E4 No More

https://www.511tactical.com/2-banger-bag.html Just keep in mind that when you carry off-body it's easy to forget this bag unless you carry it every day.

So where's the supper invite?

They do eat a lot of ticks, reportedly. How they counted them is beyond me.

The funny part is that my house is build on an old corn field yet I can't get corn to grow on it.

I'd starve under that guidance. My yard doesn't seem to be able to grow .

Nah, neighbors are dog people. There are some stray cats out here in the country but they're no loss.

https://www.scheels.com/p/duke-dp-coon-trap/01162700510.html I ordered a couple of these as they are specific to raccoons but also nab opossums.

OK, why live trap them? If you're going to kill them anyway, why the extra step?

I brought up Mountain Men because the one in N. Carolina, (Eustus), had a critter killing his chickens in the chicken coop. They actually caught and killed an opossum in the act of killing a chicken and shot it right there. It shocked me to find out it was an opossum.

Apparently blood now.

They'd have to change the name to Fat-assed Mountain Men. At least until I half starved to death!

No cats, and the dogs are easily kept behind the fence. If I got one of those traps the next thing you'd know is I tried out for Mountain Men.

Could be, but here's what I found online: https://extension.tennessee.edu/Fayette/Documents/Predators of Poultry - The Ohio State University.pdf Predators A number of different predator species can cause damage and economic losses on poultry flocks. Chicken flocks are often more prone than turkey flocks, due to the size of birds. Younger, smaller birds are also more susceptible. Predators include coyotes, foxes, bobcats, weasels and their relatives, birds of prey, racoons, opossums, skunks, rodents, and snakes. Domestic animals, such as dogs and cats, can also be predators of poultry. Patterns of Predation Missing adult birds—coyotes, bobcats, dogs, birds of prey, and foxes For birds of prey, hawks will take birds during the day; whereas, owls will take birds during the night. Often, domestic dogs will not eat the birds, and the carcass may be found in close proximity to the site of attack. Coyotes are active night and day, though when living in urban areas amongst humans, they are more active at night. Feathers and a few scattered pieces may be left behind after dog, coyote, and fox attacks. Bobcats typically hunt during the hours of dawn and dusk, but can attack any time of day. Missing eggs or chicks—opossums, skunks, rats, cats, snakes, coyotes, foxes, and birds of prey Most predators of poultry will kill and remove chicks, often without any signs of disturbance, especially if the attack occurs at night. Unprotected nests are easy targets for predators. Missing or damaged eggs may be caused by skunks, snakes, rats, opossums, raccoons, coyotes, foxes, blue jays, and crows. Foxes, skunks, opossums, jays, and crows often leave shells of consumed eggs behind. Missing heads—birds of prey and raccoons This occurs when birds are kept in a pen enclosed by loose meshing. Birds of prey can scare birds and cause them to jump or fly up, allowing their heads to protrude through the meshing. Raccoons will reach through openings, grabbing and ripping off the bird’s head through the meshing and wire caging. Missing limbs—raccoons Raccoons are notorious for their hand skills and intelligence. If birds are kept in a mesh-style pen, raccoons are able to reach nearby, unsuspecting birds and pull their legs off. Birds with lacerations near the cloaca or vent Weasels and their relatives, and opossums, may attack the vent region, pulling out the intestines. Some birds can be found walking around, dragging their intestines. Another cause of wounds to the vent or cloaca can be the result of cannibalism from other chickens in the flock. Rectal prolapse after egg passage may attract pecking to the bright red exposed tissue. Birds found dead with other injuries Poultry are known to huddle in an area away from open sides to avoid predators that may be stalking around the perimeter. The weight of the huddled birds is enough to suffocate the ones below. Birds killed by weasels are found bloody with the internal organs missing or partially consumed. Occasionally, weasels kill birds without eating them. Birds are typically killed with a bite(s) to the base of the skull, severing the spinal cord. Skunks and opossums may kill adult birds messily, with damaged bodies remaining. Raccoons attack birds’ head, breast, and crop and may consume the entrails. Companion Animals Cats, both feral and domestic, will prey on chicks, often removing them with no signs of damage or debris present. It would be unusual for a cat to prey on an adult chicken unless it was wounded or injured. Dogs may prey on both adult chickens or chicks depending on breed or temperament. Livestock guard dogs have been used successfully to protect both coops and free-range flocks from predators if trained to this task. Prevention of Predation The primary way to prevent predation is to fortify the coop against predators. This should be the goal of all poultry keepers. Sturdy fencing, overhead protection from wild birds and birds of prey plus addressing any holes or entry points will dramatically decrease the chance of a predator affecting the flock, as well as provide excellent biosecurity. Trapping or hunting of predators may be an option depending on local rules and regulations. Additional options are listed below: Motion sensor lights and sound equipment—these are short-term solutions that can be used during the interim until other options (i.e., trapping, exclusion) can be implemented to protect flocks. Remove/secure all food attractants—garbage, pet food, livestock feed, fallen fruit from trees, and other available foods can serve as an attractant to many predators. Once there, predators may seek out other sources of food, such as poultry. Seek assistance from wildlife professionals.

I have lost three chickens to predators with the last two apparently from an opossum. In looking up the signs particular predators tend to leave I lean towards it being the opossum. The heads and neck of the chicken are gone with some of the upper breast gone as well, but the majority of the body is left in the chicken yard. I have known of coyotes climbing standard 4' fences, but they don't leave most of the kill behind. Neither would a Bobcat, and I would think a fox would try to dig. There are no signs of digging under the fence, so it must be either a climber or a flyer. Given my grandson saw a rather large opossum on top of the 5' fence I'd say he's the culprit. I looked online after reading some article, and I bought a spray bottle of 100% wolf piss. Besides wondering how, (and what kind of), person collects 100% wolf piss I am hoping that this solves the problem. In case it doesn't work, has anybody on here had the same problem, and how did you remedy it? I really don't want to buy a shotgun and a red light and sit out back waiting for the critter to appear. I don't hunt so a shotgun would be a huge expense for these critters.

I was raised on margarine. About 10 years ago we switched to all butter and won't look back.

https://culinarylore.com/food-science:margarine-is-one-molecule-away-from-plastic-and-other-myths/

That's not true at my granddaughter's school. It is incumbent upon her mother to supply the school with fresh epi-pens every year, and the other kids are free to bring what they want. They are restricted from directly exposing her to the nuts. She also has to sit at a special table for lunch to prevent cross contamination. According to my daughter, the only time it was like as you stated was when the teacher was also allergic to nuts and prohibited them from her classroom, and that was just in 1 grade.

Praying for you and yours.

WTN is reporting that President Dementia has pulled the supplky of monoclonal antibodies from red states of Tennessee, Mississippi, Florida, and Texas to redistribute to blue states. Gov. Desantis has gone straight to the suppliers to buy it directly.

Praying for him and his family.

I wonder if the shooter got pissed at Kroger's crappy services and bad attitudes?

He's got too much on his plate and declined.

A friend of mine expressed interest in having his own fish tank. I don't think he was thinking 120 gallons, but I'm checking with him nevertheless.

So far it's moving out this morning. Got my windows open but it's still a humid mess.

Your paranoia has worn me out. I'm done. I've given my warning to others not to listen to crap like this.