The Rooster Next Door

581 Views 45 Replies 7 Participants Last post by gokoroo, 21 d ago

Gibson

Greetings to the community,

I am new to this chicken stuff, just started last year. Last year was not so good. I lost 3 meat birds to predators, two just up and passed for some reason and one got locked up by my neighbor with her chickens leaving me with only one hen, a Rhode Island.

Eventually I got my chicken back from my neighbor so I have had two over the winter. This year I have 6 meat birds and picked up two Barred Plymouth Rock and one New Hampshire Red. I will be introducing them to the flock of two, probably on Sunday (into the fenced chicken run but not entirely into the coup yet)

I do NOT want to keep my hens confined in a chicken run as I have done all winter. I have two acres for them free range on and my neighbors have about that as well.

My question/ concern is this: My neighbors husband passed away this last year and since then she is letting her 6 hens and Rooster free range and they come into my yard. I am totally fine with that but what worries me that MY hens (and the new little ones) will follow that rooster and leave my coup? I hope not, I really want them to do their thing. Seems like the Rooster might not mind but maybe the other hens would not allow it? I don't know. I am not much interested in getting a Rooster.

Thanks in advance for any advice.

Save

41 - 46 of 46 Posts

robin416

· #41 · 1 mo ago

And you should hear how aggravated he is when he finds some. Then it's on with who is going to win that battle. Everytime so far, dawg has won.

There is ag bait used. Some slick ideas with PVC pipe too.

Save

dawg53

· #42 · 1 mo ago

Yes. I've put out 1-1/2" to 2" diameter PVC pipe about 15 inches long outside the pens up against the base of the chicken wire. Each PVC pipe contains one cylinder of "Just One Bite" poison rat bait. The rats fell for it at first, you could smell the decaying vermin. Now they wont go near any of the poison baits I've used.
It took me 3 weeks to rid the rat invasion when it first started, all due to days and days of deluge rains.

Save

robin416

· #43 · 1 mo ago

Pics are broken today. Maybe they'll fix it today. Maybe they won't.

Save

NYhillbillies

· #44 · 1 mo ago

Wow! Thank you so very much for sharing your success story!
Hubby & I have Comments/questions:

Our coop is also Ft Knox, like yours. Rats would have to spend a long time and much effort to chew their way in, unless they’re packing Dewalts.

The girls don’t have a covered run, just a large, simply fenced in pasture, not critter-free at all. They free range most days out of the pasture.

Do the hens need to remain in the coop during the entire 3 day cycle?

Also, we have a few (we assume rat) tunnel holes in the pasture near the feeding areas. We have not found the other ends.

Would the ammonia be damaging to the other wildlife that frequents their pasture at night, such as bunnies and skunks and possums and barn cats?
Those critters either climb or dig their way into the pasture, or simply walk through the fence.

Is one goal to make sure the ammonia won’t get into their pasture at all? Is that why you said to have it drip on the outside of the run?

Should we also consider spraying some ammoni into the tunnels & then plugging them?
Thank you so much for your answers.

See less See more

Save

dawg53

· #45 · 1 mo ago

You can let your birds free range during the day as usual. You will already have removed the ammonia rags prior to letting your birds out in the morning.

Speaking of rat holes, I've dealt with them as well. I put a cylinder of poison bait down the rat hole and then cover it with a cement paver so's the chickens cant get to it. Works great!

Other animals including predators such as fox and coyotes will avoid ammonia soaked rags at all costs, not an issue.

The amount of ammonia in the ammonia soaked rags evaporates quickly over night. The amount that drips into the soil when the rags are hung on the outside of the pen deters rats seeking an entrance into the pen. It really isnt that much.
If the rags were wrung out and then hung on the chicken wire, they would be ineffective deterring rats.

There's no need to put ammonia in the rat holes. Poison bait cylinders will work as I mentioned above. No, they will not effect well water.

Here's more info:

Ammonia | Public Health Statement | ATSDR

wwwn.cdc.gov

See less See more

Save

gokoroo

· #46 · 21 d ago

Gibson said:
Greetings to the community,

I am new to this chicken stuff, just started last year. Last year was not so good. I lost 3 meat birds to predators, two just up and passed for some reason and one got locked up by my neighbor with her chickens leaving me with only one hen, a Rhode Island.

Eventually I got my chicken back from my neighbor so I have had two over the winter. This year I have 6 meat birds and picked up two Barred Plymouth Rock and one New Hampshire Red. I will be introducing them to the flock of two, probably on Sunday (into the fenced chicken run but not entirely into the coup yet)

I do NOT want to keep my hens confined in a chicken run as I have done all winter. I have two acres for them free range on and my neighbors have about that as well.

My question/ concern is this: My neighbors husband passed away this last year and since then she is letting her 6 hens and Rooster free range and they come into my yard. I am totally fine with that but what worries me that MY hens (and the new little ones) will follow that rooster and leave my coup? I hope not, I really want them to do their thing. Seems like the Rooster might not mind but maybe the other hens would not allow it? I don't know. I am not much interested in getting a Rooster.

Thanks in advance for any advice.

Save

41 - 46 of 46 Posts

Top Contributors this Month