Saturday, July 18, 2009

Scarecrows, BB guns and ......

a Hawk...I just put together a make-shift scare crow and placed him smack dab in the middle of the front yard....he won't last too long considering he's really just a Halloween decoration but he'll have to do until we pick up our next bales of hay and can build a couple of real ones.

That Hawk has been hanging out since about 4 p.m. yesterday and has really put a damper on our fledgling routine as chicken "farmers".....we've been rotating the older chickens out to free roam the fenced in property during the day and putting the month old babies out in the coop for some exercise...this has worked out really well for us until Mr. Hawk decided to push his way into the party. Today Mama, the Originals and the Littleuns had to stay in that hot pen all day and the babies stayed locked inside the mudroom.....until the smell of it all got to me.

Out we went with BB guns and all four dogs and roamed the yard with the big girls for an hour - then my boys stayed outside and shot some soda cans with their BB guns while I went online to research deterrents for that unwelcome visitor to find that Scare Crows were on the list......

Tomorrow, we begin to construct two large ones mounted on movable bases that will be rotated around the yard throughout the days.....it's going to look a bit like Fall around here all the time I guess, but I won't complain...I think the things are adorable. Also possibly on the chore list is to hang DVD and CD disks from all the trees - apparently they work like those bags of water to bedazzle the predator and make him unable to focus well enough to actually swoop down on his target.....

As our transplanted to the fence line landscaping grows into more bush like appearance, this will also provide hiding spots for our hens and roos to protect themselves from aerial attacks.....at least according to the Ag Extension Office website that I've been reading. And of course, our labs, ranging from 65 - 90 lbs each will also provide a deterrence factor......also recommended was the constant playing of a radio to put the idea in the Hawk's head that we are out and about in the yard with that BB gun.....

I know there are some who would say "keep the chickens in the coop yard" but for us, that defeats part of the reason we are taking these steps into world the chickens ....we wanted free roaming birds that eat what nature provides, birds that enjoy the life they lead and who enhance the life we lead...and locking them up in a cage all day is not part of the plan.....if I wanted eggs from unhappy penned in chickens, I can buy them all day long at the grocery......

So, its BB guns and movable Scare Crows and Country Music on the stereo for us..........
Update: So far so good.....Mr. Hawk hasn't been seen in three days now.....we're keeping up the vigilance but it appears there's too much noise and activity 'round here for him to want to even perch near us...........

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