Clarence-more shelterbelt-and the rest of you-thanks!

[Chuckie]

one of my dilemmas (sp?) is how much of the deadwood to remove. in one of my initial posts, i noted that on eof the reasons i was asking these questions was in an attempt to renovate an old shelterbelt, without destroying the habitat for wildlife (after all, the mutts have to have some fun, too). and, i have a garden spot 20' from this shelterbelt that has never been touched by rabbit, deer, etc., there's no fence around it, it HAS to be the dogs because there are coyotes denning within a quarter mile, deer, 'coons, possums, even a snapping turtle that one of the dogs brought home last summer. not to speak of the hawks, falcons and owls...
i LOVE living out here...
but i'm scared to get chickens!

 

[Hanta Yo]

No chickens, they're nasty things that will invite every chicken loving varmint in the world onto your place - even your dogs wouldn't be able to run the varmints off. :?

 

[Chuckie]

that's what i'm concerned about-varmints. would one of those mean-a@@ed donkeys scare away a skunk??!! or just turn into an egg-sucker?!!
i'm gonna put off the baby girl (almost 13 ) as long as i can on the chicken issue.....
here's good one: my sister, who lives just outside a major metropolitan area in western indiana, has raised chickens for years. last summer, she wrote to me about her trials with coyotes taking her hens--at one point in time--believe it, she does NOT tell "stories" about her chickens--her husband, looked out a window, saw a coyote relaxing IN THE YARD with 2, count 'em, TWO, of their hens. both dead of course. coyote was not a BIT concerned.
my brother-in-law (not a cowboy,BTW, by any means), went after it with a BROOM :roll: , and he couldn't get the sob to move off, AT ALL :!: except as his leisure, which i think was a while.
i told her to get some of her blood-hungry associates and guns..don't know what happened--sorry--i'll see if i can get the rest of the story.
last i heard, she was threatening ti put up one of those 8' high, electrified, with the concertina wire, fences around the property... :wink: