Re: Very Bad News
- From: fowls@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx (nuele mersch)
- Date: Wed, 23 Nov 2005 21:36:21 +0100
diddy <diddy@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> in thread news:12c11$4382ab7c$4e152f0$6552@xxxxxxxxxxxxx: Nicholas
> <njloch@xxxxxxxxx> whittled the following words:
>
> > I lost my beloved duck on Saturday. I have never been as attached to
> > a pet as I was to Dewie Duck. She was a very special Mallard.
> > Although she was only 8 months old, I will miss her more than anyone
> > could imagine.
> >
> > A perigren falcon killed her.
....
> >
> > I've had problems with large hawks scaring my birds this past summer,
> > but these falcons have either scared everything way or have eaten it.
> > I saw one eating something in a field about a mile from my home as I
> > was driving back from the grocery store today.
> >
> > I didn't know there were falcons in the area until I got that close-up
> > veiw of it. There doesn't appear to be anything I can do about my
> > problem. I am working on a cover for the chicken run and I'll take
> > down my bird feeders in hopes that if I cut off the food supply the
> > falcon will move along. I have read they migrate, so maybe this is
> > only a temporary problem?
> >
> > Nicholas
> >
>
> I am very sorry for your loss. Last week, I went outside to check the
> chickens, and there were two red tailed hawks sitting in the tree above
> them. They just flew in while I was out there. I called the dog to gather
> the chickens, and i went in and got my specially loaded popcorn shells
> (it's illegal to kill a raptor) and stung one, and they both flew off and
> didn't come back.
Hi Nicholas,
I'm sorry to hear of your duck. I've never had one, but I hear ducks are
something very special - Bob Tarte even said he got "Enslaved by ducks"
- their faces look as if they were smiling, don't they, so different
from a chicken's expression...
Birds of prey are a big problem for poultry keepers here. Mostly
goshawks, and sometimes sparrowhawks (who prefer pigeons). There's a lot
of forest around and such a lot of trees in the villages, too, where
they can hide and watch.
A fellow breeder told me about something he said was most effective for
him: he bought several colourful "wind sacks" (that's what he called
them). I don't know what they're called in English. I haven't found a
picture of exactly the type I mean but here are two links to give you an
idea:
<http://spielzeug.listings.ebay.de/Spielzeug-fuer-draussen_Drachen_W0QQs
acatZ25961QQsascsZ2QQsbrbinZtQQsocmdZListingItemList>
http://www.freizeit-shop24.de/kettler/de/dept_242.html
He used box-shaped ones with plenty of ribbons for fluttering tails. He
tied wires across his whole yard in all directions, one string for each
"dragon", so that the wind moves them back and forth.
He has not had a single bird attacked since then (he lost several hens
to a goshawk before), and even his neighbour who is a racing pigeon
breeder says he hasn't had a single loss since they were put up.
Diddy, your popcorn solution sounds very interesting, I'd love to hear
how you build it (and who eats the popcorn afterwards :-)
Nuele (D)
.
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