Ethical Carnivores

[JoyfulGoats]

I don't think a donkey or mule will keep mice and rats away

Raising meat chickens to feed your animals shouldn't be terribly expensive. Especially if you have them free ranging, feeding themselves and can replace from within rather than buying chicks every 8-10 weeks. BTW, you don't need to raise "can't stand on their own after a month or so" Cornish Cross meat birds like the ones you buy in the store. Don't stuff them with food so they grow fast. Let them range, they can breed and raise chicks same as a layer breed.

Haha, a mule chasing rats . I guess I'll have to think about it and see. Now, I'm thinking that if we don't have a predator problem (there are coyotes and racoons in the area, but I'm hoping they won't come out during the day. At night the animals are locked up in predator-proof housing), I won't get a dog. We might eventually need a cat though, if the neighbours' doesn't chase them enough. Where we currently live there are lots of rats and they are too smart to be caught. We've tried poison, cages, rat traps, sticky things that catch them (these worked well until they figured them out, and would flip them over so they no longer stick), and the sound thingy that apparently they don't like. There are a lot of mice holes on the land we will build on.

 

[CntryBoy777]

We have a saying here...."Want" in one hand and "Wish" in the other and see which one gets the fullest the fastest. The reality of the situation is limited by your "Wants and Wishes". I respect your "Desire", but it just isn't even close to "Reality". I would be more concerned about the rats, and not the cats as far as the chickens are concerned....and you can bet your sweet "Bippy" that coons will prowl during daylight hours, along with possums. If ya are going to raise animals, ya better get a better "Grip" on the real "Reality"....or ya would be better off just reading books.....IMHO

 

[JoyfulGoats]

We have a saying here...."Want" in one hand and "Wish" in the other and see which one gets the fullest the fastest. The reality of the situation is limited by your "Wants and Wishes". I respect your "Desire", but it just isn't even close to "Reality". I would be more concerned about the rats, and not the cats as far as the chickens are concerned....and you can bet your sweet "Bippy" that coons will prowl during daylight hours, along with possums. If ya are going to raise animals, ya better get a better "Grip" on the real "Reality"....or ya would be better off just reading books.....IMHO

Don't worry, I'm not deluded. If we have too many predators, we will do what we have to, but it's good to consider options. This year we have spent a lot of time at the land, and we've never seen any predator other than the cats. However, we have been told that the are coyotes from time to time. Two streets away, there is a lady who breeds horses and she does not have any guard animal. There is also someone else with chickens nearby who also does not have a guard animal. However, there is someone else two streets away in the opposite direction who has about 10 goats and a great pyrenees guard dog. He goes from laying down to up in barking very quickly if you step on their land. However, for some reason he isn't always there. I'm not sure where they put him, but sometimes the goats are loose on the property with no dog in site.

Basically, if it's possible (and not too complicated) to have my ideal, great. If we need a dog and can't have the ideal diet, then oh well.

 

[CntryBoy777]

Well that's good to hear. You won't have to be concerned about cats with mature chickens. We have had outside cats for yrs, some with chickens and some without...we have had them that never saw a chicken before we got them...and we have never ever had one to do anything but stalk them. Sooner or later the chicken will peck the cat and that is the end of the face off. A rat will devistate a flock.

 

[JoyfulGoats]

I adore one of the neighbour's cats. He will follow us everywhere, but the others run away as soon as they see us approaching. What issues did you have regarding rats and chickens (and how big where the rats?). We don't have the huge "sewer" rats here, they are maybe the 5inches x 2 inches, but it was very hard to keep them out of the quail's cages. They ended up killing one and biting another's toe (but we saved her). We had to put thicker hardware cloth to prevent them from entering. I have read about rats eating chicken's toes, but I was hoping it wasn't the case. We have had a rat enter the chicken's coop, but other than scaring them, it didn't do any damage.

 

[Alibo]

A couple Muscovey ducks with the chickens will keep the rats out of the coop. Be warned that they are greedy and messy, but they are my favorite

 

[JoyfulGoats]

A couple Muscovey ducks with the chickens will keep the rats out of the coop. Be warned that they are greedy and messy, but they are my favorite

Really? Do they eat them or just chase after them? And is this specific to muscovy ducks, or can any duck breed work?

 

[Alibo]

Not sure of any ducks, but my Muscovies will chase and eat all size rats and mice....and chipmunk....and lizards, snakes....and unfortunately all of my new rabbit kits right after mama kindled. Needless to say the ducks are now kept away from the rabbit colony

 

[JoyfulGoats]

I'm sorry for your rabbits! I am really glad to know that they eat the rats though. There is a lady about 15 mins away from where we will live who has a flock of them. I could hatch some eggs. How many do you have?

 

[Sheepshape]

I'm veggie, have 2 cats and a dog. One cat is a 'rodent exterminator' the other much less so.

I keep BIG chickens (Brahmas etc) and use their eggs, not being happy with the egg industry either. My cats don't trouble the chickens (even the chicks)....on the contrary, the chickens chase/peck the cats at times. Occasional cockerels (hatched here) who can't get on with the 'main man' are despatched by OH and are fed to the animals.

The dog never has dog food, eating only meat/eggs/offal from relatively ethical sources( I'm not spending a fortune on him....our own eggs, offal from herds with ethical husbandry and meat which is being sold off cheaply at the end of the expiry date). Much the same for the cats, one of whom insists on eating her own rodent kills (mainly voles).

Crikey, I never realised that Muscovy ducks were so fierce! Sorry about the rabbit kits, Alibo. I guess chicks and smaller chickens wouldn't be safe around them either.

I guess we all have to do what we are mentally content with as regards food for animals. Whatever, the diet of our cats and dog certainly helps to keep them well. Older cat now 14 and still very active, dog 10 and very fit, and cat we had to have euthanised a couple of years back was 21.