Sally : Someone gave us 5 hens and a beautiful rooster last summer for the kids and we are really enjoying them. So far they've given us 6 "teenagers" and we found a home for 3 with a friend, also one "tween" and now 3 new chicks. We are slowly learning new things about them like brooding, when they'll give us eggs again after they have chicks, etc. Here's a pic of the big boy and 2 of the hens.

Ross : For the gal with mice problems, I use the old fashion mouse traps. I close off a couple nest so the chickens cannot get in but a mouse can and with a little peanut butter, whamo, one less mouse and no problems with the chickens. I have an out door cat who is a good mouser but she isn't 100% proof. I keep all the food in containers, but there's enough feed remnants to attract an occasional mouse. This works for me, Oh!! And for the four legged predators, I use a standard fence charger that's on 24/7 with a wire about 2" from the ground all the way around the coop and another about a foot off the ground, both on insulators, and between the two keeps the 'diggers and the climbers' away from my chickens. Ross from Mid-Missouri

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