Urban Chickens

[DerekW]

That's a cool looking setup you have there Derekw. Is that a tractor?

Thanks, Anne. Yes, that's a tractor. I started off with plans I bough from a chap on the 'net, and modified a little as the building went along.

How easily is it moved?

With two handles at one end and two wheels at the other, it moves fairly easily with one person lifting and pulling. Those wheels were recycled from an old kid's scooter. If they end up giving too much rolling resistance on rougher ground then I'll replace them with wheelbarrow wheels.

Good looking birds, they look to be older than my girls. Are they already laying?

They were laying before being carted to their new home in burlap bags. No doubt they'll need some settling in time before they recommence production

Give them a treat for me - mine were introduced to watermelon during the heat of the day yesterday.

I'm looking forward to seeing what they make of various tidbits - thanks for the melon tip, and no doubt the girls thank you too.

Ours are going to have to do well in the tractor, since we have no fenced area to let them wander around in. The chap we got them from had them in tractors, and they did well there, so we have high hopes that they'll be fine.

[annecros]

They were laying before being carted to their new home in burlap bags. No doubt they'll need some settling in time before they recommence production 

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You may get lucky and find one or two "residual" eggs before they decide to punish you for the bag treatment. I bet they'll remember that for oh, 24/48 or maybe even 72 hours! Naughty chicken god.

My girls still consider hubby the evil "chicken grabber" - as he is the only one who grabs chickens. They and I wish he would stop!

I think my girls are close to point of lay. Looking forward to first egg, if they don't hide it in the back yard somewhere while they are ranging!

Hubby was thinking to add handles and wheel barrow wheels, but the he went "Oh, nevermind." And that was that. So far!

I want a new coop.

[annecros]

Boy, Gully sure gets around. Mona and Lucille, today.

Actually, that is their feed cup. The handle broke on one of my mugs, so it is now a feed scoop.

[DerekW]

You may get lucky and find one or two "residual" eggs before they decide to punish you for the bag treatment.

You were right - the Americauna did a bit more of the "buawck buawck" & produced our first and so far only egg on day two. They still had not worked out how to get 'upstairs' by nightfall, so under cover of darkness we opened up the tractor and transferred them to the roost area.

I was surprised at their complete docility - they made no reaction at all to being picked up and moved.

[annecros]

You may get lucky and find one or two "residual" eggs before they decide to punish you for the bag treatment.

You were right - the Americauna did a bit more of the "buawck buawck" & produced our first and so far only egg on day two. They still had not worked out how to get 'upstairs' by nightfall, so under cover of darkness we opened up the tractor and transferred them to the roost area.

I was surprised at their complete docility - they made no reaction at all to being picked up and moved.

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That's nice, what color did you get? I want one or two in the future maybe.

Funny you should mention the docility at night. We had an unfortunate run in with a predator (probably a stray cat) and woke up to find feathers everywhere and a poor lame chicken.

Our fault completely. We left the pop door open. We are ashamed of ourselves, and hubby is taking an afternoon off to reinforce the coop. In the meantime, I have a makeshift chicken hospital set up on the bar in the family room with poor Mona (my favorite, of course) with a hurt foot.

For what it is worth, I think the chickens won. No blood, but a couple of bad looking tails and three chickens with post traumatic stress disorder. Poor girls. I fed them strawberries this morning trying to make it up to them. Good ones. I may dig a couple of worms out of the compost pile this afternoon.

I live in a pretty urban/suburban area. I do know we have a possum from time to time, and several stray cats running around - but the neighborhood is well lit, well trafficed and almost noisy most of the time. Anyone considering this needs to not take security lightly.

Chickens are at the bottom of the food chain, and they taste just like chicken!

[Peter the eater]

I love reading this topic -- every time I check Today's Active Topics and I see there's been an addition, my brain adds an "e" after the Urban.

My municipality has had many heated exchanges regarding chicken coops in the city. I've lost track who's winning. Fifty years ago my garage was full of chickens. They're long gone but we've got some great compost soil.

[DerekW]

That's nice, what color did you get? I want one or two in the future maybe.

Kentucky, our Americauna, is a warm sandy brown colour, and her eggs [two, now] are a pale green. The Brahmas [Tikka and Korma] are a sort of lacy grey and white - one pale, one dark. The chicken keeper read the breed descriptions out to me from the book, but the information hasn't stuck yet.

We had an unfortunate run in with a predator (probably a stray cat) and woke up to find feathers everywhere and a poor lame chicken.

Ouch! Poor chook.

I have a makeshift chicken hospital set up on the bar in the family room with poor Mona (my favorite, of course) with a hurt foot.

Now I have this vision of a chook with its foot up in traction, sipping a cocktail

Anyone considering this needs to not take security lightly.

We're bordering on the semi-rural, and the yard is like the Wild Kingdom - fortunately the girls are learning to make their way up into the roost at night, so we hope that they will be free from interference.

I'm working away from home right now, but the phone rang - the chicken farmer calling to tell me that one of the Brahmas laid an egg . The novelty value will wear off soon enough, I'm sure.

[annecros]

I have a makeshift chicken hospital set up on the bar in the family room with poor Mona (my favorite, of course) with a hurt foot.

Now I have this vision of a chook with its foot up in traction, sipping a cocktail

Anyone considering this needs to not take security lightly.

We're bordering on the semi-rural, and the yard is like the Wild Kingdom - fortunately the girls are learning to make their way up into the roost at night, so we hope that they will be free from interference.

I'm working away from home right now, but the phone rang - the chicken farmer calling to tell me that one of the Brahmas laid an egg . The novelty value will wear off soon enough, I'm sure.

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Well, it is almost that bad. Upon further examination we did determine that there was a break at the ankle, so we splinted it. I then hand fed her grapes for breakfast (I didn't peel them, but they were quartered) and she will have a boiled egg for lunch. She's eating and drinking fine, no broken skin.

She's such a sweetheart.

Brahma's are beautiful chickens and the names are very appropriate. About the time the egg novelty wears off, one will go broody and the chicken keeper will decide to slip some hatching eggs under her! You do have expansion plans for that coop, right?

[Dejah]

annecros:

Well, it is almost that bad. Upon further examination we did determine that there was a break at the ankle, so we splinted it. I then hand fed her grapes for breakfast (I didn't peel them, but they were quartered) and she will have a boiled egg for lunch. She's eating and drinking fine, no broken skin.

Somehow, feeding boiled egg to a hen with a broken ankle just doesn't sound right.

[sparrowgrass]

Chickens love eggs, boiled or un. They alse eat mice, little snakes, frogs, and pretty much anything that doesn't eat them first.

Mine don't break their own eggs to eat them, but let me drop one as I walk out of the chicken house--it is gone in a wink. And if a hen is injured or killed somehow, her sisters will cannibalize her without any apparent remorse.

[annecros]

annecros:

Well, it is almost that bad. Upon further examination we did determine that there was a break at the ankle, so we splinted it. I then hand fed her grapes for breakfast (I didn't peel them, but they were quartered) and she will have a boiled egg for lunch. She's eating and drinking fine, no broken skin.

Somehow, feeding boiled egg to a hen with a broken ankle just doesn't sound right.

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Oh I understand your reaction.

However, it is beneficial on several levels. The hen can't get out and free range with her sisters now, so the protein and the fat in the egg substitute for the bugs and slugs she would consume while ranging. Mush the shell in with the boiled egg, and that is a great calcium source for the poor broken limb. Sprinkle a pinch of grit on top to keep her digestion going, and she should be good to go.

She also has laying crumbles and fresh water within reach, which is nutritionally complete for a hen her age.

As sparrowgrass (a much more experienced chicken keeper than I am) points out - they are true omnivores, and will eat anything that doesn't eat them.

They are wonderful in that they consume our garbage (leftovers, kitchen scraps) and pests (mine are great slug hunters) and give us an almost perfect protein in a germ proof container.

This one in the hospital is getting really attached. Loves scritches and beak rubs, coos at me when I check on her. Probably because I feed her!

[annecros]

Oh, I just saw a raccoon in my back yard. We are in the city, they don't belong here.

I just got one back out into daylight, I'm not going to lose the other two.

Mr raccoon, it's on.

[azurite]

I think raccoons adapt to living almost everywhere. I remember driving on the service road (parallels the LIE) towards Flushing (Queens, NYC) around 4 or 5am on a Saturday morning to meet some people for a geology field trip upstate, looking over & seeing a raccoon rummaging in a garbage it had taken the lid off of.

NY, NY, if they can make it there, they can make it anywhere . . .. :-)

Edited July 13, 2009 by azurite (log)

[annecros]

They are card carrying minions of the devil.

Why are they so darn cute?

Now, hubby and I are into a whole other discussion. What to do about the predator?

I don't care where it goes, but it can't stay here. If we live trap it and relocate it, we would probably be relocating all the problems associated with raccoons (rabies, livestock threats, general mayhem) and creating a problem for another area. I'm not sure relocating the pest is the best thing to do for my environment.

Animal control sort of blew us off. I am going to call again tomorrow.

We are allowed to dispatch a predator trapped live on our property, as long as we do it in a humane manner.

What? This is going to require research.

[Irishgirl]

They are card carrying minions of the devil.

Why are they so darn cute?

Now, hubby and I are into a whole other discussion. What to do about the predator?

I don't care where it goes, but it can't stay here. If we live trap it and relocate it, we would probably be relocating all the problems associated with raccoons (rabies, livestock threats, general mayhem) and creating a problem for another area. I'm not sure relocating the pest is the best thing to do for my environment.

Animal control sort of blew us off. I am going to call again tomorrow.

We are allowed to dispatch a predator trapped live on our property, as long as we do it in a humane manner.

What? This is going to require research.

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I know that this is a bit untoward, but I have heard that if you get your husband to deposit some of his urine around the property, that the 'coons will not bother you. I have been contemplating this procedure myself, as we have regular visitors at night and they are digging up my beds.

[annecros]

They are card carrying minions of the devil.

Why are they so darn cute?

Now, hubby and I are into a whole other discussion. What to do about the predator?

I don't care where it goes, but it can't stay here. If we live trap it and relocate it, we would probably be relocating all the problems associated with raccoons (rabies, livestock threats, general mayhem) and creating a problem for another area. I'm not sure relocating the pest is the best thing to do for my environment.

Animal control sort of blew us off. I am going to call again tomorrow.

We are allowed to dispatch a predator trapped live on our property, as long as we do it in a humane manner.

What? This is going to require research.

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I know that this is a bit untoward, but I have heard that if you get your husband to deposit some of his urine around the property, that the 'coons will not bother you. I have been contemplating this procedure myself, as we have regular visitors at night and they are digging up my beds.

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Not untoward at all. My grandfather swore by it.

I just don't know if he is doing it or not. He won't say.

I am also sending the dog out there after dark, when they are cooped, to stretch her legs before going to bed. Hoping that will help.

Flower beds or veg beds? We've been growing veg on this property for two years and haven't had a 'coon problem until now.

I guess everyone loves chicken.

[sparrowgrass]

Just a note on the "humaneness" of live trapping and releasing into a natural area. Most critters that are moved die--they don't know the escape routes in their new territory, and something gets them--a car, a coyote, a dog. . .

A gun is the most humane way of dispatching an animal, but that may not be an option for you.

If your coop is tight and locked up after dark, you may be ok. Coons rarely visit in the daytime. But don't encourage the little devil--keep your dog and cat food inside, put good tight lids on your trash cans--bungee them if you have to. And if any of your neighbors think that it is cute to feed raccoons, dissuade them--tell them raccoons are rabies vectors, and they have roundworms that can cause humans to go blind or suffer brain damage.

[annecros]

A gun shot in this neighborhood wouldn't go over well, you are right.

We triply secured the coop after the first incident - we thought it was a stray cat but wanted to be super careful after being big dummies and leaving the pop door open.

Now, I'm thinking it was probably this guy (and I saw enough of him going over the fence to know he is a guy) but had assumed cat because the damage done just wasn't on the scale of the damage that I have seen raccoons do. He's probably just a dumpster diver, and hasn't had a lot of experience with live prey. He looked young, too.

Don't want to use a kill trap, too many pets wandering around. I'm waiting for a call back from animal control. After all, what do you do with a trapped, angry, scared raccoon once you have him?

[Toliver]

Don't want to use a kill trap, too many pets wandering around. I'm waiting for a call back from animal control. After all, what do you do with a trapped, angry, scared raccoon once you have him?

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If animal control is doing their job properly, when you trap the racoon you should be able to call them to come take the racoon & cage away.

[DerekW]

Don't want to use a kill trap, too many pets wandering around. I'm waiting for a call back from animal control. After all, what do you do with a trapped, angry, scared raccoon once you have him?

Haven't had the problem yet, but if relocation isn't a plan then maybe a garbage bag / hose / automotive tailpipe combination might serve? Supposed to be painless, but I'm not speaking from experience there either...

[judiu]

peskycritters.com Also do alligator removal... Right down here.

[mukki]

I don't know about the results, but there are a bunch of raccoon deterrents sold on the internet (e.g., pellets). Might be worth a try?

I think raccoons are quite cute, but one of them killed my SO's cat a few years ago when the cat poked around in the crawl space where raccoons had been known to raise young. His sister heard the commotion and never saw the cat again.

[sparrowgrass]

Here in Missouri, trapping and dispatching a predator, like a coon, possum or fox, is legal, but transporting the same animal to relocate is illegal. Got that info straight from the Conservation Officer. (Don't tell him, but the guy who let me use his live trap took the coon away for me, to train his coon dogs. They didn't kill it, just treed it.)

Animal control might come get it. But maybe not--some animal control agencies work only with domestic animals, and will refer you to a commercial exterminator.

Edited July 14, 2009 by sparrowgrass (log)

[annecros]

Animal control will come and get him within "48 to 72 hours" if I call with a trapped raccoon. It is against the law to relocate it.

I also have the option of dispatching it myself "humanely" - and directed me to a website that I have perused before when I had Iguana issues. Yep, carbon monoxide poisoning is considered humane.

I just want my egg layers, that I purchased (and feed and house and consider pets) to be safe and secure!

What am I gonna do with a hungry, angry, scared, trapped, thirsty raccoon in my garage for three days?

Oh well, will discuss with hubby this PM.

We still haven't set the first trap, but I have followed sparrowgrass' advice, and so far so good.

[sparrowgrass]

You could fatten it for the pot. I am sure someone has a recipe.

If you do catch it, you can drop bits of food into the cage--they eat anything, dog or cat food would do fine. A rabbit bottle would do for water. Set the trap on newspaper to make cleanup easier, and drape the cage in a blanket to keep the nasty beast calmer.