Do You Have An Opinion On Killing Predators?

[epignosisjs]

Zazouse: Gracie is awesome!

We are on 10 acres in west Florida. I have lost a chick to a hawk. We saw the hawk return and try the same trick. I fortified the coop to thwart it's efforts. It has returned, but no more losses, thankfully.
I prefer not to kill anything. However, I also refuse to allow my chickens to be "free picking" for predators. We have tons of rabbits, squirrels, mice, rats, skinks, snakes, etc. for the predators to dine on. If they threaten my chickens or chihuahuas it is a done deal.
Two mornings ago I had a coyote on my property. I don't know how it gained entry, but my dogs alerted me to its presence. I got my 22, but couldn't get a clear shot before it disappeared in the brush.
I was ready for it yesterday morning, but didn't see it. Hopefully it was just passing through. If not, I will shoot it.
We have a 4' fence around the property. The chickens are in coops. The dogs are a good alert system, but until my LGD grows up I can't expect them to eradicate any predators.
I enjoy having the wildlife and am willing to coexist, but the "live and let live" motto applies to my chickens, too.

 

[harveyhorses]

I will only kill a 'predator' not for simply existing. Snakes, only venomous ones. I lost one to a hawk because I had netting on the top of their run, not wire.
I have a really hard time with people who pretty much leave the buffet open and blame the predators.
When I built my run, I tried to think of every way my hens could be attacked. I keep the electric fence going, the fence is chainlink with hardware cloth/chicken wire inside that and the top, Freinds keep asking if keeping chickens is hard, I tell them keeping chickens alive is hard, everyone wants chicken for dinner.
If I saw my hens under attack, yes I would kill the critter (barring hawks) they only free range under supervision.

 

[zazouse]

Zazouse: Gracie is awesome!

We are on 10 acres in west Florida. I have lost a chick to a hawk. We saw the hawk return and try the same trick. I fortified the coop to thwart it's efforts. It has returned, but no more losses, thankfully.
I prefer not to kill anything. However, I also refuse to allow my chickens to be "free picking" for predators. We have tons of rabbits, squirrels, mice, rats, skinks, snakes, etc. for the predators to dine on. If they threaten my chickens or chihuahuas it is a done deal.
Two mornings ago I had a coyote on my property. I don't know how it gained entry, but my dogs alerted me to its presence. I got my 22, but couldn't get a clear shot before it disappeared in the brush.
I was ready for it yesterday morning, but didn't see it. Hopefully it was just passing through. If not, I will shoot it.
We have a 4' fence around the property. The chickens are in coops. The dogs are a good alert system, but until my LGD grows up I can't expect them to eradicate any predators.
I enjoy having the wildlife and am willing to coexist, but the "live and let live" motto applies to my chickens, too.

You know my head LGD would never kill anything but she patrols and will take off in a dead run at anything strange she sees that alone keeps the predators at bay, my Anatolian/great Pyrenees cross will kill if he could catch it but he is just a back up dog as far as predators, the rott will kill a snake in a heart beat but does not get into Gracie's kill he checks it out and leaves but he will peruse a critter in the safe zone till it is caught. the dynamics of a pack is an interesting thing that is why i use so many different kinds of dogs to help keep the birds safe because i do not have cages and pens, just roost areas and feed stations.

 

[debchick]

After trapping 18 coons 12 possums and 5 skunks(that was smelly) in a live trap and relocating to a different farm it became a neverending task. Conservation said unless you take them at least 10 miles away they will be back. So the short story. after loosing 8 turkeys 14 chickens and all my silkies due to predators. coons foxes hawks coyotes etc. there is no more relocating! Our coops are fort knox but predators are sneaky and find a way. So I love all animals to(except snakes LOL) but the losses I would deal with everyday was to much.

 

[zazouse]

After trapping 18 coons 12 possums and 5 skunks(that was smelly) in a live trap and relocating to a different farm it became a neverending task. Conservation said unless you take them at least 10 miles away they will be back. So the short story. after loosing 8 turkeys 14 chickens and all my silkies due to predators. coons foxes hawks coyotes etc. there is no more relocating! Our coops are fort knox but predators are sneaky and find a way. So I love all animals to(except snakes LOL) but the losses I would deal with everyday was to much.

Do you live in a neighborhood?

 

[CAjerseychick]

For me it depends on the predator. I live in a rural area so we have a lot of wild animals around here.
Basically we take a lot of precautions with our animals. Burying wire, and back filling the area around our poultry coops so larger animals won't want to dig there. Having a large dog around to keep away nosy animals. Putting aviary wire on the tops of open pens. Using hardware cloth on things instead of chicken wire. Filling in cracks and holes so things don't nest or hide in them. We have mountain lions out here that scare the crap out of me, but they hardly ever come around the house because they're not that gutsy.
As much as hawks suck for chickens, they aren't that difficult to predator proof from and they take care of our rat and mouse problem, both of which are harder to keep under control in my opinion. They get everywhere. Snakes too, we normally let them roam the property because they don't do much except eat the small pesky varmin. Many of our snake species out here are very much non-aggressive and they'll run away before you even get closeto them. They're all typically too small to bother our fully grown poultry anyway. I'd like to see our flock of chickens go up against one of those little gopher snakes. They'd tear that sucker to bits.
However, we get MASSIVE rattlesnakes out here. And they tend to populate the area very quickly if you don't take care of them. And they aren't scared of anything really. We've found them all over the place. Under the shed, in the dog house... Pretty much when we find one of those, we kill it... And eat it. Waste not want not right?
I guess what it comes down to for me is what's easier. I respect people's right to get rid of predators on their own land. Doesn't really bother me in the slightest. For me I would worry about non-discriminately getting rid of things like hawks and good snakes in our yard because they do keep other annoying pests in check.

Wow, I am impressed with your rattlesnake eating -- just curious what is the best way to cook them...
Have not yet ran into a snake up here but am told rattlesnakes do live here -- have only run into them camping so far (a few years back)....
Am a bit nervous b/c have found a few dead rats, 2 dead squirrels, and a bunny-- none eaten -- in the few months we have lived here-- have seen a raccoon, hawks, and several feral cats in the brush -- so just wondering what it could be-- we have big dogs roaming so that is why probably have not had a predator (well one of the dogs has gotten 3 chicks, but it was our fault) loss yet...

 

[zazouse]

Sounds like a cat is killing the rats and squirrels , one of my cats will eat them one just kills for sport

 

[CAjerseychick]

I don't kill anything but my dogs will if they feel the critter in entering the safe area that does not belong , it has been that way for 30 years here and it works for me.

This is 3 year old Gracie, she is my number 1 critter getter, i have lost count as to haw many snakes,coons and possums she has taken out in her 3 years but there have been 5 young possums 3 snakes in the last month




PS i live out away from all neighbors so i am able to leave my dogs loose, living in a neighborhood would be very different, i am sure i would have to have my birds penned in a secure coop

GREAT PHOTOS! I love dogs as well as chickens-- we have 3 but my dominant female(Giant Schnauzer) really makes life miserable for the 13 yr old female (Boxer)-- would like to know how your females get along and what you did to get them to tolerate each other-- Females are fixed, the boy (9month old Bernese mt dog ) is not...

I guess my answer to the query that is the topic of this thread is that I believe in prevention-- the dogs and a fenced area for the chickens-- I would not kill a predator for just being there -- but I guess am sort of wimping out by saying I am counting on the dogs to do the killing for me-- hopefully the animal would just take the hint (the dogs are very barky) and leave-- that goes for human predators too(not being killed, but being warned off)....
I do think we are in an ecosystem and that it does balance itself- we as chicken raisers are really doing something pretty unnatural by having these meaty little defenseless things exist in nature (I am in the country) so have to expect that predators come after them... And be prepared....But I do respect the ecosystem and the animals that live in it...

 

[debchick]

Do you live in a neighborhood?

no we live in country on 10 acres and everything is starving bcause of the heat here I think thats making them come closer to people. Most are underweight or look diseased. We put all waterers and feed up at night. Like I said I was so compasionate about relocating at first but if you have ever went to open your coops in the morning and seen what I have seen or see a fox climbing over coop pen with one of your silkies thats when I changed my mind .

 

[epignosisjs]

Relocating could very well just displace the problem.
I worked on UCF's Marine Turtle Research team when I was in school. We started seeing more and more nests being scavenged. We found out that a well meaning man had been trapping raccoons on his property and relocating them in Sebastian Inlet State Park. He thought he was doing the right and humane thing by not killing them. Unfortunately, his actions caused thousands of endangered sea turtle eggs to be eaten by his relocated "pests."
Relocation doesn't solve the problem, it just relocates it, and in this case, created a much more serious problem.