Predator protection advice please!!

[centrarchid]

Diggers more a problem on the internet than in reality.

 

[alibabba]

Diggers more a problem on the internet than in reality.

oh really? what kind of diggers do you mean, sir? Tone is sometimes hard to get through text.

I get you as being very straightforward, was that a dry joke? If so, love it.

If serious, is digging really just a chicken urban legend?

 

[Primo]

Agree with centrarchid. Not an urban legend as it certainly can and has happend. Just portrayed often as a certainty on this forum. A predator has to spend lots of time in the open digging for entry. Not their typical MO. Just reading this predator forum for the past couple years, seems like most attacks are climbing or flying in.
I would view diggers as the last danger to worry about after you have secured everything else.

 

[chiques chicks]

Biggest diggers I have are the chickens digging dusting holes next to the fence and digging out!

As the OP stated they are near Lancaster, PA, as am I, and I also back against woods as well as a medium sized stream, here's my primary predator list:

Dogs, cats, opossum (have had in run), racoon (took a bird), fox, coyote, hawks, owl, mink, weasel, crows, and my number one predator blue jays. Blue jays have taken numerous broody raised chicks that were in my open top run. I've watched them. I've also seen them fly through 2x4 welded wire.

Total adult losses over four years: 1. Run is 5 ft. Welded wire, open top, there are trees and blackberries in the run for cover. Pop door is never closed.

The one person nearby that I know had major losses lost them to coyote, and that was primarily ducks. The snow has drifted making the fence effectively 1foot high.

 

[alibabba]

We have around 40 chickens and have been having issues with fox attacks. We live on a mountain and have lots of wooded area behind it. I feel like even after we take care of the fox predetors are going to be a continuos issue.... We only have an acre of land and then behind the acre we have lots of wooded area. So my question is what would you advise for protection? We have considered a livestock gaurdian dog but would there be a less expensive way of controlling our issue? If you would recomend a livestock gaurdian dog what breed what age and how do you train them? Would fencing help? We were thinking about fencing with pallets like 6 feet tall.... We have a golden retriever but she runs away when she isnt tied out. She is great with the chickens but watched a fox attack and didnt even bark last week. In general she seems like a dumb dog so this doesnt shock me. Any other suggestions are greatly appreciated!!!

Let us know what you end up with! With pictures please Don't leave us hanging k?

 

[kmartinez]

I saw those on chicken magazine. I was wondering if they work good to see a comment about them.

 

[alibabba]

So, sniff, no reply? Did they give up on chickens? I jumped electric to pen in a couple hours. Nothing in yet, and theres a momma and chicks in there in a cat litter box.


Beautiful thing, sleeping well and seeing what belongs to you alive in the morning.

 

[cmf12230]

So, sniff, no reply?  Did they give up on chickens?  I jumped electric to  pen in a couple hours.  Nothing in yet, and theres a momma and chicks in there in a cat litter box. 


Beautiful thing, sleeping well and seeing what belongs to you alive in the morning.

For now I've been keeping them in their run unless we are able to be out and down there but we have deff. Decided to go with electric fencing. Just researching brands. the one day they were free ranging I went in for litterally 10 min to get stuff to grill for dinner and had my golden retriever chained at the coop and he tried to get a leghorn while I was gone. It seems like he must have had been waiting and not at all intimidated by the dog!!

 

[TheSpiceGirls]

While this can't be your only line of defense, I have Solar Nite Eyes around my run and they have been great at keeping the raccoons out of my yard and away from my chicken run. They could be beneficial in adding an extra layer of protection.

But sounds like you really need a guard dog.

 

[Inez Austin]

Keep in mind an electric fence will kill your hens if they come in contact. We fenced a large area (~1/8 acre) with 5' wire using metal posts you pound in with a sledge hammer. We threaded the top with 3/4" pvc to stabilize it. It keeps out animals wandering by but not bears or any animal that can leap up. For that you need electric fence about a foot outside and at at least three levels up from the ground, and you need to put up warning signs if folks, esp kids may be around it. That helps.

For bears keep the hen food in at night and under a tarp tent during the day, that will keep the smell from migrating.

I also use the driveway alarms you can get at places like harbor freight ($15 each on sale or use the 20% off coupon in the Ruralite one at a time. The detectors are hung on nails facing the hen enclosure and the alarms are also and they are set to high, so that makes a racket and keeps me informed and dog like critters don't like the noise.

All our hens are inside a big wooden coop at night and it has two metal hasps and a bungie keeping the door closed. We do have metal vents on the sides, but they are the 4x12 size used on crawl spaces that thwart bear paws.

We also have the security lights that only come on with motion and have high watt bulbs in them, again to scare critters.

We live a long way from town in the Blue Mtns of Oregon so get a lot of wild animals. One of our hens was swatted by a bear that came over the fence and died.

Over all, noise that is sudden, good fence and keeping smells down will help, but predators do happen.