Bear or Coons???

[bakerjw]

Get an electric fence controller and put up a wire with marshmallows pressed onto it. One good zap and the bear will equate food with something unpleasant. For now it is just chicken feed. Once it figured out that there are chickens it will tear into your coop to get them. Do a search on here for other bear related experiences.

 

[harveyhorses]

The human hair, predator urine, only work until whatever it is gets used to it. So about 24 hrs IME.
I don't think a bear would be very alarmed by hair scent either.
Electric fencing is really not that expensive, considering you are not just protecting your flock, but preventing your entire coop and run from being ripped apart.It also works 24/7.

 

[Nambroth]

I'm afraid you most likely had a bear. Bears are very opportunistic, and most coop break-ins are actually because the bear is after the chicken feed. They smell it easily, and chicken feed and scratch is just FULL of the things bears love to eat to put weight on! Bears love easy meals and the feed is a lot easier than chickens. Chickens are tempting, though, once a bear is inside. They will absolutely go after chickens if there is no easier meal tempting them first.

The bear was likely after the scratch that you mentioned is gone-- they love grains, and corn, and all the better if it's easily eaten in a big pile.

The best bear deterrent is an electric fence; it's a bit of an investment, but it will keep more than just bears at bay! Bears are pretty intelligent and he or she will remember your coop area as being an easy food source. It might not return right away, but it will be back to check things out again. A bear remembers the painful surprise of an electric POP to the nose even better than it will remember the food, though!

Good luck to you! I'm sorry that you lost some of your feed.

 

[WhiteMountainsRanch]

Bear....that is the only thing that could have rolled that container that far, busted the metal clip, and put that deep of claw marks in that heavy duty plastic.

X2

 

[WhiteMountainsRanch]

Bear....that is the only thing that could have rolled that container that far, busted the metal clip, and put that deep of claw marks in that heavy duty plastic.

X2.



Do a google search on "electric paddocks" for horses. You can get a whole system already set up; basically unroll it, stick it into the ground and flip the switch on, for about 100 bucks. you could wrap the whole coop with it.

 

[Capvin]

I hate to be a contrarian, but in my opinion the type of electric fence you describe will not deter a bear. You will have just as much luck running out with a powder puff. Bears are not horses and there is really only one type of electric fence that is unanimously recommended for bear deterrence. That is a five strand wire fence with three hot and two ground

 

[Beekissed]

I've heard from folks who state the electric netting was an effective bear deterrent for their coops and feeds. I guess the only way to find out is to try it...it's a minimal investment. Or...you could buy a couple of full grown Great Pyrs and keep them on the premises. For the money, I'd go with the electric fencing.

 

[Beekissed]

Update....hooked up my solar charger to the Premier fencing and can attest to the correct amount of zappage. It has quite a kick!

 

[silky_3699]

Because I am from Australia and we have no bears, that is super scary for me!!! I mean everyone here is going, yeah, its a bear, but I just can't believe on that scale happened

 

[Beekissed]

Dingos that strong, you think? Could they have moved something that heavy and left those tooth marks?