#Backyard Chicken Feeders

[fairmaiden8]

The Ultimate Guide to Backyard Chicken Feeders

Welcome to the ultimate guide to backyard chicken feeders! Keeping a flock of chickens can be incredibly rewarding, but it also requires a lot of work and attention. One important aspect of caring for your birds is ensuring that they have access to fresh food and water at all times. In this post, we’ll cover everything you need to know about choosing the right feeder for your flock, including…

[alcnfr]

Assorted Eastern Gray Squirrels (Sciurus carolinensis) around the place this Christmas Morning.

[superfluffychickens]

We get it Ripley, you’re tall, there’s no need to show off!

[inthecityofgoodabode]

July 2024: Harvests, Hummingbirds & Hot Barbecue Wings

Monday harvest:

Blurry hip shot of a female Ruby-throated hummingbird as she flew in close:

The little lady in silhouette:

Monday dinner on the grill:

All sauced up:

Tuesday harvest, part one:

Tuesday harvest, part two:

Wednesday harvest:

Thursday harvest - That is the last of the Buhl sweet corn. We've already pulled the corn plants. We replanted the larger corn plot with Fisher's Earliest sweet corn hoping for a Fall harvest. The smaller plot was planted with Swiss Chard:

Friday harvest - That squash is from a plant that we saved from being killed by a squash vine borer by dumping leaf litter and compost on top of the next leaf node above the damaged section of vine which gave the plant the nutrition & protection it needed to set down advantageous roots & survive:

[livwritesstuff]

for those who have never lived in a rural area, there’s a certain level of cohabitation with the wildlife that sort of comes with the territory.

Steve and Eddie live in a fairly rural town in my steddie!dads ‘verse, so I’ve been thinking about how they would feel about this.

Steve is mostly neutral about it. He likes the bird feeders they have scattered throughout the yard, and does his best to learn how to identify all the different species so he can point them out to their daughters, and he thinks the owls that live in the woods behind their house are neat, but other than that, he doesn’t really pay all that much attention to it.

Eddie, on the other hand, fucking loves it, thinks it’s the coolest thing in the world, so much so that it actually becomes a source of stress for Steve.

There’s a possum who comes to their back porch for food that Eddie christened Alonzo and is adored as practically another member of the family. It disappeared for a while and they were all convinced it had died until one day it suddenly was back and snuffling around the porch. Ed and the girls threw a welcome home party complete with a hastily-made banner they taped to the door so he could see it.

Eddie would happily get chickens if not for the fox that lives in their backyard (in his words, “the fox was there first”).

Once, when Hazel is a baby, Eddie takes her on a walk around the neighborhood and comes home to see that a hawk had flown into the porch and gotten its talons stuck in the screen door. He looks at it for a second, decides it’s stunned from the impact, closes Hazel in the car parked in the driveway, and then helps the bird out. Doesn’t get gloves or anything, just bare-hands it and gets the bird unstuck. He’s correct about it being stunned because once it's free, it kinda just collapses on the porch. After a little bit, it flies away. Steve finds out about this a month later and flips out (“Sorry, was the last time you got gutted by flying wildlife not enough for you or something?” are his exact words).

When Moe is a teenager and starting to learn about all the ways the Earth is falling to pieces, she finds out that native bee populations are dwindling. Eddie is equally upset to learn about this, so they tag team planting native flowers around their yard. This is the same summer they learn that Robbie is allergic to bees.

Steve comes home one day to see Eddie fully conversing with a juvenile screech owl perched on the rafters of their front porch.

Eddie: So glad you’re here.

Eddie: But

Eddie: We have a cardinal family and a blue jay family

Eddie: They’re off limits.

Eddie: Rats, mice, insects, vermin – go to town on those fuckers.

Eddie: Do not touch my cardinals or my blue jays. Got it?

Steve:

Steve: Don’t let Moe see that thing

Steve: She’ll think it’s delivering her Hogwarts letter

[bllsbailey]

Government Overreach Run Amok: NY State Kills Peanut the Squirrel

I admit it; I’ve grown especially fond of squirrels. They’re devious little brats, as they should be because they’re just trying to survive in a Charles Darwin world of survival. 

I have a bunch of them in my yard, and they are absolutely ingenious at stealing the bird food that I’ve set up for my feathered friends—they eventually figure out almost any device or measure I put out to stop them. (I finally found one that works: a reverse cone set up on the bird feeder that prevents them from jumping up on it. Thank me later.)

But don't tell that to the odious bureaucrats in Gov. Kathy Hochul's New York. They felt the need to take out Peanut:

Squirrels have earned my hard-earned respect, and when I open my office door in the morning as I get to work, and they're outside in the yard giving me that little cute-eyed stare, I'm man enough to admit that I’m kinda touched.

It is understood that, for some, squirrels are pests and must be eliminated. I get it—I had family members back in the day who lived in Wyoming, and although the myriad gophers, or "picket pins" as we used to call them, were cute, they were negatively contributing to the situation and had to be taken out.

So we did what needed to be done, and we took care of that. Sometimes reality is hard.

But was there any need for NY State to step in and kill this guy’s pet? You be the judge:

Peanut the Squirrel, of internet fame, has been euthanized after the pet was seized by New York state earlier this week, according to the Department of Environmental Conservation. The seven-year-old gray rescue squirrel, commonly referred to as “P’Nut” on Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok, was put to death, along with Fred the raccoon, so that the animals could be tested for the presence of rabies, according to a statement from the agency obtained by WETM.  

Literally – why?!

After all, he was here legally, unlike so many other interlopers under the Harris-Biden regime:

Was this necessary? No.

“RIP MY BEST FRIEND. Thank you for the best 7 years of my life. Thank you for bringing so much joy to us and the world. I’m sorry I failed you but thank you for everything,” Longo wrote in a caption to the post announcing Peanut’s death.

Listen, I’m no snowflake, and I get that we are carnivores (or omnivores if you so choose), and I love my pork, my steak, and my chicken. And I’ve worked on a ranch—I have no illusions about how meat gets to our table. I once was tasked on a farm with getting the chickens ready for eating, and I admit, it was a sobering process. Taking a live chicken and making it ready for your fried hot wings does wake you up to some harsh realities. But there is a little thing called evolution that made us this way, and you can’t chuck it away based on a slogan. The reality is we are the ultimate predator, and we were made to eat flesh as at least part of our diet.

But somehow, that same evolutionary force bred kindness into our hearts, and many of us pray for the sacrifices of the animals that provide us our meals. We do not wantonly torture animals or hurt them for no reason, and in fact, we take millions of them into our homes and consider them family.

Was Peanut a threat to you, me, or anybody else? It certainly doesn’t seem like it.

What it does seem like it is a gross big government overkill that seems right out of Orwell’s "1984." I love my little squirrel family that dominates my backyard, and if anybody comes to try to say otherwise, be advised that I will take full advantage of my Second Amendment Rights.

[light-lanterne]

(saw some el angst in my db and it made me sad so now i'm passing it on -_- )

tw // vague descriptions of animal death / trauma - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ☽ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - yet another offering, @saffirez, @yearninginblue, @hyperfixationcentralsvoid, @holyvirgilscriptures, @catboy-cabin, @fluffyfangirl, @foodiewithdahoodie. this one's not byler, but i hope you guys like it!

headcanon that el loves animals. any and all. whenever they're at a mall, she'd be the type to visit the pet stores to stare at cute bunnies and puppies and fish until someone decides to drag her out. for her birthday, the party take her to a petting zoo and she forces them all to stay there until the sun goes down. at least once a month, hop and joyce have to dissuade her from bringing in possums and racoons home in hopes of some day getting to keep one for herself.

when she's older, she turns vegetarian and adopts one too many chickens even though they eat the leaves off of the little vegetable patch she and joyce plant in their backyard.

el really does love animals.

she, however, doesn't like cats. or squirrels. they're adorable and fluffy and just as sweet as all other animals, of course. she likes the way cats purr and she'd love to sink her fingers in the fuzz of a squirrel's bushy tail.

but she can't bring herself to do it. she can't even look at them without feeling sick, breathing uneven as she fights off a panic that has her frozen on the spot. the cats, for having to torture them in the lab; the squirrels, for having to kill one too many of them to stay alive during the winter of '83-'84.

and to everyone else she'll pretend. she'll smile whenever will points out a squirrel as they drive by the park, or when she comes face-to-face with one of them as she fills up the bird feeder in the garden. she'll giggle whenever jonathan pspspsp's a cat over for them to pet, or when they visit dustin and tews happens to be passing by.

but as soon as it happens, she'll excuse herself to go to the restroom, or make up a story about how she left something in the other room and she just remembered. if need be, she'll even use her powers to knock something off a shelf to distract everyone's attention and slip away in silence or, if she's lucky, scare the little animal away so she doesn't have to see them anymore.

she'll pretend because she can't stand the sight of the cute critters, but she can't let the other ones know for they don't know what she did. they don't know that her dreams are plagued by the hiss of a cat, or by the sound of the sizzling fire as she cooked a squirrel to ease the pain in her tummy. they don't know that her nightmares are littered with the sight of endless dead kittens, and by the stench of burnt squirrel flesh.

they don't know that she truly is a monster. at least in that regard.

and she doesn't want them to know. so as far as anyone's concerned, she loves animals.

any and all.

- the end -

(again, this is you guys' fault for putting el angst on my dashboard e.e)

[biohazard-inevitable]

Someday I’ll have a nice little home.

The outside will be a lovely stonework, cobbled together among dark wood and glass, mideval in its appearance as its settles into the foest greenery around.

A soft stonework path winding though soft clover and greenery up to a quiet little porch, windchimes of bone hang alongside hummingbird feeders, a horseshoe nailed above the door painted with etchings of runes and flowers as a lone rocking chair groans across the wood.

Inside it’ll be a cozy marvel full of rooms with many a purpose. A cozy kitchen sits in position to look out into the backyard where chickens and a garden roam free, a guarded little sanctuary for the creatures we keep. The kicthen is organized perfectly, each container for every item reusable and lableled ever so neatly, metal and reusable plastic silverware neatly tucked side by side in the drawers. Every spoon is the perfect spoon and every cup is the best cup. Fresh eggs decorate the wooden rack, as do dinosaur themed items all around.

Next is the living room, a cozy clutter of beloved textures and warm sentimentality. Knick nacks and bones dot the landscape and perhaps even, if alllowed, beautiful taxidermy lines the walls as swords hang behind the couch. A blaze roars warm in the fireplace on cold, rainy days, and the couch is large enough and soft enough for as many people as possible to join in a comfortable movie night.

Then of course is the library, a room dedicsted to collection housing manga and novel titles galore, organized beautifully, the manga alphabetical by title and the others alphabetical by author or however we wish to organize. Grand figures of the classics of our favorite anime characters tower around a cozy lounging are in the center of the room or perhaps by a window nook, the perfect place to nestle among the elements and become consumed in a story.

The batheoom even, is of my most ideal wonders. Themed ever so aquatically with a seperate shower and bath, the bath being a raised pedastal with water jets and plenty of room for candles, above it a tiled dome decorated like stars and panes into the wall depicting the most lavish scenery.

Then of course is my own room, decorated entirely however i please, a palace of plush pillows and the softest of blankets with all I need to love and enjoy myself inside it, a sanctuary of solitude if ever need be.

[miralax-gatorade]

Can we hear More Jeremy backyard creatures?

Omg I am so sorry this took me so long it’s just been gathering dust in my drafts 😭😭😭

I lost some motivation to do fnaf stuff recently bc I’ve been really into dsaf. You’re still welcome to ask about Fnaf but it’ll probably take a while to respond. I’d also be really happy if anyone has questions about my versions of the dsaf guys bc my hyperfixation swapped over to them. I have an au called Happiest Dave that I really need to work on.

So Jeremy has like, an army of feral cats. They’re everywhere, but you wouldn’t really know about them unless you’ve seen him do The Summoning. He stands in the yard and shakes a jar of treats and at least 10-15 cats will just appear. It’s great. He captures local strays and takes them to get fixed before rereleasing them. He’s the local crazy cat lady.

he does have one indoor cat that he adopted from the shelter, which I’ve mentioned in another post. She likes to sleep in Michael’s stomach hole. Michael and the cat pretend to hate each other, but they really don’t.

i also mentioned a dumpster chicken in another post, and this was based on a movie I watched as a kid where this lady found a factory chicken in a dumpster and nursed it back to health. I basically just stole that story and used It for Jeremy. Henrietta kinda just hangs around Jeremy’s house. Henry loves the chicken because she’s named after him, and he likes to hold her.

other than that, Jeremy just generally has a lot of bird houses and feeders and probably volunteers at an animal rescue. He loves fucked up skrunkly little guys. He just like us fr.

[audible-smiles]

clearing up some bird misinformation

in case you haven't heard: highly pathogenic avian influenza is a problem right now. it is primarily affecting waterfowl, seabirds, domestic poultry, raptors, and scavenging birds. we've also seen a number of cases where it has affected mammals such as cats and dogs, bears, mink, and sea lions; that's worth keeping an eye on.

what we have not seen so far is any significant number of cases in songbirds. (well, corvids are technically passerines, so let me rephrase.) we haven't seen any outbreaks among common backyard feeder birds. unless you have domestic poultry in your backyard, you don't need to take down your bird feeders. we don't even think feeder birds are particularly likely to carry the virus and transmit it to your chickens; that recommendation was made simply because there have been a few isolated cases of avian flu in feeder birds, so its not impossible for transmission to occur. don't feed ducks (or corvids) right now, and if you want to be cautious and take down seed/suet/nectar feeders that's fine, but you're not actually committing a grave sin against all birdkind by leaving them up.

there are other infectious avian diseases out there, so still clean your feeders on a regular basis and keep an eye out for local alerts.

[fairmaiden8]

Plastic or Metal Bird Feeders: Which Is Better for Your Backyard Chickens

Backyard chicken feeders are an essential part of raising chickens. They provide your birds with a consistent source of food and water, which is crucial to their health and well-being. When it comes to choosing the right feeder, there are many options available on the market today. Two popular choices include plastic and metal bird feeders. But which one is better for your backyard chickens?…

[alcnfr]

Assorted Eastern Gray Squirrels (Sciurus carolinensis) aroind the yard on a bright morning...

[superfluffychickens]

It’s official - my little girls are taller than the Faverolles now! I never really realized how proportionally short the Fav’s legs are until now, haha.

[tulipscomeinallsortsofcolors]

yeah im 100% city but we had backyard chickens for a good while and i miss them so badddd especially with egg prices being. what they are LMAO i miss having way too many and giving them away rather than being nervous making boiled eggs lol

the egg situation is Fucking Severe rn i'm lucky i've got a lady who'll sell me her extras from her chickens for dirt cheap cuz she just likes me

like god damn eight dollars for a dozen????? hello?????

makes me really mad about all the people who ignored the warnings about bird feeders and the like last year and let the bird flu get this out of hand >:/

[thepnwvarmints]

12 Random Facts About Yours Truly

*Sidenote: Rather than answer the 4 asks that are each asking for 3 random facts, four times… I’mma doin’ it this way. Lol! I’ll tag the three of you who weren’t on anon, then just link the anon to this. It got kinda long, so I'mma put it under a "Keep Reading" thing. 🥰

If y'all wanna know more about me, just ask. I'm an open book. Lol! Thank you for the asks @e-dubbc11 ; @ilovewhiteroses and @galacticstar <333

I love all animals and have had MULTIPLE different kinds of pets over the years. To date, I have had the following: 1 quarter horse, 1 king snake, 7 cockatiels, 2 rats, 4 hamsters, 2 guinea pigs, uncountable fish that included large oscars, catfish, guppies, angel fish, goldfish, rainbow fish, and swordtails, 1 conure parrot, 1 budgie, 13 cats, 5 dogs, and 2 guinea pigs. And that is not including the other animals we've had over the years that belonged to my aunt, my birth mother, or my grandparents, nor does it include the multiple wild animals that I fed or cared for over the years that we had feeders for or got food for, such as the squirrels, chickadees, hummingbirds, crows, blue jays, steller jays, deer, baby raccoons, towhees, juncos, bush tits, chickens, rabbits, and geese. I will never hunt and kill animals. I may eat meat, but I'm not a trapper/hunter.

I have a southern accent even though I grew up in Oregon. It never faded and my kids still pick on me for it. Lol! I was raised by my grandma who had a very thick accent. Hers was more of a combo from Arizona, Oklahoma, and Missouri, but she also grew up in Georgia as a kid. She raised me up until I was thirteen. After that, I got a horse, and my best-friends (that I was in 4-H with at the time) had moved here from Texas and Arkansas. We hung out daily and they also had southern accents. It wasn't until after I was about 17 years old that I stopped hangin' out with people that had a similar accent to my own, thus mine just sorta stuck. Neither of my kids have an accent, but Alyx does tend to sound more southern when he's super excited or angry. Then it really comes out. Lol!

I used to own a ‘68 Barracuda that I still miss to this day. It purred like a kitten (more like a Harley), had a brand new, metallic-blue paint job, electric white-leather seats, a Hurst Ratchet shifter, brand new transmission and only 15k miles on the engine. She was a thing of beauty, but my ex messed with the wiring so bad that it was irreparable. Not even the best mechanic was able to fix her without completely redoing the entire damn wiring. Too expensive so I ended up selling it to help a friend pay rent.

I have hazel colored eyes and they tend to get that tiger-eye effect. Depending on what I wear, they often reflect the color. I’ve had people tell me my eyes looked crystal blue before and then brown the next day. Lol! It’s weird, but they’re normally hazel.

Ummm… Oh! I just got a new mattress! Lol! How’s that for random? 😂

I can play a little piano and guitar, but mostly just play by ear. I haven’t played in ages, though. My kids are also very musically inclined and both play guitar and piano.

Uhhh, I have a Tardis Lamp in my bedroom! Lol! Dr. Who rocks.

I attempted to runaway when I was four years old. I went into the backyard and built a snow fort, deciding that I was going to live there from that point on. Lol! Somehow, I thought I could hide in the backyard, sneak in and get food when everyone was asleep, and no one would ever find me. Needless to say, they found me within a half hour. XDDD

My old roommate and I took my kids to Disneyland for the first time in 2018 before Covid was a thing. My ultimate goal was to ride Splash Mountain since it was shut down when I was a kid. However, when we got there, it was shut down again for renovations. So I told my kids, at some point, we HAVE to go back just so we can all ride that thing that's plagued me since I was twelve. However, I just heard on the radio a week ago, that they have permanently shut down Splash Mountain. Noooo! Lol! My twelve-year-old self is heartbroken. Apparently, it wasn't meant to be. XD

I have lived at the beach four times, practically grew up on the pacific coast half the time, and am planning to move back there next Spring with my daughter.

I have been skinny dipping with a large group of friends up at Cougar Hot Springs on more than one occasion. Lol! The largest group was about 14 of us. Smaller group was about 5 or so.

I have been in relationships with cis-het men, bi women, cis-het closeted/bi-curious women, mtf trans women, bi-men, poly-bi men, and poly lesbians. All beautiful, all having a major impact on my life, and all shaping who I am to this day. None of which I ever cheated on, nor would I. I'm a loyal ass motherfucker. When I'm wish someone, I am all in. No regrets. ❤️

[backyardchickennews]

What Common Challenges Do Seniors Face with Chickens? In the rewarding, yet challenging, journey of raising backyard chickens, seniors face a unique set of hurdles that must be navigated with care and creativity. While the prospect of having fresh eggs and the companionship of these delightful creatures is appealing, one must reckon with the realities of physical demands, seasonal shifts, and the potential for health concerns that accompany chicken care. As we age, everyday tasks can sometimes feel daunting. Feeding and cleaning the coop may seem manageable at first, but the physical exertion can be challenging, especially for those with mobility issues. Implementing thoughtful designs, such as raised feeders or accessible coops, can significantly ease the burden. Yet, this requires an initial investment of both time and resources. Another layer to this complexity involves the emotional landscape of chicken ownership. These lively, social birds demand attention and care, and when seniors face health struggles or life’s weariness, what was once a joyous endeavor can feel like an overwhelming responsibility. This is where community support comes into play. Having a network of friends or family to share the load can transform chicken care into a communal activity that brings connection rather than stress. Then there’s the seasonal factor. Winter’s chill makes it tougher not just for chickens but for the caretakers, requiring extra vigilance to ensure that coops are warm, water stays unfrozen, and the routine remains intact. This shift can strain both body and spirit. Furthermore, the health aspect is non-negotiable. Zoonotic diseases like salmonella can pose risks, especially to seniors with weaker immune systems. That’s where rigorous hygiene practices become essential. Overexertion or injuries from lifting feed bags or cleaning coops could exacerbate preexisting conditions. Regular health check-ups for the hens also add an element of responsibility that can be overwhelming if not factored into the plan. Ultimately, the world of backyard chickens offers plenty of joy, connection, and a meaningful pastime, but it insists on a realistic approach. By establishing supportive systems, adopting appropriate adaptations, and acknowledging the potential pitfalls, seniors can thrive alongside their feathered friends. Raising chickens can truly become a fulfilling adventure—a delightful blend of responsibility and companionship—proving that with the right preparations, the cluck of joy can accompany the challenges in this whimsical undertaking. https://backyardchickennews.com/what-common-challenges-do-seniors-face-with-chickens/?feed_id=8086&_unique_id=675ec7ffbdfee