Baiting Enclosure To Test It For Predators?

[Violet22]

When I had chickens in my old enclosure, no predators ever got in. Now I have increased it from 160 sq feet to 1,000, and the bigger it is, I know there is more opportunity for fowl play (sorry, couldn't resist!

)....I was thinking it would be nice to test it on something other than my new ducks and was wondering if I could put something in it, that wasn't live, to test it. Maybe some chicken or meat from the store? Something irresistible that they would really want to get at. I am thinking mainly fox and raccoons.
Thanks!
Caroline

 

[CMV]

I've seen mixed reviews about doing this. On the one hand, it would be nice to know that your coop and run are secure without losing your birds, but on the other hand, by baiting your coop and run you would be potentially drawing undesirable animals to exactly where you don't want them. I think it's a matter of weighing the risks vs. benefits and only YOU can do that. Good luck.

 

[Violet22]

The fox are already here all the time anyways, so I wouldn't be drawing them, but I do worry about drawing attention from mountain lions, but then the ducks may do that.................definitely some thinking to do on this!

 

[scooter147]

You can do it and it really won't tell you a thing unfortunatelly.

I have been know to take the kitchen scraps out when I lock up and place them in the run and some mornings when I go out there gone (eaten by the local coons and possums) and some mornings they are completely untouched. Wild animals can be unpredictible at best.

 

[panner123]

I wouldn't bait the new area. I would place an old radio in it and tune it to a talk show. The human voice scares off more predators than any thing I know of. Music doesn't work either. I can;t explain that, a talk show.