Rancid Crbtree
Songster
- Feb 20, 2024
- 104
- 615
- 133
Are you mentally prepared to raise animals? After all, this is a matter of life and death.
I was raised on a farm. We raised beef, chickens (lots of chickens) pigs, rabbits, pheasants as well as a massive garden that fed the 8 of us. We lived remote/rural. Likewise we hunted and fished for our food.
Im 60 years old now and I still do all of those same things. Here is what ive learned and will share with those just starting out with raising animals or gardens (those of you working hard to raise food for your family) and even those that think livestock (chickens) are pets.
The threats on your hard work will be constant so be prepared to NEVER let up. You will find that you can't just willy/nilly put in the effort to grow food or livestock and expect that predators/vermin will respect that and stay away. Thats not how this works.
You are introducing an attractive food source and they want it. They will do anything to get at it (and most of the time its while you sleep). When you think you have predator proofed your animals or garden enough, think again. Re-double your efforts or admit you are running a charity and welcome the predation and losses you will encounter (it will get worse over time)
Dont skimp on wire, wood, hardware cloth and labor to do it properly. (Foam pool noodles and duct tape wont stop anything. Neither will cameras and motion activated lights or other gimicks)
The alternative is waking up and walking out to the coop or garden and finding all your efforts dead/gone in a most brutal manner. Be proactive, not reactive, wishing you had done more, helps nobody. If you want to avoid walking out to carnage, you must do this right.
Become a trapper, a hunter (and this means becoming a predator to the predators that are killing your crops or livestock.) If this is not something you can bring yourself to do then this lifestyle is not for you. I see so many posts by people in chicken groups claiming to be a "momma" or "parent" to what they are raising. The refer to the animals as their "babies" or their "littles" and at the same time they are not capable of protecting that which they claim to hold so dear. If you are not willing/capable of protecting you babies/littles, then simply admit you are running a hot lunch program for predators.
Buy/build/set traps, (lots of them) DO NOT under any circumstances attempt to relocate a predator. Im most states its illegal and you are in no way qualified to do so, so get that nonsense out of your head right now. Inflicting that pest on other folks is cruel and likely that relocated pest will die any way.
Be prepared to use LETHAL force. Get this in your head from day one. EXPECT to have to use lethal force to protect your animals/garden. If you just cant do it, reconsider raising animals/gardens
If your frame of mind is "But they have babies they are trying to feed" or "they are so cute" or "they are only doing what they are born to do" or "its the circle of life" or "they keep ticks away" or any of that nonsense, then you have already lost. You will be feeding your chickens/rabbits/garden to predators. They will die a terrible death that you allowed.
You can attempt to outsource this necessary part of animal/garden raising to a family member or a neighbor or even a pest control service but know that the outcome will be the same (dead predators) Accept that fact. Are you mentally prepared?
Im just completing a large coop/run and have done all I can to protect those that will live there from tiny Ermin, rats, weasels, feral cats, coons, skunks, possum, bobcats, coyotes, wolves, bears, avian threats, etc Ive considered all the local predators and built accordingly. I bought/built all manner of types of traps to surround the perimeter. I will use all the means and force necessary to ensure no loss to predators. Have you done this as well? Are you prepared in advance?
I was raised on a farm. We raised beef, chickens (lots of chickens) pigs, rabbits, pheasants as well as a massive garden that fed the 8 of us. We lived remote/rural. Likewise we hunted and fished for our food.
Im 60 years old now and I still do all of those same things. Here is what ive learned and will share with those just starting out with raising animals or gardens (those of you working hard to raise food for your family) and even those that think livestock (chickens) are pets.
The threats on your hard work will be constant so be prepared to NEVER let up. You will find that you can't just willy/nilly put in the effort to grow food or livestock and expect that predators/vermin will respect that and stay away. Thats not how this works.
You are introducing an attractive food source and they want it. They will do anything to get at it (and most of the time its while you sleep). When you think you have predator proofed your animals or garden enough, think again. Re-double your efforts or admit you are running a charity and welcome the predation and losses you will encounter (it will get worse over time)
Dont skimp on wire, wood, hardware cloth and labor to do it properly. (Foam pool noodles and duct tape wont stop anything. Neither will cameras and motion activated lights or other gimicks)
The alternative is waking up and walking out to the coop or garden and finding all your efforts dead/gone in a most brutal manner. Be proactive, not reactive, wishing you had done more, helps nobody. If you want to avoid walking out to carnage, you must do this right.
Become a trapper, a hunter (and this means becoming a predator to the predators that are killing your crops or livestock.) If this is not something you can bring yourself to do then this lifestyle is not for you. I see so many posts by people in chicken groups claiming to be a "momma" or "parent" to what they are raising. The refer to the animals as their "babies" or their "littles" and at the same time they are not capable of protecting that which they claim to hold so dear. If you are not willing/capable of protecting you babies/littles, then simply admit you are running a hot lunch program for predators.
Buy/build/set traps, (lots of them) DO NOT under any circumstances attempt to relocate a predator. Im most states its illegal and you are in no way qualified to do so, so get that nonsense out of your head right now. Inflicting that pest on other folks is cruel and likely that relocated pest will die any way.
Be prepared to use LETHAL force. Get this in your head from day one. EXPECT to have to use lethal force to protect your animals/garden. If you just cant do it, reconsider raising animals/gardens
If your frame of mind is "But they have babies they are trying to feed" or "they are so cute" or "they are only doing what they are born to do" or "its the circle of life" or "they keep ticks away" or any of that nonsense, then you have already lost. You will be feeding your chickens/rabbits/garden to predators. They will die a terrible death that you allowed.
You can attempt to outsource this necessary part of animal/garden raising to a family member or a neighbor or even a pest control service but know that the outcome will be the same (dead predators) Accept that fact. Are you mentally prepared?
Im just completing a large coop/run and have done all I can to protect those that will live there from tiny Ermin, rats, weasels, feral cats, coons, skunks, possum, bobcats, coyotes, wolves, bears, avian threats, etc Ive considered all the local predators and built accordingly. I bought/built all manner of types of traps to surround the perimeter. I will use all the means and force necessary to ensure no loss to predators. Have you done this as well? Are you prepared in advance?
