Bob cat in yard circling Chicken Coop/Run at 7am. Now What Do I Do?

[BigDaddy'sGurl]

Can't believe nobody suggested...electric fence.

 

[WhiteMountainsRanch]

Quote:
Be careful with this one, there are a lot of places where it's illegal do that.

 

[henney penny]

I have good luck so far with the night eyes.Google it and see what you think.And night gurard.Ops just reread and it was during the light hours so that will not help in the light.I have to agree with everyone else,use the hardware cloth and make sure it is buried in the ground,and secure the top also,if it wants the chickens bad enough it will try climbing if its not to high.

 

[Sunny Side Up]

Where do you live? The trees in your yard look like the ones we have here in western West Palm Beach, FL. I don't know how clever bobcats are about getting into coops like yours (which looks fantastic, by the way!) I have had problems with bobcats stalking & catching my ducks & chickens on the ground, on the fences, and while roosting up in trees. But I don't know if they could/would try to squeeze into a fenced coop.

I think you could keep your flock safe in there by making sure all the edges of the wire were securely battened, adding a couple of electrified wires around the coop, and also keeping your chickens securely closed in their little house overnight.

 

[StephanieD]

We are going to go to Home Depot in a bit to get hardware cloth and we'll look into an electric fence too. Know if PetCo sells Electric fences? Thanks for all the suggestions!

 

[Sunny Side Up]

You may have more success finding what you need at your feed store, or online. I've seen electrified poultry netting that folks use to enclose an area for their birds to range within. At my feed store they sell the wire & the plastic brackets to hold it on the fence, and then it's hooked up to something like a car battery. I'm not an expert on this, as you see, but check your local feed store.

Edited to add, Home Depot may also have stuff to add a hot wire.

 

[Mama duck 8]

Place rocks at the bottom of your coop, so it cant dig its way in.

 

[gavinandallison]

100% agree, hardware cloth all around up to the top - not cheap, but better than the pain of coming out to find dead birds. Also invest in a good 12 gauge shot gun. Dead bobcats don't come back.....

 

[StephanieD]

Quote:
Called a trapping company and they charge $250 to set up a trap, collect and re-locate. Don't think that's the way to go. We need to resolve the issue with the making the coop stronger.

We live in a residential neighborhood so we borrowed a 22 magnum so maybe we'll catch him in the act?

And we are heading to Home Depot right now!

 

[StephanieD]

Do you think a radio on during the night would deter a bobcat?