The Backyard/Barnyard Chicken Thread

I love my chickens for what they provide - Eggs and manure. I am the neighbor in town with chickens. I occasionally let them out to free range, otherwise in a big coop.

I only have 3 now. I had one out for a bit when she was being attacked by the others and she must have went over the fence. My sister had sent me a picture taken a block from my home of a chicken on the roof. Someone had taken the pic with a Ring app. I couldn’t find her. Then other was attacked by a small neighbor dog that came through a gate.

Eggs are life!

I hear you. I solved my predator problem by getting an LGD dog. A great pyrenees to be exact. Best dog I ever owned. Very best. And once they are full grown, they don't eat anymore than a lab or german shepard, probably less. My coop wasn't far from the house, so she was always around to watch them and me! They really start doing their job at about 18 months, they are still growing and learning until then, but she was effective against small predators early on. Their barking is their warning system and its effective in keeping predators away. Mine barked at night some, but not non-stop, and it didn't bother us. We knew she was at work. Mine never roamed far from us either. Stayed close to home. Might help if you have an old cat they can attach too if you aren't around and that might keep them around home (they love cats, your cats, not stranger cats). I could let my flock roam during the day and she sniffed out the opposums that snuck in the coop before I shut them up at night. I only lost two chickens in 10 years with her around. Never came home to find my whole flock laying dead in yard from the neighbor dogs or gone because of coyote. She ran them off once she learned what they were about. They take a little bit of positive training to show them you are boss and the chickens are not to play with and they are a bit hard headed and used to thinking on their own, but really she wasn't hard to train (when she was put on leash, she knew I was in command) and they have a maternal guarding instinct (she considers all on your property hers), not territorial. And the Great Pyrenees are the gentle giants of the LGD breeds. Very good with kids and your smaller pets. It's best to get a young one, 6 months or less, so you can train it and it's still young enough to imprint on you and your animals. Keep it leashed or penned for a few weeks before letting it loose and it should stick around. They are not very active dogs either, so if they lay around alot, don't think they aren't doing their job. Less activity, less feed.

I hate to bring up this very dirty word....rabies, but the other day talking about the problem with the old man at the hardware store, he said there were reported cases in the area and that a bear even tested positive for rabies. I have lots of bears next to the house too. The man at the hardware store showed me what combinations to mix in bait to rid them. First time I have wanted a shot gun, hard to miss with that and bigger guns.

I can not go through the loss of another dog, two years ago a predator, wolf or cougar, not sure, got the dog after all that work to train a pup and getting attached.

We moved to the country a few years back, we purchased a tractor and all of the implements and built a chicken coop.

WE did gardening the first 2 years, but damn, the weeds were unmanageable, so the tractor just sits now.

Back to the chickens, do you know that everything loves chicken.

The snakes love the eggs and the chicks. The opossums and Raccoons love the eggs and the chicks , bonus the coons kill the grown chickens as well.

The Foxes love chicken, the coyote love chicken. The neighbors dog loves chicken. The neighbors cat loves chicken. The Bobcats love chicken, the hawks love chicken. The owls love chicken.

I do declare chicken is the hardest thing to raise. We created a fenced in area that they go into at night, but the snakes get in and eat the eggs. WE allow them to roam free in the daylight hours, but the hawks, cats and dogs nab them.

The fox, raccoon, opossums, bobcats and coyote seem to eventually break thru the chicken wire that is reinforced with 4x4 wire.

It is brutal in the Barnyard I tell you.

Chicken, its whats for dinner.

:eggs2020:

Are you going to get more in spring?

Eggs of color produce chicks of color?
:horsekick2:

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You know your a chicken farmer when you reach into your coat pocket at the grocery or work and pull out a egg
You know your a chicken farmer when your digging for change in your pocket and pull out crushed meal worms and hay along with your change.

So sorry. What did you do about the dog?

The owners took it to humane shelter because they then told me it had killed all their flock before they moved here and they brought me my current chicks to compensate. They had the dog in a fenced yard but it escaped and broke in to mine. They were ready to get rid of it as it was a rescue dog and it had the kill instinct for chickens. So starting over and focusing on security now! A nice man at feed store gave me 2 rolls of 14 x 100 ft high grade aviary net so the new flock are fenced and netted!

[link to www.youtube.com (secure)]



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I hear you. I solved my predator problem by getting an LGD dog. A great pyrenees to be exact. Best dog I ever owned. Very best. And once they are full grown, they don't eat anymore than a lab or german shepard, probably less. My coop wasn't far from the house, so she was always around to watch them and me! They really start doing their job at about 18 months, they are still growing and learning until then, but she was effective against small predators early on. Their barking is their warning system and its effective in keeping predators away. Mine barked at night some, but not non-stop, and it didn't bother us. We knew she was at work. Mine never roamed far from us either. Stayed close to home. Might help if you have an old cat they can attach too if you aren't around and that might keep them around home (they love cats, your cats, not stranger cats). I could let my flock roam during the day and she sniffed out the opposums that snuck in the coop before I shut them up at night. I only lost two chickens in 10 years with her around. Never came home to find my whole flock laying dead in yard from the neighbor dogs or gone because of coyote. She ran them off once she learned what they were about. They take a little bit of positive training to show them you are boss and the chickens are not to play with and they are a bit hard headed and used to thinking on their own, but really she wasn't hard to train (when she was put on leash, she knew I was in command) and they have a maternal guarding instinct (she considers all on your property hers), not territorial. And the Great Pyrenees are the gentle giants of the LGD breeds. Very good with kids and your smaller pets. It's best to get a young one, 6 months or less, so you can train it and it's still young enough to imprint on you and your animals. Keep it leashed or penned for a few weeks before letting it loose and it should stick around. They are not very active dogs either, so if they lay around alot, don't think they aren't doing their job. Less activity, less feed.

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If things get boring in the Barn Torchie, check out the chicken coup. If you are feeling generous, make a livechat donation and a treat will be given via automatic feeder. Too funny.

injured chicken update... she has kicked the cat out of my bedroom and chases it around the house. I created a monster. LOL