Will I be doomed from the start?

[Marianne25]

Hi, new here to the forum. Have been wanting to get chickens for a few years now, and since my youngest has left the nest (pun intended) for college, I thought this coming Spring would be the perfect time. However, the first forum I started reading was about predators, as we live on 17 wooded acres, and this has been a concern since I first thought about this venture. The house itself sits on about an acre of flat land and I was going to place the coop pretty close to the side of the house.

My problem after reading the predator poll (which is the "worst" predator) is that aside from Mountain Lions, I have seen every single predator on the list at one point or another over the last ten years. Just today we had a bobcat in the yard, who (unsuccessfully) tried to catch a rabbit in the yard.

After reading through the posts, I'm not sure that any amount of predator-proofing will guarantee the safekeeping of my chickens.

Am I nuts to think I should try this?

My plan was to keep just four chickens (for egg laying).

Any advice is greatly appreciated. Thanks!

 

[chiques chicks]

For for chickens, you can build a relatively secure coop and run. Hardware cloth, welded wire, and electric wire or netting will deter almost anything. Hoop runs (search hoop coop) are nice, simple, effective, and relatively economical.

I live on five acres with a couple hundred acres of farmland, woods and mixed use around me. I only have fox, raccoon, dogs, cats, weasel, mink, hawks, owls, eagles, coyote, opossum, and a few other small things to worry about. My coop and pen are not very secure. My lossess are minimal. I have only list one adult in 4 years. So far. I have lost chicks to blue jays, though.

Research and go for it!

 

[junebuggena]

The run doesn't have to be Fort Knox, as long as your coop is solid and secure against night time predators. Most predators will keep clear of houses during day time hours. Keep the area around the coop and run clear of excess vegetation to minimize cover for day time predators. I have bears, mountain lions, bobcats, mink, weasels, owls, hawks, eagles, possums, raccoons, coyotes, foxes, cats, and dogs. My coop is about 10 feet from the house, and I have motion activated lighting at strategic points to help deter predators.

 

[tennboy1]

How did you loose chicks to blue jays ?

 

[wamtazlady]

Electric poultry netting would be the perfect answer to your problems. If you go to YouTube do a search for "bears and electric fencing". They used wires and poultry netting to surround food items. The bears refused to go through the fencing to get the food. You'll see how good electric fencing can be.

I bought Premier's poultry netting this spring. Lost all but 2 of my hens last year due to foxes. Did not want to take the chance with my new flock this year. I built them a new coop and a pen that are pretty predator proof. Then I surrounded the whole thing with the poultry netting. This gives the chickens a bit more room to roam around during the day. So far I haven't lost any due to predators this year. We have lots of foxes, raccoons, opossums, and occasional bears and cougars where we live.

 

[chickengeorgeto]

Anyone who has never lost a hen or chick to vermin has never kept many chickens. Just stick out your chin and go for it.

 

[lindalouly]

When there is a will there is a way. Secure coops and runs are doable. Guard dogs are trainable. Most will lose at least one to sickness, preditors or training dogs but it's the risk we take. My birds have been the pill I needed for my sickness... 8 years of anxiety along with other health issue and I decided to get my birds and they bring me a peace that is indescribable!!!! But I am also ok with losses. So you have to weigh your risk factors.

 

[Egghead_Jr]

I live on an old farmstead that is surrounded by thousands of acres woods and critters.

I use electric netting and a secure coop too. I've a small 8x8' portable pen that the chicks were grown out in after weened from brooder. Used 2x4 welded wire in 14 gauge to surround the bottom 4 ft and cut the welded wire in half to lay flat around the pen to stop digging predators. The rest of pen and top were covered in plastic garden fencing. Building a basic run like that is easy and if large enough is all you need. I like the space provided with electric netting and that it's easy to move to fresh grass every 2-3 weeks.

With the 164', 48 inch fencing with hot gate the birds get 1600 sqft of grazing. Very nice. With a .5 joule output charger it produces 4,000 volts. Will sag over time and grass grows (reducing to 3,000 volts ) so needs readjusting while slight move to mow grass which takes about 30 minutes each week. With a helper and coop that moves I can move the entire set up to fresh forage in 1.5 hours.

Almost forgot to mention. I haven't lost a bird yet with the netting. In bear country it's a good idea to remove the feed every night so they don't do damage and kill birds. I was leaving feed out and my little 8x8 run was tested by a bear two nights. Cracked boards and bent up the welded wire but due to it not being secured to ground wasn't able to really put muscle into it. I bring feed in anymore and bears have stopped stopping by.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Lots of different ways and philosophies to go about this. With you planning on only four hens a few losses are not really acceptable to you so you need something really secure. For four hens that is not that hard or extremely expensive. But you probably will not be able to let them forage for a lot of their food unless you are ready to spend some money. Many people in suburbia keep four hens that do not forage.

I bet when you saw that bobcat it was during the day, not at night. Contrary to what many people think most of the predators on the list can hunt night or day. I’ve seen bobcat, foxes, skunks, raccoons, and coyotes hunting during the day. Many of them are more active at night than day but you still have risks when the sun is up. Still, locking them in a secure coop at night is a good strategy. The predators have more undisturbed time to do their damage at night. That is the time of greatest risk. Even if you consider your run to be secure locking them up at night is an additional level of security.

If you feel you need for them to forage you can manage that but it takes more work. I use the electric netting and it is very effective but weeds and grass growing up into it can short it out. You have to address that and that means maintenance. They are still vulnerable to flying predators. I don’t lose adults to flying predators but I have lost a few chicks. Some people do lose adults. A regular electrified welded wire fence can be extremely effective too. Electricity is the best way to deal with bears. You could put them in a movable tractor during the good weather months but that means moving it on a real regular basis.

Since you have lots of room I suggest you build the coop quite a bit bigger than the minimum. Same for the run. The more room you give them the less hard you have to work, the more flexibility you have to deal with issues, and the fewer behavioral issues you are likely to have. Also, if you ever integrate new chickens the extra room is precious.

Just because you have predators around does not mean you will instantly lose chickens to them. Many people free range and go a long time between predator attacks. Others are wiped out within a day or two of trying it. Unless you take strong preventative measures you are at great risk and will probably (almost certainly) lose some over time. With only four you can’t afford that. If you have images of the chickens freely roaming your land chasing grasshoppers and scratching in leaf mold, you will be at great risk unless you use some sort of good fencing. There will still be some risks. If you are willing to confine them in a predator proof structure what you’re talking about is very doable.

Good luck!

 

[chiques chicks]

How did you loose chicks to blue jays ?

Young chicks being raised by broodies in main flock. They literally fly in and grab them. I couldn't figure out what I was losing them to until I saw it one day. My run is uncovered, although there are small trees and berry brambles in it for cover.