bear on my street this morning

[bangor777]

So, I was bringing my dog to the vet and I almost hit a huge black bear ambling across our little street. Do Bears like to eat chickies? Should I keep the coop closed later? Then again, this was at 9:15 am so that's pretty late. Anyone with bear experience? he sure was beautiful though!

 

[flakey chick]

Bears "could" eat your chickies but they would rather get into your garbage (or have doughnuts and beer).

 

[Hotwings]

I don't know where you live but black bears can be a nuisance at times. I think I be very afraid to see one! Bears can run havoc on chickens. Where I live there are very few black bears.

 

[JennsPeeps]

Bears are omnivores and will eat anything. Typically they'll go for the easiest things to get at, though, which tends to be garbage.

 

[panner123]

It is not normal to see bears out at that time. They usually come around under the cover of darkness. It is either very hunger injured or sick. By sick I mean rabies. A bear will eat whatever it can, chickens included. If it wants in your coop, you can't stop it. The cheapest way to slow them down is to put a radio in the coop. Once it does get in the coop you will have a REAL PROBLEM. To slow it down then
will mean an electric fence plus. If you can shoot it.

 

[coffeelady3]

Quote:
Sounds like my kind of bear!

 

[bearfretworks]

Quote:
I've seen bears active at all hours of the day.......and night. Doesn't mean they are sick or rabid......just looking for food to store for that 6 month nap!

And we never had a problem with bears and our chickens when I lived in Alaska.......but we did have an electric fence

 

[amazondoc]

Where do you live?

Here in East TN, we have had two roaming black bears walking through town in the middle of the day, in just the last two weeks alone. This is evidently the time of year when the young males go forth to find new territories.

I personally wouldn't worry toooooo much about black bears, although if a young guy can't find enough garbage to chow on I suppose he might go for your eggs. As long as they are not mothers protecting cubs, black bears are usually not aggressive. YMMV. And if it's a brown bear, all bets are off!

 

[Wolf-Kim]

I wouldn't worry as much about the chooks as I would their food. I think a bear is more likely to break into a coop or run if they can smell the chicken feed in there.

Where is your feed stored at? What is it stored in?

-Kim

 

[amazondoc]

Good point! The bears that go through town here are often reported to raid bird feeders. Might as well eat chicken feed as anything else!