Bear Problems

[Firemandivi]

I have had my chickens for a year with no problems. I have Plymouth Rocks, and have/had 12 hens and 1 rooster. We have a lot of bears and other predators around me but still none have tried to bother the chickens. Heck my youngest son took a picture of a bobcat at the gate to the run just looking at the chickens.

My problems started last night when a bear tore down my wire fenced in run and was able to pull 1 or 2 chickens from the coop. I found the remains of one chicken and a pile of bear excrement inside the run. I only count 10 hens and the 1 rooster now. I removed the remains of the chicken and the excrement from the run this morning. Hours later the chickens were still very very skittish and wouldn't come when I called them and I'm having a very difficult time getting them back in the run.

I have fixed up the fence as best I could this morning and then had to go to work. Tonight I plan on buying and setting up an electric fence and will reinforce the door to the chicken coop. I have been leaving the door to the coop open at night and had no problems before but the bear ripped off the runners I had for the door to the coop.

I have been in touch with the NYSDEC and told them my problems and solutions. I will setup a trail camera tonight and a motion system alarm and if the bear tries to get in again I will use lethal force. But this is just one bear we have so many I would like advice on how to keep them out of the coop as much as possible. I will start by using the electric fence, beefing up the door and installing a lock on the door which will be closed at night.

One of the problems with locking them in the coop at night is what to do while away on vacation, how do people handle that? Any advice that can be given on how to deal with bears and what to do while away on vacation would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

 

[nuthatched]

Let's see pictures of your coop, you're going to have to secure it like Fort knox

 

[MountainWoman73]

Hot wire is the best thing for bears. I have heard of people smearing a little honey on the hot wire so they're sure to test it.

We have lots of black bears in our area too. I have an outdoor dog who barks and a radio in the coop that plays talk radio all night.

 

[Theorrin]

Concrete trench in you wire at the bottom. I'd use storm wire over chicken wire, Its not bear proof but holds up better than chicken wire. Hotwire top and a few inches off the bottom of the wire.

 

[Bac2wild]

Chainlink fence "dog kennel" with a metal roof + no trees close + electric fence -3 wires all hot 6" to 1 ft from chainlink. Run ground wire from ground rod to charger and to kennel. hang a piece of bacon or ham on wire for the lesson. You may want your smaller mesh wire over that for other critters.

 

[Bac2wild]

electric fence that won't harm my dogs​

title of a thread with good bear info just don't know how to put it on here properly but search should work.

 

[Firemandivi]

Here is the best picture of my coop that I have on my phone, I'll take another tonight to share with everyone. I have installed electric fence around the coop which I really hate the look of, I'm open to any ideas on how to make the fence less obtrusive. I also installed a motion sensor in the coop so at night I will know if something is inside the coop. I also installed an alarm on the coop door. My door to the coop is on runners and slides up and down, I keep it closed now at night and put one of those personal protective things where you pull the pin and it sounds off an alarm, well I put one on the door and attached it to the coop so if the door rises the alarm goes off and hopefully I can hear that from in the house. thanks for the information and I'm looking for what other people have done to keep bears out of the coop. So far the bear hasn't come back, I have 2 trail cameras setup now and will check them tonight to see if anything is coming around.

 

[Bac2wild]

Great job on getting electric fence up. Looking at your setup I will mention there is not anything that will physically slow down a determined bear. I have seen on more than one occasion that a bear will run through an electric fence and take the temporary jolts to get past to bee hives. So chicken wire or even hardware cloth with that much space between supports is not much to slow them down so they get more shock time. It will all depend on the bear(s) and the availability of other foods attracting them to the area whether they will stick around long enough to keep trying. Keep the fence up even if you dont see the bear on camera. I took down the electric fence around my garbage cans after 6 months of not seeing the bear and receiving a bear proof can, the next morning the can was in the woods 25 yards away with teeth and claw marks, it did work though to keep it out of the trash. Point is : the bear was regularly checking from the woods and knew when the wire came down. Now a couple of years later I don't have the wire up anymore but do still have the fiberglass poles that held the wire so just "smoke and mirrors" now. But the wire around the chickens will always be up and hot (at least at night).
Good Luck

 

[sonally]

Here is the best picture of my coop that I have on my phone, I'll take another tonight to share with everyone. I have installed electric fence around the coop which I really hate the look of, I'm open to any ideas on how to make the fence less obtrusive. I also installed a motion sensor in the coop so at night I will know if something is inside the coop. I also installed an alarm on the coop door. My door to the coop is on runners and slides up and down, I keep it closed now at night and put one of those personal protective things where you pull the pin and it sounds off an alarm, well I put one on the door and attached it to the coop so if the door rises the alarm goes off and hopefully I can hear that from in the house. thanks for the information and I'm looking for what other people have done to keep bears out of the coop. So far the bear hasn't come back, I have 2 trail cameras setup now and will check them tonight to see if anything is coming around. View attachment 3516678

Do you still have hens? How are the bears ?