Poultryheads...
Discussion
I miss my Chickens and Ducks. Kept them for many years until a few years ago. Super friendly and quirky personalities. Mine rubbed round my ankles like cats and would snuggle on my lap. Had lots of different breeds, and a few rescue hens too.
Now spending time on the boat in a private lake / river with mooring and a garden where our neighbour keeps some hens and a couple of Cockerels on an island in the lake I’m considering a trio of Campbell’s. These were my preferred duck as they’re awesome layers with the most delicious eggs. Hopefully have something to share in the Spring
Now spending time on the boat in a private lake / river with mooring and a garden where our neighbour keeps some hens and a couple of Cockerels on an island in the lake I’m considering a trio of Campbell’s. These were my preferred duck as they’re awesome layers with the most delicious eggs. Hopefully have something to share in the Spring
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/avian-i...
It's getting to a scary situation if you keep poultry: Don't believe all of the misinformation that's going around.
It's getting to a scary situation if you keep poultry: Don't believe all of the misinformation that's going around.
We have lots of space and thinking about getting some bantams, the one thing that's putting me off is reading about folk saying that keeping chickens always brings rats to your property no matter how clean you keep everything. Do any of you guys agree with this, do any of you have rat problems?
Think it depends where you are, rats, unlike mice, need plentiful water too, so if there’s a steam nearby you’re more likely to have a problem. They travel a bit of distance between food/water/nest.
Issues come about with how you feed & store the feed. Good strong storage bins with lids ok, sacks dumped in the garage not so much. With current avian influenza restrictions & the fact it’s seems to be now an annual thing, I’d prefer to discourage back yard birds though.
Issues come about with how you feed & store the feed. Good strong storage bins with lids ok, sacks dumped in the garage not so much. With current avian influenza restrictions & the fact it’s seems to be now an annual thing, I’d prefer to discourage back yard birds though.
I'm inclined to think rats are like foxes, if you're way out in the countryside you don't see many, if any. We just have mice, but also Nessie the Lochness monster stoats:
Which has put chickens on pause. I heard someone nearby had his flock(?) destroyed by them. They look cute, but are vicious little feckers. That one ^ had blood all down it's front like a butchers apron and was trying it's best to pull the almost dead rabbit into its hole in the wall.
Which has put chickens on pause. I heard someone nearby had his flock(?) destroyed by them. They look cute, but are vicious little feckers. That one ^ had blood all down it's front like a butchers apron and was trying it's best to pull the almost dead rabbit into its hole in the wall.
Gretchen said:
So in the past week all the chickens by the river on the island have been killed. Not by the abundance of Rats, neither by cunning Fox, alas obliterated by Otter. Bittersweet.
Did someone see the otter? Common problem near water ways is Mink which are an invasive non native destructive species here in U.K. & can be trapped/killed)Otters are bigger & have webbed feet, they may have had more difficulty getting in to a hen coop.
AndyAudi said:
Gretchen said:
So in the past week all the chickens by the river on the island have been killed. Not by the abundance of Rats, neither by cunning Fox, alas obliterated by Otter. Bittersweet.
Did someone see the otter? Common problem near water ways is Mink which are an invasive non native destructive species here in U.K. & can be trapped/killed)Otters are bigger & have webbed feet, they may have had more difficulty getting in to a hen coop.
Nice picture of the Stoat.
Pastor Of Muppets said:
AndyAudi said:
Gretchen said:
So in the past week all the chickens by the river on the island have been killed. Not by the abundance of Rats, neither by cunning Fox, alas obliterated by Otter. Bittersweet.
Did someone see the otter? Common problem near water ways is Mink which are an invasive non native destructive species here in U.K. & can be trapped/killed)Otters are bigger & have webbed feet, they may have had more difficulty getting in to a hen coop.
Nice picture of the Stoat.
Gretchen said:
I saw the Otters. They have no fear. Mesmerised by torch light, stealthy, playful and beautiful. Like I said bittersweet.
I accidentally cornered an otter a few months back in a small body of water, I’ve got a video of it hissing at me! Wouldn’t have expected them to break into a chicken run though. AndyAudi said:
Gretchen said:
I saw the Otters. They have no fear. Mesmerised by torch light, stealthy, playful and beautiful. Like I said bittersweet.
I accidentally cornered an otter a few months back in a small body of water, I’ve got a video of it hissing at me! Wouldn’t have expected them to break into a chicken run though. Pastor Of Muppets said:
We have lots of space and thinking about getting some bantams, the one thing that's putting me off is reading about folk saying that keeping chickens always brings rats to your property no matter how clean you keep everything. Do any of you guys agree with this, do any of you have rat problems?
I think that is generally true... if you are not scrupulously careful. In fact I think it is generally true whether you have chickens or not. Rats and mice are everywhere!They say you are never more than about 10metres from a rat and I think that's true. I've had them out of broken sewer pipes, neighbours garden on one side, neighbours rubbish tip the other side, my own rubbish tip and so on.
Fundamentally:
Remove any place they could live (piles of rubbish, pipes, voids under sheds and so on.)
If you have chickens then store food in sealed containers.
Only put out enough food for the chicks to eat that day or use rat proof food dispensers.
Put rat bait blocks in those animal proof plastic bait boxes along possible rat runs (along walls etc) and replace any used bait regularly.
"Encourage" your neighbours not to have compost heaps or piles of rubbish (mattresses!fgs) at the top of their gardens.
Keep an eye out for any suspect holes appearing in your garden (30-50mm diameter) that are likely rat holes.
I blinking hate rats and have seen what an untreated infestation can look like which is gross. My dad as a farmer once managed to accidently corner some rats and they went on the offensive (normally they will avoid you like the plague); hence why I take precaustions whether I know rats are around or not. I simply don't want one to to take up residence and become a hundred by the end of the year.
Just be careful and you'll probably never see one.
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