Best lookout animals

[UThobbyfarmer]

Thank you the fencing recommendation. I actually have some from when we pastured pigs awhile back. I think about 50-100' of it. I'll need to put in new grounding rods since I don't have any in the barn area. And another solar fencer. But it's very doable. This might be the way to go!

 

[UThobbyfarmer]

I agree with Mary, I have electric wire around my coops and pens, heavy duty netting covering all of my pens and concrete under the gates to the pens. There are some places where I dug a trench along the fence and buried some wire a foot down and hog ringed it to the bottom of the fence and filled in the trench. All done because of predators in the past. If you forget to turn off the electric wire while working around it you will get a shock, but better than loosing birds. I also have several game cameras on my property and hardly a night goes by when I don't see a predator on one of the cameras, usually a coyote here. Here the predators come out mostly at night.
View attachment 1857193
View attachment 1857194

What game camera do you use? I've been wanting one but haven't had the time to read reviews and price shop.

 

[cmom]

I don't have this one but another BYC member has posted some pictures from one and to me it seems to be a fantastic deal.
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Tasco-8MP-Tan-Game-Camera-Low-Glow/55614224

 

[cmom]

I have some cameras that were pretty pricey and some not so pricey. Some cameras do have better pictures than others. Here I see most of the predators at night so I have looked for cameras that take good nighttime pictures. Some cameras take the tiny micro SD memory card and some take a standard SD card. I think the one I posted in the previous post takes the standard SD card. YouTube has some good videos on the different cameras.
Here are some of pictures taken with three different cameras from the same spot.

 

[123RedBeard]

Both

Geese, guinea hens

Will make usually make a racket ... and will probably be the first to get eaten, if you don't come to the rescue ... quickly!

An electric fence will keep the ground critters where they need to be ... a few wires in front of a physical fence is best, as the physical fence will slow down a critter, giving it time to meet MR Sparky!

The netting can also work, but you need to deal with sagging, and the lower wires are prone to grass/weeds shorting it out ... and it won't last as long as a wire fence ...

ETA: Forgot to mention ... guinea's think a 6' fence is just something to fly over, to go over to the neighbors or go play in the road!

 

[SniperGoose]

I vote for the electric fencing idea. Geese are a VERY good alarm system, but they would rather run away from danger in most cases. Mine alerted me to predators before, but I know they wouldn't protect my flock should they get attacked. Electric fencing, in the long run, would most likely be the best option for you.

 

[Criticalicious]

I also vote for electric fence. I use electric poultry netting because it was easy to set up, easily moved around, and so far (knock on wood) quite effective.

 

[trumpeting_angel]

Thank, I'll look into that. My only experience is my neighbor's Guineas coming onto our lot. I'd agree they were loud and flighty. I assumed it because of how they were raised with minimal human contact. But maybe that's just how they are?

According to what I've read, they are far less domesticated than chickens. They have to be in their coop/run for weeks before you can let one out - and only let one out, because they will stay with the flock and not leave. After a painstaking process of letting a few out at a time, they (probably) learn to hang out at your place. But they prefer to roost in trees, and if they do, they'll get picked off one by one while sleeping. People do love them, and I gather they're endearing, but they can be strange. For example, finding a mirror will keep them entranced for hours, and the mirror might be the hubcap of your car. They might also peck the "mirror." And they startle (and call out) when the wind blows, when a leaf falls, etc.

They do eat ticks, though!

 

[Elsveta641]

Wow, I had no idea. I'll look into them. When you say expensive how much are we talking? I've spent as much as $25 a chick on my Black Copper Marans. They were the ones that got munched last month I'm not excited about spending that much on replacements again. So I'm just going to keep my Blue, Black, Splash Marans and mixed hens group. Which are not nearly as expensive.

Straight run Liege Fighter chicks will run you $80-$100 usd each.

 

[trumpeting_angel]

Straight run Liege Fighter chicks will run you $80-$100 usd each.

Cheaper than most of the livestock guardians by far!