TheFlyingFluffy
In the Brooder
- May 2, 2017
- 7
- 5
- 14
Edit: This is for most people in NYC, and those who live around there. I did not address weasels and monks because I have had no experience on them, and I cannot provide false information. PM me if I missed any animal in the area and I will be sure to add it.
Quick information:
My name is Andrew, and I have a flock of 17 chickens, mixed breeds (but typically Rhode Island Red). I have been owning chickens for four years now, but I have past experience at farms and other peoples homes.
I live in a mostly populated area with many predators including: Raccoons, foxes, possums, snakes, hawks, coyotes, and many other dangerous predators. I have had a lot of experience with dealing with predators, and I am typically out in my yard when the animals come out to try to snatch one of my chickens. Very few predators have been successful, and those who are we typically hunt down until we have "relocated it".
Introduction
Essentially, you should always have a coop, typically made out of wood and wire. Because we mostly created our own wire and wood, I cannot recommend any types of wood and chicken wire to use, but you should have it small enough to were a raccoon can not fit its hand inside of the wire. Your coop needs to be completely sealed, and you should proof-check it every few days to make sure nothing is digging under. For example, with a fox it will dig under your coop every night a couple of days until it is inside. You can easily stop this by taking a quick look around the coop to make sure everything is alright and your chickens are safe. Every day to make sure that you have every chicken, you should count them. When I first got chickens, I didn't count them, and one night three adolescent chickens got out in between my legs as I was collecting eggs. Because it was pitch black, I didn't realize what had happened and just left, not bothering to count my chickens. Unluckily, a hawk got one of the three adolescent chickens that got out, and the worst part is that my other chickens watched it happen. Whenever a chicken is killed or predators are nearby, the chickens will always sense it, and be very jumpy and make a lot of noises. An example of this is when a hawk was circling the area, and my chickens wouldn't go out. I didn't know that it was a hawk, but for my chickens to be this scared I realized something must have passed by that they don't want to be near. Never force your chickens outside if they don't want to go. Even if you think its safe, there can always be something lurking in the bushes. A fox can kill six chickens in around twelve seconds. They are incredibly fast and smart, but most people think they can outrun them or see them easily.
If a predator succeeds in getting/killing a chicken
Whenever a predator attacks and actually kills the chicken, it will come back to this area several times, almost thinking it as a hunting ground. Remember that in the eyes of your predators, chickens are plump slow moving pieces of meat, waiting to be eaten. Chickens have almost no defenses besides claws, which are mostly used for digging. Due to your chickens having no defenses, and being slow compared to other animals, they will most likely be targeted. Once one chicken is killed, many other predators will come hoping to get another. A way to fix this is to simply not bring your chickens out, until you stop seeing predators. While this may be almost mean (the chickens will not get to go out at all), it is completely necessary at some points, and when a predator can no longer find food it becomes disinterested and goes away.
If a predator kills a chicken inside your coop
I suggest putting up some sort of camera every night to find out how the predator is getting in. One time a family of raccoons found a way into our coop. Essentially, they climbed on top of the metal wire on our coop, and went through a small hole. From there, they somehow grabbed a chicken, climbed back up the metal wall, went upside, and went through the small hole it came in, with the chicken. This is so unbelievable that many people think that possibly the chicken got out before, but it can and most likely will happen at one point in your chicken-raising life. We fixed this problem by simply reinforcing the roof. This was very cheap and easy to do, but for every coop its different, and like I said in the introduction, you need to constantly be aware and look around your coop.
Help for each different predator
Hawk: The chickens will most likely only be attacked by hawks on open fields, when they are able to swoop down. The chickens will recognize this and flee as fast as they can, ramming into things and sometimes getting stuck. (hawks have swooped down and my chickens have rammed into the bushes so hard they cannot get out without help from us)
Foxes: Foxes attacking your chickens are typically rare, but it can happen. You typically have to simply not bring your chickens out, or be next to your chickens at all times. (I have been literally sitting next to my chickens and a fox has grabbed one in front of me, so the second part doesn't typically work)
Snakes: Check around your yard for snake holes/dens, but snakes are not typically a problem because chickens can actually eat them. If snakes are a problem though, you need to be very self aware as they will hide in bushes and leaves, were your chickens are digging around.
Possums and Raccoons: Possums and raccoons are possibly one of the worst problems your coop is going to come across. Despite everyone thinking they are dumb, they are actually incredibly smart and strong, and have sometimes broken locks of mine with there bare hands. You need to address this problem immediately, as they will keep coming back and using the same strategy every time. Raccoons and possums typically come out at night, meaning you will need to set up a video camera to see what they are doing and how they are getting in your coop. You can set up traps with peanut butter on bread, and despite being very smart, they fall for it pretty easily..
Thats all for now, I know it wasn't much but I just wanted to generally help people understand all of the predators that normally go after your chickens. If you need any help, PM me and I will be sure to respond as soon as I can
Quick information:
My name is Andrew, and I have a flock of 17 chickens, mixed breeds (but typically Rhode Island Red). I have been owning chickens for four years now, but I have past experience at farms and other peoples homes.
I live in a mostly populated area with many predators including: Raccoons, foxes, possums, snakes, hawks, coyotes, and many other dangerous predators. I have had a lot of experience with dealing with predators, and I am typically out in my yard when the animals come out to try to snatch one of my chickens. Very few predators have been successful, and those who are we typically hunt down until we have "relocated it".
Introduction
Essentially, you should always have a coop, typically made out of wood and wire. Because we mostly created our own wire and wood, I cannot recommend any types of wood and chicken wire to use, but you should have it small enough to were a raccoon can not fit its hand inside of the wire. Your coop needs to be completely sealed, and you should proof-check it every few days to make sure nothing is digging under. For example, with a fox it will dig under your coop every night a couple of days until it is inside. You can easily stop this by taking a quick look around the coop to make sure everything is alright and your chickens are safe. Every day to make sure that you have every chicken, you should count them. When I first got chickens, I didn't count them, and one night three adolescent chickens got out in between my legs as I was collecting eggs. Because it was pitch black, I didn't realize what had happened and just left, not bothering to count my chickens. Unluckily, a hawk got one of the three adolescent chickens that got out, and the worst part is that my other chickens watched it happen. Whenever a chicken is killed or predators are nearby, the chickens will always sense it, and be very jumpy and make a lot of noises. An example of this is when a hawk was circling the area, and my chickens wouldn't go out. I didn't know that it was a hawk, but for my chickens to be this scared I realized something must have passed by that they don't want to be near. Never force your chickens outside if they don't want to go. Even if you think its safe, there can always be something lurking in the bushes. A fox can kill six chickens in around twelve seconds. They are incredibly fast and smart, but most people think they can outrun them or see them easily.
If a predator succeeds in getting/killing a chicken
Whenever a predator attacks and actually kills the chicken, it will come back to this area several times, almost thinking it as a hunting ground. Remember that in the eyes of your predators, chickens are plump slow moving pieces of meat, waiting to be eaten. Chickens have almost no defenses besides claws, which are mostly used for digging. Due to your chickens having no defenses, and being slow compared to other animals, they will most likely be targeted. Once one chicken is killed, many other predators will come hoping to get another. A way to fix this is to simply not bring your chickens out, until you stop seeing predators. While this may be almost mean (the chickens will not get to go out at all), it is completely necessary at some points, and when a predator can no longer find food it becomes disinterested and goes away.
If a predator kills a chicken inside your coop
I suggest putting up some sort of camera every night to find out how the predator is getting in. One time a family of raccoons found a way into our coop. Essentially, they climbed on top of the metal wire on our coop, and went through a small hole. From there, they somehow grabbed a chicken, climbed back up the metal wall, went upside, and went through the small hole it came in, with the chicken. This is so unbelievable that many people think that possibly the chicken got out before, but it can and most likely will happen at one point in your chicken-raising life. We fixed this problem by simply reinforcing the roof. This was very cheap and easy to do, but for every coop its different, and like I said in the introduction, you need to constantly be aware and look around your coop.
Help for each different predator
Hawk: The chickens will most likely only be attacked by hawks on open fields, when they are able to swoop down. The chickens will recognize this and flee as fast as they can, ramming into things and sometimes getting stuck. (hawks have swooped down and my chickens have rammed into the bushes so hard they cannot get out without help from us)
Foxes: Foxes attacking your chickens are typically rare, but it can happen. You typically have to simply not bring your chickens out, or be next to your chickens at all times. (I have been literally sitting next to my chickens and a fox has grabbed one in front of me, so the second part doesn't typically work)
Snakes: Check around your yard for snake holes/dens, but snakes are not typically a problem because chickens can actually eat them. If snakes are a problem though, you need to be very self aware as they will hide in bushes and leaves, were your chickens are digging around.
Possums and Raccoons: Possums and raccoons are possibly one of the worst problems your coop is going to come across. Despite everyone thinking they are dumb, they are actually incredibly smart and strong, and have sometimes broken locks of mine with there bare hands. You need to address this problem immediately, as they will keep coming back and using the same strategy every time. Raccoons and possums typically come out at night, meaning you will need to set up a video camera to see what they are doing and how they are getting in your coop. You can set up traps with peanut butter on bread, and despite being very smart, they fall for it pretty easily..
Thats all for now, I know it wasn't much but I just wanted to generally help people understand all of the predators that normally go after your chickens. If you need any help, PM me and I will be sure to respond as soon as I can
