop part is just pvc attached with screws and covered with a tarp, I would have put wire under it but I was not there to supervise so I will cross my fingers that nothing tears through that tarp. Then the triangle part is just leftover 2x2 pieces covered in chicken wire. If we had major predators here I would definitely make it more predator proof but the most we have to deal with here is the occasional fox or coon. The only expense we had making it was the roll of chicken wire, hinges and a latch for the door. We had everything else. I figured that we are only going to use it for 5-6 weeks with the broilers anyway so we can always reinforce it later if we decide to put anything else in there ( crested polish in the spring )

I hope the kids enjoy the pauwau, I love stuff like that. One of the last craft projects we did was making dream catchers.

Cut out the inside of a paper plate and punch the ring with holes using a hole punch. Thread yarn through the holes and add beads and feathers. Attach a loop of yarn for a hanger and voila! dream catcher!

 

[BeccaOH]

Nice hoop coop! It is creative, and I do have a plan I printed from online that uses PVC for the hoops (just can't find the link again). I'm making one of those now for a temporary holding pen. The frame still makes the thing heavy, though, and my trouble (not explained well in the directions) is holding on the tarp. I don't really want to staple it on as I want to be able to take it apart for winter. I'm even having some issues with tarp on the cattle panel hoop coop. Part blew off in a wind the other day.

 

[lorihadams]

Chad put the tarp under the frame and wrapped it around the 2x4 before stapling it from the inside.

 

[lorihadams]

I am just devastated. We woke up yesterday morning to a slaughter. I lost 10 of my 15 chickens yesterday. I lost 9 of my 10 brahmas and 1 sexlink, the one that went broody earlier. I closed up the run but left the pop door open and it's all my fault. I didn't feel good, I haven't felt good all week, the change in the weather has really done a number on me. I got lazy and just closed the run door. I have one brahma left, I am not sure if it is a hen or a roo. I am going to see if I can get in touch with the people I got them from and see if I can get 3 hens and a roo. The chickens are locked up tighter than fort Knox and I went to TSC and bought 2 traps. Whatever it was ate 4 of the heads and just bit the jugulars on the others and left them. Such a waste. All my pretty brahmas.

 

[2dream]

Oh my goodness. So sorry. But its not your fault. Really. It is just something horrible that happend. Set the traps and hopefully catch whatever it is.

Cry, catch that critter, and quit beating yourself up for being human.

 

[keljonma]

Sorry to hear about your flock, Lori. You have certainly had a year of losses.. As long as you have birds, there will be predators wanting them.

Here are some ideas that might help keep losses to predators to a minimum...
--Install an automatic pop door so that it closes as dusk.

--Install motion sensor lighting by the coops.

--Move the coops to be closer to the dogs or let your dogs guard the flock at night.

--Give your son the "chore" of making sure the coop is closed at dusk as part of his allowance.

--Make it a family routine to all go out and make sure everything is locked up every night.

We used to go out to the barn just before dusk and call out that we had treats. We would put out the treats. Usually, everyone would come running. But we would check to be sure everyone was in for the night, do a head count, and chase stragglers into the hen house. Then we made sure the barn doors and hen house pop door were locked for the night. Of course, you have to do it every night so the chickens get used to the routine of treats in the house at night and you get into the routine of locking up.

 

[FarmerChick]

wonderful little chicken tractor Lori. It will serve you well.

So sorry for the loss.
it happens.
just a reminder each time you leave, to triple check the locks and be sure all is shut up tight like fort knox. we all do that.....have our bad days....but this will make you a better security guard for the future. we all do these types of things and it stinks and we learn and it is drilled into our heads. Lock up, lock up!

yup, trap it and dispose of it...it knows it has good hunting grounds now.

just do what you have to and move forward!



rainy here today but maybe sun will pop out later. rainy days are just depressing anymore, seems we get tons of them now. which is good, but not great for the soul..lol

 

[lorihadams]

Thanks everyone, I just feel guilty. Last night we had to search the property for the remaining 5. We had to carry every one of them into the coop. They don't want to go back into the "pen of death" as we are jokingly referring to it now. Poor things, they all slept in the nesting boxes.

Everyone seems fine this morning, I am going to get Chad to help me modify the pop door so that it is more secure and I am thinking of getting a motion sensor light to put at the corner of the run.

I just hate that I lost my brahmas. It's different when you raise them from chicks. They were only 2 months old but we were starting to get attached, you know? They are such gentle birds and so pretty. Chad just hugged me and said, "honey, we'll get more brahmas, I liked them too...it just makes me mad that they just killed them for no reason. If they had eaten the whole bird or taken the carcass away that would be one thing but to just kill for the sake of killing is such a waste."

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Today we are supposed to go to the Pauwau but it is threatening rain so I don't know if it will happen or not. Chad went hunting this morning and texted me that he had seen 6 hens, 1 six pointer, 3 does, and a coon. Nothing he would take a shot at though. It's early yet, he tends to be more picky during bow season. Come gun season we'll be more inclined to take does to fill the freezer!

It was so humid last night. I was sweating by the time I got done putting the birds away. My broilers are doing well and their appetites are really picking up. They are eating much more now. I'll be glad when they are feathered out and can go in the tractor.....the flies are killing me. The chickens sure like them though!

 

[FarmerChick]

remember Lori animals don't think ---killing just for the sake of killing--it isn't a waste to them.

don't over think what animals do to survive ya know.....to them it "just is"

we throw all the baggage onto the situation ourselves. I know it is hard and stinks----but real nature is just that---not understandable truly.

a predator does what a predator does. we can't let that overpower us at all. it "just is nature".




yea Tony never takes a shot during bow season unless it is perfect.
Bow season is just fun for Tony. If the shot and perfect deer is there, yup---if not he just loves the start of the season, being in the woods scoping it out and all the hunting thrills.

 

[Blackbird]

Thats horrible Lori! I'm so sorry!

The only animals that I know of that would kill that many and just leave them are maybe coons and dogs. Hopefully you'll capture a coon soon.