Official BYC Poll: The Worst Predator

[Waves]

I feel so sorry when I hear about all these predators. I live in Australia and most of the ones on the poll don’t apply to me but are obviously still very dangerous. Plus we don’t get much anyway besides a cat behind our fence that comes to eat mice. We’ve tried multiple times dealing with it but... I hope all of your chickens (+ any other birds) are all well.

i love your avatar

 

[Waves]

I was very very close to lose some of my chickens by a neighbor's dog some months ago. Terrifying. He was running barking to my hens and he was an hunting dog...so...dangerous.
I arrived just in time.

 

[RoseHawke]

The bait I use for 'coons is marshmallows. They can't seem to resist them, they've got a horrible sweet tooth.

 

[Sarahloveslulu]

Almost all those animals have killed at least one of my chickens.But that hasn't happened in awhile.I have 4 feet deep of heavy duty wire.And a net for the top.Plus we have 4 traps set with raw beef and cat food.But we did lose a lot to eagle,skunk raccoon and red tailed hawk.

 

[Quaicken108]

i love your avatar

Thanks! I love yours too! I think it’s funny because it’s a male Japanese quail head on a Orpington hen

 

[sopalenik]

Hawks are the worst . . . . .because they kill the bird take a few bites fly off then come right back for another one since a chicken is too heavy for them to fly off with . We lost three in less than 24 hours to one hawk

 

[LynninTN]

I feel so sorry when I hear about all these predators. I live in Australia and most of the ones on the poll don’t apply to me but are obviously still very dangerous. Plus we don’t get much anyway besides a cat behind our fence that comes to eat mice. We’ve tried multiple times dealing with it but... I hope all of your chickens (+ any other birds) are all well.

What about spiders and snakes?

Where in Australia are you from? How is it living there? Is it always hot? Silly questions, but I’m interested and have never been there.

I live in Tennessee, but have spent most of my life in Florida. Two very different places. I also got to live in Alaska for two years, and a year in New Jersey, besides being a child in Long Island NY (which I don’t remember much).

 

[Quaicken108]

What about spiders and snakes?

Where in Australia are you from? How is it living there? Is it always hot? Silly questions, but I’m interested and have never been there.

I live in Tennessee, but have spent most of my life in Florida. Two very different places. I also got to live in Alaska for two years, and a year in New Jersey, besides being a child in Long Island NY (which I don’t remember much).

Actually funny you say that at my old house we used to get a lot of snakes and there have been some where I live now but I didn’t really mention it because if you keep to yourself and you’re not free ranging your birds then you’ll generally be fine. I don’t get any dangerous ones where I live and I’m sure others would say that snakes are a problem but I’m glad that they’re not as much for me. As for spiders I just don’t want my chickens to eat them because they might be harmful. There has been a black one at the top of my coop once and it was half the size of my hand! (My hand is pretty small but still) and there are a few that are around making webs that I will often not see and get stuck in. There was also this one time when I found a hole that I thought was a mouses only later to realise that it was a massive spiders but I think that spider died or left I’m not entirely sure. I think that it was a wolf spider but yeah they also can be an issue. Sorry I forgot to mention Aussies most hated and loved animals.

 

[Wellbie]

Still kind of New to chickens. But have had game camera out and spotted several raccoons on camera. Got a live trap and have caught 5 coons in 8 days. Also saw what I think was a opossum and a few cats. This has been since April. Raccoons are quite dumb though. They see there buddies in trap then boooom next morning there they are....

 

[hogges]

I caught and relocated two raccoons so far, and now I caught an opossum just a half hour ago in the live trap. Came here to see if it was really a danger to my chickens. Guess I am going for another long drive...