Shut up and lay some eggs.
So now I’m a chicken nanny.
That’s Landlady’s portable coop, inside a temporary enclosure I threw up next to the Lair. For at least the next three or four weeks I’m playing host to three laying hens, and I guess we’ll see how that goes.
I’m interested to know how much trouble chickens really are to raise, and how much of a temptation they pose to the local predators. If all goes well, next year this will be the home of my own flock:
And then there’ll be home-grown eggs and meat! Yes! Worth a little hassle.
ETA: Well, there’s one chicken-related story confirmed. They do tell the world when they’ve laid an egg.
To be fair, I suppose I would too.
Joel I’ve raised a lot of differen types of livestock, but I only got my first chickens three years ago. They are the easiest thing to have. Well worth the little bit of effort on your part.
As to the temptation they present to local predators… I don’t raise chickens myself – really not very fond of the things except for the eggs and the meat. I do buy eggs from local producers and talk with people nearby about their experiences. there’s a lot of variables – too many for me to bother to address.
I hear of hawks and owls taking chicken regularly unless pens are covered overhead too. And it’s not just attacks in flight – they’ll go to ground to get a chicken – and are often unable to even take flight with the weight of the prey. I’ve seen where a kingsnake went in and killed a few young turkeys – too big to even swallow. I’ve seen where local dogs bit through light gauge chicken wire and killed several chickens.
Having the pen right next to the house is some advantage. If a mountain lion is brought in by the temptation it could get interesting. Turning the dogs on it may work to a degree – but you may not welcome any vets bills if the cat has to fight its way out. Hell – you may even find that your own animals might consider the fowl an opportunity!
Despite my own dislike of the idea of keeping chickens – I can’t help but see that they’re probably in my future. Given this – I’ve made some preliminary plans – and I guarantee that my own envisioned fortifications would be a lot more than what I see in your photo. (fwiw)
PNO: On the strength of the defenses, I agree. We’ve got a lot of raptors here, especially at night. The coop is safe from them but that fenced area isn’t, which is one reason I haven’t let them out of the coop yet. I’ve got (I think) just enough chicken wire to cover the run, and then I’ll feel a bit more secure.
The current wire wouldn’t stop a half-determined predator. I have a neighbor who lost all his chickens to a feral dog pack, and they were inside a chicken house at the time. But that was very far from where anybody lives. I’m hoping tucking this version right up against the cabin will do the trick. Anyway, that’s one of the things I’m hoping to find out.
And my own dogs either won’t go to that much trouble (ghost) or are physically restrained from doing so (LB).
Would a human laying an egg constitute a Number 3?
😉
Joel,
Started keeping chickens this year, they’re more fun to watch than anything you’re going to pick up with that satelite tv dish. Best of luck to you with them!
I have 20 birds, 16 hen, 4 roos. I get about a dozen eggs a day. Total time spent on chicken care is about 15 minutes a day to gather eggs and check/add feed and water, plus an hour or so once a week for cleaning the coop, etc.
My coop is more heavily fortified than my house, and the pen area is as secure as any prison yard. I’m in a heavily predator populated area as well. I’ve had hawks take my fish and bears destroy my hives and eat my bees. Plus coyote, fox, the neighbor’s doberman, etc. I consider myself lucky, in that I haven’t lost a bird to a predator yet (said while knocking on wood).
I free range mine during the day when I’m home. I’ve read about a thing called a chicken tractor to protect them while they’re out, but between my presence and the 2 dogs in the yard, there’s not much chance for a predator to sneak in and grab a bird, so I haven’t built one. My lab has been running critters out of her yard for years, so coyote and fox mostly stay away.
“The book” said roosters do a good job of keeping predators away. The big rooster seems to watch over his flock pretty well, even going nose to nose with and running off the neighbor’s dobie. When there’s a hawk overhead, he gathers all his girls under cover.
And oh yes they do celebrate, every single time they lay an egg.