Predators during the day?

[ChestnutRidge]

I live in an area with everything: raccoons, skunks, opossums, foxes, coyotes, bobcats, birds of prey, snakes, and black bears (although I have no idea if they will be a problem), not to mention domesticated cats and dogs. I've done what can with my coop to make it as tight as possible, but now I am planning my run.

What predators are most likely to attack during the day? What experiences have you had with daytime losses?

Thank you for your help!

 

[bobbi-j]

All of the above will attack during the day - not to mention the hawks! I haven't had any daytime losses for a long time, but I live in the country with lots of wildlife available for my potential chicken predators to eat.

 

[Equus5O]

the bears slaughtered my flock between 7 and 8 am.

 

[ChestnutRidge]

Quote:
That's awful.

I grew up in Jersey. Are you in north Jersey? I saw many black bears when I lived there. They hunt them here, so they are more timid, but there are some up behind the house. Hmm. What did they tear though to get to them?

 

[Equus5O]

Quote:
That's awful.

I grew up in Jersey. Are you in north Jersey? I saw many black bears when I lived there. They hunt them here, so they are more timid, but there are some up behind the house. Hmm. What did they tear though to get to them?

Northwest (Warren County). Tore the door right off the coop, from the hinge side.

 

[ChestnutRidge]

Oh my gosh. Nothing you can do about that...
The bears up there are so used to people. My aunt had one eating out of her birdfeeder right outside the kitchen window, maybe six feet from the house.

I am so sorry about your chickens!

I mostly grew up in central Jersey, but I lived in Jefferson for a few years as a kid and my parents are from the Totowa/Passaic area.

 

[Highlander]

I had a fox take 2 chickens at around 2pm. They get bold after a while.

 

[newchickmom]

Fox tend to get brave and hunt in broad daylight. That was his mistake! I lost close to 50 chickens over the winter. Now there are 2 less fox and have not seen another one or missed any more chickens for 2 months.

 

[akcountrygrrl]

Imagine my surprise as I am sitting at the kitchen table sipping on some coffee at 10 a.m. on a Saturday morning watching the chickens scratch around the backyard and a fox pops over the 4 foot chainlink fence like it's nothing. He didn't get any that day but had killed 14 while I was at work one day earlier in the week. All of them were inside the chainlink fence.

 

[mikensara]

lost 2 amerucanas and 1 tetra tint today. cleaned the coop and set them loose and forgot about them for few hours only 10 were in the coop waiting to be fed and shut in for the night. Thinking it was a bold fox never heard a thing.