Turkey vultures ......

[halfpynt]

HELP .. I am new to raising chickens ,,,, exactly three days new .... and i am researching where to put the coop and have a spot picked out that we think will be great. But in the open lot next to our house there is a few huge old pine trees that hold a roost of its own .... of about 20 or so turkey vultures. Now does anyone have any knowledge if they will find our new little ladies and try to get into the coop or pen ? i think that they prefer dead animals to prey on ,, but they are huge and make me nervous .

Aside from those, we live in an area that has lots of bear, and probably other pests as well ,,, though we have not seen any others besides the bear and a few stray cats.

Any advice would be helpful .....
Thanks !!

 

[MarkR]

You shouldn't need to worry about the buzzards, except as a way to catch some strange bird disease, but it's unlikely. I don't worry about bears with my chickens. They just don'e seem interested (I wish I could say that about my bee hives, which they really are interested in). I'd worry more about raccoons, skunks, weasels, roaming dogs, hawks, etc. But, if you build a secure coop and run, you'll be fine.

Mark

 

[Critter Crazy]

Yeah I dont think a turkey Vulture should bother them, as we have tons around here as well, and I have never had a problem. And bears definitely dont seem to bither them, I have a bear that lives about 200yrds away from my coop. He has come close to them, but never urt them. the birds dont seem to be bothered by his pressence as well.

Definitely be wary of any Raccoons, skunks possums, weasels ect.....

 

[halfpynt]

AHH i feel better now hearing that .... lol

The bears are actually what i was worried most about ,,, but now it seems i dont have to be worried about that .... Raccoons ive never seen in our area ,, but im sure they are around... we have tons of woods nearby .

thank you !!!

 

[bobbieguyette]

If i was you I would worry about the bears i had a bear attack my big coop and my small one killing several birds a couple years ago and made a huge mess then kept coming back and ripping my horse fence down letting my horses out to roam the neighborhood yes it was a bear i seen it i hate bears!

so be aware of them too i keep my eyes wide open for them
edited to add we had a pet turkey vulture that someone had shot thru it wing so it could not fly we brought it back to life fed it and he just wandered with the flock of birds never hurt him

 

[mom'sfolly]

Turkey vultures like to eat dead things, so they probably won't bother your chickens. The bears will be attracted to any kind of scraps, particularly any with fat in them. With a bear in the neighborhood, I'd be very careful about food storage and coop cleaning. I'd be mad as a wet hen

if a bear destroyed my coop to get a leftover peice of buttered toast.

Karen