15 years perfect, no predation with my setup. Until yesterday .....

[mominoz]

I have 3 pastures with 4 ft fence...one has weak spots way in the back (1000ft) that a dog or coyote could get in. but then coyotes can jump a fence... but my birds are up near my house, cabin, barn etc.and I have solar lights in their pens and outside it... Other two pastures are tight. Night pen is 4 ft dog fence with hotwire around bottom and on top (but it could be too far up in some areas like 8-10").... it is divided into other 'yards' with gates to divide birds, but all can be opened into each other. There are some geese housing, duck nest bins, and a carport entirely fenced with an apron. I used to close up years ago... I haven't for 10 years. but can. (and tonight I will and force birds into it for protection. It stormed yesterday so I didn't let them freerange in their pastures yesterday. I went out to feed when it let up and 3 Saxony ducks were dead and partly eaten within 2-ft of each other ! They are in a Z shaped pen with access to part of the carport, a goose house and several awnings and rubbermaid bins. I walked around outside and couldn't find any entry that was obvious or tracks. (it had rained hard). I considered, that my geese could have killed them, and ducks ate on them...but that seemed unlikely. Plenty of places to hide and hadn't seen any animosity, except an occasional hiss at the feeders, no chasing etc.... and they have been free ranging for a while together and raised with various breeds... and had not seen cannibalism in the ducks either, as a matter of fact they were far from the bodies. Besides 3?! in one spot!? I then considered aerial predation...owl maybe or possibly the local hawks...but again 3?! coons maybe , but it would have to be a troop and evidence wasn't there... Today I found a large Saxony drake in the boys pen dead and his whole breast eaten out ! Runners in other side were ok, and the chickens in electric netting were fine...and peacocks and wild ducks with top netting ok...whom I have been working on putting a hotwire around the top of their pen, incase of 'climbers...but not done yet.... another pen across the yard has Harlequins, but they haven't been attacked either (yet)... Who ever it is is really hungry 2 nights in a row and 4 large ducks!...we are rural NW ga. and have "everything" fox, coyote, coon, possum, bobcats, sometimes bear and sightings of larger cats...(that aren't officially here)... If storms let up I will add another hotwire to top.... and I will lock up my breeding show stock tonight in aviary.... I am hoping geese are ok, as they are pretty large super Africans and some of the Romans are next too them and have 2 African friends with them... I am also going to find my game camera and set it up....Still 3 large birds all next to each other! (20 years ago I had 4coons kill off my geese in another farm , after I hotwired pens I never had a problem)....

 

[Brooks_]

Sorry for your losses. I guess everything will be fine until it's not. Keep working on that hot wire. Best wishes.

 

[50-45-1]

Do you have coops for all your birds?
Locking them in a secure coop at night is your best option.
If I did not have the secure coop I have now I probably would not have any birds left.
Chickens have zero night vision. Ducks and geese may be similar.
Chickens just freeze in place and are "sitting ducks" for whatever preditor gets in the coop.
Sorry for your loss. Sounds like an owl to me.

 

[mominoz]

Do you have coops for all your birds?
Locking them in a secure coop at night is your best option.
If I did not have the secure coop I have now I probably would not have any birds left.
Chickens have zero night vision. Ducks and geese may be similar.
Chickens just freeze in place and are "sitting ducks" for whatever preditor gets in the coop.
Sorry for your loss. Sounds like an owl to me.

I have a fenced carport inside the fenced , hotwired night yard. Geese and ducks do not do well in 'chicken coops' type enclosures. They produce too much 'humidity' especially in the hot south...I would have to have a large barn to have enough square footage and the cleaning would be overwhelming for the 75-125 birds I have annually. My setup is similar to the suggestions in Holddereads book. I just have either an owl? , or coon, bobcat, fox that is going over fence...or my fence is weak...however, the storms tripped my charger, so it was off. It also may need me to add more strands midfence or make sure I don't have shorts .... since we have been having constant rain/storms that may play in... Whatever it is, it is unusal around here to have nighly predation. Coons and possums usually come a couple nights apart and something that can kill 3 birds next to each other...yes , birds have poor night sight, and tripping on Saxony is easy, they get underfoot and move slow. If it is an owl I may try putting up silver streamers or criss crossing the pen with nylon fishing line.... Netting is difficult under large trees...the leaves and branches can damage the nets....What may be concerning is the neighbor about 1000ft away had a dog get out and it got attacked by 'a cat' according to the vet... It is a 40-50lb dog...

 

[cmom]

I'm a keeper of large flocks. I have hot wires around my pens and coops. My predator proofing has been done because of losses from predators in the past. Do you test your wires to keep track of the voltage? If the voltage is too low some predators become aware and will go through it. Mine are quite hot especially the fence charger for my outer coops and pens. I don't free range anymore due to losses from predators, but my land is mostly open pasture. I do have nice large covered pens for my birds.

 

[Northfire]

We have weasels up here in Ontario Canada that attack and kill like that. Any openings bigger than a half inch and they can and do get in. Sorry for your losses, brutal.