I acquired 9 turkey poults today via McMurray Hatchery and USPS. When I ordered them, I didn’t realize the degree of our predation issues. These 9 poults arrived well.
I set them up in the weasel proof pen.
They seem to be doing well so far. Then my attention turned to the backline fence. Tom replaced the back fence of the donkey pen.
I worked on pulling up the fencing that the cows had pushed down and adjusted the barbed wire they had rubbed down. I added a wire over fencing which was near a berm that I thought the coyote might be able to jump. We made good progress on Operation Coyote today. Our reward was a meal at the cob + cork. This is a restaurant in our area that we have been meaning to visit for a while.
Hopefully this was a successful day in keeping the birds alive.
New place , always worth a try, then you know.
You may have to build a totally enclosed pen for the poults inside the barn or at least with a part roof. It would be great if you could let them run but that isn’t even an option.
It scares me when the lay down to sleep sometimes they sprawl out and look dead.
I don’t have anything to compare to, but they look no bigger than chicken poults. 🙂
Enjoy all you have, I know you do. I don’t think you fret, but it doesn’t help in the end, just makes you feel worse and is no fault of yours. You are doing your best.
We have the weasel proof pen in the barn. Otherwise all of the pens are accessible by flying or digging in. They re a little bigger than chickens poults but not much. I have to fret some though. These innocent creatures are my responsibility.
I get that. My soft heart keeps me from getting anything anymore. Dog even, who mostly take care of themselves or cat even , who is more independent yet.
We have had all sorts of livestock so I love all you do have and go through by reading.
If I have any wisdom , I will pass it along.
Good for the weasel proof enclosure. 🙂
Thanks Beth! It’s hard sometimes. But still worth it.
Don’t blame yourself about getting the little poults. How would you have known? Just take things as they come. I think you’ve done the right thing by putting them in the weasel proof pen. How long will you be able to keep them in there? They’re really cute, and I hope they’ll do well for you. I hope you’ll be able to get your place thoroughly coyote proof. Hang in there!
I will keep them in there as long as I can. Turkeys grow fast though. And I have three other sets of chicks in the old rabbit hutches though that will need to go somewhere too. I am going to have to get creative. I don’t think there’s a way to be thoroughly coyote-proof, but we can discourage them to move on to another farm. Which is sad, of course.
That is probably how you all got the coyotes in the first place, someone else had them move along.
Probably. I am thinking that the coyote population is increasing as well.