Raccoons typically go for the neck/head and then just leave the bird lay. If you think you have a raccoon you can bet it’s not just 1.

Hello i have a neglected great pyerenees case in Tennessee can some one help? Or some on interested in adopting her?

ABSOLUTE #1 NEED……a Zamboni with a vacuum attachment! I brush a poodle’s worth of hair off our every other day.

Where did you get the little house

I kept my silkie with the main flock so it would not be alone worked great

It serves no purpose having a dog treating it like a person. Keep it outside or get use to continuously getting predator attacks. Changing the wiring on the cages to 1/4” hardware cloth will also help.

Making your own chicken feed is pointless. Its like saying i m going to build my own car. It will take a lot of your time and cost you way more. In the summer i let them free range when i m outside due to coyotes, so they eat insects and greens hence reducing feed cost but in winter i just get commercial feed. We also feed them table scraps except chicken of course. Not worth making your own feed from scratch. And of course when my trees give me too much fruits i feed that what's on the ground and summer when i cut the grass i give them a big pile of grass. All this reduces cost of feed for some 20 chickens.

In Saskatchewan Canada we often see -25°C to -40°C and in occasion down to -50°C but thankfully not too often and not usually more than a day or a few. But even at -25°C we can only use black rubber pails and electric water dishes. Everything else breaks and metal is difficult to bang ice out of as well.

An eglu coop with auto door for the silkies would work, you should reach out to them and see if they might give a discount to show on your channel.

That paw thing is so relatable

nice and impressive model

Easy way to sink t-posts. Me and my buddies use the bucket of a tractor or a skid steer. One of us holds the post in place until the other lowers the bucket to push it in. If you're holding the post let go as soon there's tension on it.

It happens, all you can do is reinforce to the best of your ability and keep adding predator deterrents as they get more determined. Unfortunately, this is the time of year when the predators are hungry and looking for an easy meal. Not to mention much of the country is in a major drought right now so that has made it very hard on the wildlife and they are seeking east meals and easy water sources. I do hope you’re dispatching anything you trap though, relocating just makes it someone else’s problem and releasing just makes them smart enough to avoid the trap.

What happened to the two ducks and the turkey?

These dogs are highly trainable. My buddy had one for years and it follwed every command it was given. They need lots of attention and tight rules when they are pups if you want an obedient dog.

Learning so much from you guys! Thanks for sharing the good and bad.

Very understandable thanks for explaining. I really like your videos. With that said i watch another homesteader & she says she does not edit her videos. She said it takes too much of her time. This may be something you could try.

Secure your coop better and they won't be a problem

what harness do you use for your great pyrenees?

Preditors and garden critters were definitely rampant this year! So much learning by experience in this lifestyle, you guys are doing good! Take it easy on yourselves. 😊

Have you ever tried raising a goose with the flocks...I free range our chickens on an acre of land and have a couple geese as guard geese. They get put up in the coop with them at night.🤔 Im sure you will work through this...love your adorable family. We will be praying for ya.

😢

I just lost 2 of my girls to a neighbors dog.. this dog broke into my closed off pen (was stuck in there and could not figure out how to get out) and just killed them , did not care to eat them .. just wanted to kill them.. 😭.. I called the police and they sided with the neighbor , treated me like the bad guy and threatened to arrest me if I did not let their dog out of my run..(wtg! officers) the neighbor was heartless and even tho her dog was stuck in my run with the dead chickens she is denying her dog did it.. ☹.. I live in a small city , I am only allowed to have 5 chickens and no Roo.. the only thing that brings a glimmer of warmth to my heart is .. NOW there will be baby chicks in the house again..🐤🐤🐤..and yes I reinforced my run with tin roofing on the sides so this will not happen again..I love my girls and even tho people may think "they are just chickens" they are my pets..🥰

Same issue here this year Tom. I lost 3 ducks, 2 roosters, and 6 hens....I killed a possum the other night but I don't think it was him. He was too small. I had Peking ducks and something pulled the head off one of them. None of my remaining birds will go in the coop. Going to rebuild and restart again next spring.

When we had great Pyrenees dogs we never had a problem. We no longer have them, but have one goat that shares space with the chickens. We never lock up the hen house door and have not had a problem with predators. I have even had opossums in their coop eating their food. Maybe the opossum did feel like he could take on the silkies. Mine are just normal size hens. We also have raccoons, I have not seen them in there. I do put out cheap dog food for the raccoons closer to the house, to keep them from eating cat food and maybe they have mercy on me, I don't know. When the goat dies, I will get an automatic door. + Edit*** I was just thinking of our set up. Our goat is only in the area of the door that leads to the coop. Opossums/raccoons have easy access. Maybe the coons are more afraid of the goat, but opossums walk right in. But.....when I have caught opossums in the coop, they are eating chicken feed that is in the hanging feeder. Maybe that is why they are not interested in the chickens.

Tom, so sorry you’re going through this! I do agree with Sue in AZ. Milo was bred to be outside with the livestock, and as long as he has shelter, he’ll even thrive in the MI cold. We have two Maremma LGDs, Cousins of the Pyr, and they LOVE being outside. Even in very cold temps, they only use their shelter when it’s snowing or raining.

I HATE POSSUMS!!! Don't even like looking at 'em 🤢

Tom, you’re not a failure. I’ve seen experienced homesteaders have a rough year with predators. I do hope you dispatched the ones you catch. If you just take them far away, they will find their way back. They need to be removed permanently. Also, everyone makes mistakes. Learn from them and make sure you don’t do it again. Have a checklist to go over every night to make sure you’ve done everything that needs to be done. Also, if Milo won’t sleep outside, get a LGD who’s used to being outside. A true LGD won’t want to come in the house at night. It’s bred into their genes to be outside guarding their animals. I’m actually surprised Milo doesn’t cry to be outside at night. But I do believe having one outside at night will make a huge difference. Btw, I miss your videos. I learn a lot from them. - Sue in AZ

A rat can get through the top

Very sorry your going through that. This year was the first year we had predators. It bites no pun intended.

Don't listen to those people condemning your methods, I'm sure those same people don't mind eating chickens.🤩

The coop special effects explanation was amazing. Top tier comedy.

Please don NOT get another animal til you get this place predator proof. Maybe think about another dog that can work. I watched many videos for research before I got anything. I'm sorry to have lost so many.

It's been the year of the predator for us as well. More like the month of the predator. Lost 6 guineas and 4 chickens in the past month to hawks and nocturnal ninja monsters.

You really need to put that dog out to do its job it was born to protect, maybe do a check of your fence line ,its a shame but it does happen

I started raising chickens and quail years ago, and I've never lost one to a predator. Minimal effort. I don't understand why people can't spend 30 minutes doing some research on how to protect their birds on the internet. There's really no excuses for this.

You are spoiling that dog!

WHERE IS YOUR DOG WHILE THIS IS GOING ON?

Hardware cloth on all Coops. Only way to go. Sorry to say but your stuff is far from predator proof

Possums will get the bigger chickens as well. It is the time of year when the critters are out and about after my flock. I put chicken feet (used for broth) in my live trap. I am in and out all day checking on my two flocks. I'm so sorry you have critters attacking your flocks it hurts to lose them.

You have to dispatch the preditor. That's the unfortunate truth. If you release them, they'll simply return. They have to be dispatched.

I had the same problem this past spring, racoons and opossums took out my entire flock of chickens and quail. We got 2 great pyrenees dogs and have had no more problems with any predators.

The international body temperature of a chicken is irrelevant to how well they can handle the cold. Yes chickens can handle the cold better then we can, it doesn’t mean that they don’t get cold. Chickens still get frostbite and other illnesses from the cold. Don’t use a heat lamp, but if your area gets cold consider using a SAFE heat source.

Hi. Do you leave back side small door always open?

Larger and taller coop, with plenty high roosting bars. The run is too small for that many chickens. Double its size and the chickens will be happier

Those tail feathers are a give away...and the confident, protective behaviour

And her im worried about it getting to 29° F tonight. Lol. I know they're happier cold than hot!!

Sooo... Purchase it in bulk, repackage it as branded and sell it to other homesteads chicken enthusiast like myself!!! DM me

Where do you find bulk peas

😢you are a dumb person