Poultry Predator Identification

[RoyalHillsLLC]

Your supposition is very possible, but your statement about about the wire running thru overhead trees sent up a red flag to me about raccoons. I would check the wire very closely.

 

[RockRidge]

Thank you, we now know that we are probably dealing with a raccoon:/

 

[luvv4life]

After reading all this, I have made the decison to go overboard on the cloth. I'm sure we'll be battling MOST of everything on the predetor list where we live.
One thing I have not seen on the list is bears. Do bears like chickens or eggs? I don't know how to keep out a bear if it REALLY wants in!
Does anyone have llamas? I was wondering if a Llama would be a good deterent of unwanted guests. I want to let my chickens free range while I'm outside, but now I'm afraid of loosing them! I'm thinking the llama would be a good idea. Any thoughts? Anyone tried this before?
Thanks,
Laura

 

[KrisRose]

luvv- look up Panner123 and read his posts on dealing with bears. Alot of information.
I've heard the presence of large animals can scare away predators but it so far has not been my experience. Perhaps a more aggressive animal then my gelding. When he's eating he would'nt even see the bear about to take a chunk out of his hindend

.

 

[mominoz]

The other predator I think they missed are possums. We killed 2 possums , one huge one, big as a small dog, when we used to have chickens. We had a 5 foot fence around our coop on stilts and I got lazy about putting a hatch over the hole into the coop because we hadn't lost any chickens , till fall. Then we would lose one or two , find them with their necks or heads only bitten off. Everyone said possums didn't kill chickens. We later shot 2 possums in the coop , after we got geese and the "goose alarm' would go off as our kids said, and we had the gun handy, This was like 15 years ago , before automatic chicken doors....
Sadly, we lost the geese to 2 raccoons working together, also before I knew about having a night house for geese.

 

[Dulcijean]

I too had a possum kill a chicken on two separate times. Both times we heard the comotion and caught the possum in the act. My husband beat it with a baseball bat.

I can't let my girls free range because of the red tail hawks. We already had one nasty attack. The chicken mad it, but lost an eye.

 

[jandmeg07]

We've found that the best way to prevent predators from coming into the yard is offensive tactics. A very protective Aussie and Doberman. With the smell of the dogs out there, we have no problems....especially with the Dobe as he is a pure protector.

 

[IVEBEENAWAYTOOLONG]

had the possum thing happen to me tonight - lost 6 bantam chicks. hope she enjoyed her last meal - she's just *dying* for dessert now. seems she doesn't like 9 shot too much. time to reinforce my defences.

 

[JerseyGiant]

Excellent Article.
You answered several questions, including one I had from childhood.
We had a Dominiker Hen, as well as all her chicks, get their intestines drug out one night. We had a year old German Shepherd in the yard and he got the blame, even though he never chased or touched them in daylight. I guess it was still somewhat his fault for not getting the predator.

 

[Rosecomb-Ryan]

Egggcellent ML!