Where are the feral chickens?

[old man emu]

I was just writing to a friend overseas and was talking about out National Parks being the haunts of many tpes of feral animals, such as cats, dogs, pigs, deer, foxes etc. Then I thought, "Why aren't there any feral chooks?" The cats, dogs and foxes couldn't have got them all.

 

OME

 

 

[turboplanner]

The foxes usually clean them up, even around farm houses. They can't fly far enough and they can't run fast enough.

 

 

[SDQDI]

Why not OME? A chook isn't much competition for a fox or cat or dog. Also dogs, cats and foxes can adapt really well to the wild (obviously) whereas it would be a bit harder for chooks.

 

Having said that maybe in some places there are some, I knew a fella who had some exotic pheasants that he kept and used for meat and he accidently left the gate open and they all wandered out. He was worried for a bit thinking immediately of how other animals like foxes ect have caused havoc by being introduced but and hour or so later they all came back and hopped back into their pen. Seems they get used to being looked after.

 

We don't lock our chooks up, they wander around our yard and round the sheds, they have never wandered far away and always roost in the same spot. Keeping the fox population down is important but we have only ever lost 1. I guess not having the wanderlust like cats, dogs and foxes also helps to prevent the country getting run over by wild chooks lol

 

 

[fly_tornado]

This is a fascinating insight into your thinking OME. Have "the greens" been troubling you at night?

 

 

[facthunter]

Don't read too much into everything ft. It's very difficult thinking of things that will get past many here. We will end up with just a few "mad" people. The "rest will give up". Nev

 

 

[fly_tornado]

I had an interesting discussion about feral dogs with a farmer a few weeks ago, I got the impression that the farming community still don't seem to understand where the dogs are coming from.

 

 

[turboplanner]

This is a fascinating insight into your thinking OME. Have "the greens" been troubling you at night?

He gave you the background to his thought FT, nothing wrong with that.

 

 

[turboplanner]

FT Warning: I'm about to write something about foxes.

 

Amazing animals; there is a heavy population right through urban Melbourne.

 

Our next door neighbour sells chooks and ducks, and despite buying a Marema to protect them, there's a stream of feathers radiating out from his property.

 

One morning I saw a fox with a huge rooster in his jaws crossing our front lawn. I figured I had him trapped because the fences are sheep mesh but he just walked up to the fence, twisted and put the head through, twisted again and put the tail through and then just walked through, ignoring me.

 

 

[facthunter]

There's a plague of foxes around here. Always has been, but they aren't as cunning as they used to be They get run over by cars, and they are out in the daytime more.. Chickens don't last long. There would be a lot more rabbits if they weren't there too There's still a lot of rabbits.. Nev

 

 

[fly_tornado]

I can deal with Foxes, just not "the greens".

 

 

[ayavner]

I can deal with Foxes, just not "the greens".

WANTED FOR QUESTIONING:

 

 

 

[fly_tornado]

the rare "watermelon Fox": green on the outside, red on the inside.

 

 

[Guest Deskpilot1]

Feral chook!

 

[ATTACH]47639._xfImport[/ATTACH]

 

[facthunter]

Fugly thing. I'll bet it scares crap out of smaller birds. Nev

 

 

[Guernsey]

Is that real or a model, more information please.

 

Alan.

 

 

[ayavner]

imagine going through all that effort to end up with a chicken painted on your plane. If it were me I'd want a falcon or hawk or something. To each his own.

 

 

[facthunter]

It's real. Really looks BAD. Nev

 

 

[dazza 38]

Is that real or a model, more information please.Alan.

It's real, I read a story about it a few years ago. Ugliest plane ive ever seen

 

 

[Gnarly Gnu]

It's real. Really looks BAD. Nev

Oh I don't mind it, the paint job is fabulous and I love the fact that no rego is apparently necessary.

 

There are a few stray peafowl about, they roost high and in some ways are tougher than chooks. Incidentally I found the two don't mix so well as they have quite different traits.

 

 

[turboplanner]

Deer have succeeded though, they are now right through the Victorian alps in the biggest numbers ever, providing excellent hunting.

 

Same in the South East where you can see deer grazing in paddocks with sheep around Penola.

 

 

[facthunter]

Why is no rego apparently necessary? Nev

 

 

[Gnarly Gnu]

Can you see it?

 

 

[Guernsey]

Why is no rego apparently necessary? Nev

I hope it never becomes necessary, I certainly don't want CASA forcing me to register my birds. .

 

Alan.

 

 

[octave]

Is that real or a model, more information please.Alan.

http://theaviationist.com/2013/02/10/flying-rooster/

 

 

[dazza 38]

Deer have succeeded though, they are now right through the Victorian alps in the biggest numbers ever, providing excellent hunting.Same in the South East where you can see deer grazing in paddocks with sheep around Penola.

Same as the Brisbane Valley and even some hinterland suburbs on the Gold coast.