Found a hen in the street "Backyard Chicken"

[meatman]

That's pretty nice. How do you refill the PVC food and water dispensers? Do you just take the caps off, and reach in to refill?

[Irving]

For now that's what I do. The idea is to put another reducer on the top with a 45 that will take it through the wall to the outside. Then I can just pop the cap and fill water with the hose and dump in the food.
The food doesn't pour down into the horizontal part as well as I'd like. I have to shake it to get it out. Not a huge deal, but didn't work as well as I expected.

[Irving]

My neighbor called me over to his front yard today saying, "I think this is yours..."



Turns out it wasn't one of mine. It's the same breed as most of mine, but I can tell by the color that it is a few weeks younger. A hawk had gotten it and tore it's head off. I tossed the body in the trash (of course it had to happen 6 days from the next trash day) and that hawk came back looking for his meal.

[William]

My neighbor called me over to his front yard today saying, "I think this is yours..."



Turns out it wasn't one of mine. It's the same breed as most of mine, but I can tell by the color that it is a few weeks younger. A hawk had gotten it and tore it's head off. I tossed the body in the trash (of course it had to happen 6 days from the next trash day) and that hawk came back looking for his meal.

Bag it and throw it in the freezer until your trash day ... will help smell.

[Irving]

That's a good idea. Also a great way for me to forget and have some random dead chicken in my freezer for the next six months.

[Grant H.]

That's a good idea. Also a great way for me to forget and have some random dead chicken in my freezer for the next six months.

This would be my problem...

I know the hawk makes sense, but be on the watch for skunks. They are famous for killing for sport (beheading or gutting are common), and leaving the carcass for other critters. I got the go-ahead to hunt skunks for my parents (when I was in high school) after 2 of them killed 47 chickens in 2 days.

Word of advice. Shooting a skunk in the ass with a 12ga stinks.

For weeks.

And then months when it rains...

[Irving]

I'm very concerned about skunks for two reasons.
1) My dog has been skunked THREE times now. Last year we had a family living in the neighbor's backyard and we killed one at the most, maybe none.
2) I didn't realize a skunk was a chicken predator so even though now I'm well aware, I feel like I had my guard down and I don't like that.

I've decided to let them free range and not to build an enclosed run. I've been leaving the dog out with them most of the time, and it's been awhile since anything has been in the yard during daylight hours. Just two weeks ago I saw a huge raccoon crossing the street in front of my house at around 7pm. I was standing there looking at him when I remembered all the bird were outside. Luckily he didn't pass through my yard that day.

[TheGrey]

Skunks and raccoons are downright evil.

[CS1983]

Sounds like you need a Gamo suppressed .22 air rifle and a 24oz Monster

[Irving]

My neighbor has one, and my 26" barrel bolt gun with CCI quiets is even more quiet.