Bear Proofing

[sniemeyer]

This fall, I lost one of my girls to a bear! He just pried open the door to the coop, and snatched her up. I kept my other 3 in the garage at night after that, until the bears started to hibernate. That said, does anyone have any ideas on other ways I can deter bears so I don't have to move them every night?

 

[Bear Foot Farm]

Quote: A good STRONG electric fence will work

http://www.afence.com/Electric_Fence/how_to_elecfence/elecinstall.htm

http://www.fishock.com/advice/building-your-fence

 

[sniemeyer]

thank you!

 

[chickortreat]

Put the bear in the freezer.....chickens sleep easier....problem solved!

 

[DonnaW]

I agree...Back in the summer a bear took one of my girls off of the nest in the middle of the day, the next day it came back and took another girl right out of the yard, again in the middle of the day. Won't be eating chickens anymore!

 

[FruitfulFaith]

I don't have my chickies yet, but where I live there are three bears per square mile. Yikes! I am already stocking up on knowledge of how to prevent feeding all my chickens to the bears!

 

[redsoxs]

I don't have my chickies yet, but where I live there are three bears per square mile. Yikes! I am already stocking up on knowledge of how to prevent feeding all my chickens to the bears!

I can't even imagine having to contend with bears! I don't envy you folks. I have enough to worry about with crafty coyotes, marauding hawks, and ingenious raccoons!

 

[Huntress78]

This fall, I lost one of my girls to a bear! He just pried open the door to the coop, and snatched her up.

Many years ago a relative of mine told me about working in a logging camp when he was a kid. Bears would come around and spook the horses and break into cabins or the cook shack by ripping off a door or going through a window. He said they stopped them with 'spike boards' laid down on the ground. A piece of plywood with screws driven through all over. The screws stuck through a quarter inch or so and if the bear stepped on it it hurt enough to make them leave. I guess the drawback would be having to move the boards all the time so YOU don't step on it.

 

[Nambroth]

So far I've had very good results with a strong electric fence. I've run a three lines along the coop and run, and then at any favorable sniffing spots. A sharp pop to their nose sure leaves an impression on them.

My neighbors had two doors torn off of a shed earlier this year to get at their guineas. Most of our construction is not very hard for a bear to get into if it has a mind set to it, but the electric fence really seems to scare them.

As a disclaimer, we only have black bears, I am not sure what a very determined grizzly would put up with!