Bobcat won't leave my chickens alone

[Weeg]

If it were me, I'd make sure that my chickens were locked up in a 100% predator proof area for as long as it took for it to leave. I can't tell you not the dispatch it if thats what you want to do, but I personally choose a different route. I'm on of those, they were here before us, share the land people. So you can see how my strategy would be quite different.
If the bobcat is a danger to you, and continues to threaten your pets, home and others in your area, more measures may need to be taken, but I would start by not allowing any predators to get to my birds. If its catching your birds, than its obvious that their coop or run isn't 100% predator proof, unless the birds were free ranging when it happened. Wether you dispatch this predator or not, any other predator will be able to come back and attack your birds again. You still need to take measures to either predator proof, or at least pick a better/new free ranging schedule to keep them safe.
My plan of action-
Keep birds locked in a predator proof run/coop for 2 weeks or until I no longer saw the bobcat. Than short supervised free ranging periods with my dogs to keep away predators. Eventually longer periods, but always supervised. I've dealt with lots of coyote's with this strategy.
Just my opinion, hope the predator proofing part doesn't sound rude or harsh, just being frank. Good luck in your venture.

 

[Becky_]

If it were me, I'd make sure that my chickens were locked up in a 100% predator proof area for as long as it took for it to leave. I can't tell you not the dispatch it if thats what you want to do, but I personally choose a different route. I'm on of those, they were here before us, share the land people. So you can see how my strategy would be quite different.
If the bobcat is a danger to you, and continues to threaten your pets, home and others in your area, more measures may need to be taken, but I would start by not allowing any predators to get to my birds. If its catching your birds, than its obvious that their coop or run isn't 100% predator proof, unless the birds were free ranging when it happened. Wether you dispatch this predator or not, any other predator will be able to come back and attack your birds again. You still need to take measures to either predator proof, or at least pick a better/new free ranging schedule to keep them safe.
My plan of action-
Keep birds locked in a predator proof run/coop for 2 weeks or until I no longer saw the bobcat. Than short supervised free ranging periods with my dogs to keep away predators. Eventually longer periods, but always supervised. I've dealt with lots of coyote's with this strategy.
Just my opinion, hope the predator proofing part doesn't sound rude or harsh, just being frank. Good luck in your venture.

We have stopped them from free-ranging for 3 weeks already, but the bobcat still returns every night, our coop is very secure, so no predators have been able to break in. But our neighbors free range their chickens, meaning the bobcat still returns every night, and some days. We will try to keep them on a schedule, but our schedules vary differently every day. We also have other pets, such as barn cats, dogs, and many others that are being threatened by its presence. Thank you for the advice, and I will try it out!

 

[Weeg]

We have stopped them from free-ranging for 3 weeks already, but the bobcat still returns every night, our coop is very secure, so no predators have been able to break in. But our neighbors free range their chickens, meaning the bobcat still returns every night, and some days. We will try to keep them on a schedule, but our schedules vary differently every day. We also have other pets, such as barn cats, dogs, and many others that are being threatened by its presence. Thank you for the advice, and I will try it out!

Gottcha. If the neighbor doesn't follow the protocol, your not gonna be able to get rid of it. I feel your pain with the cats, we lost some of our last kitties to predators, those I wanted to dispatch.
Whatever works for you. Maybe talking to the neighbors and voicing your concerns would help, but you have little control over what others are doing as well. There could be more than one of those neighbor's. Makes it tricky. I live out in the country without any close neighbors, so the strategy works better for me.

 

[Becky_]

Gottcha. If the neighbor doesn't follow the protocol, your not gonna be able to get rid of it. I feel your pain with the cats, we lost some of our last kitties to predators, those I wanted to dispatch.
Whatever works for you. Maybe talking to the neighbors and voicing your concerns would help, but you have little control over what others are doing as well. There could be more than one of those neighbor's. Makes it tricky. I live out in the country without any close neighbors, so the strategy works better for me.

Thanks for the advice, I will definitely try it out.

 

[mowin]

A bobcat you can get "inches" from, is one that has become too comfortable with humans and their pets and livestock. It needs to be dispatched ASAP. If it's that unafraid of a adult, imagine a toddler/younger child that happens to walk by at the wrong time.

 

[NorseDad]

A bobcat you can get "inches" from, is one that has become too comfortable with humans and their pets and livestock. It needs to be dispatched ASAP. If it's that unafraid of a adult, imagine a toddler/younger child that happens to walk by at the wrong time.

Exactly.

The thing is also that these animals have a territory. If you can't ensure there is no food for them in the territory (neighbors with prey animals) then it's not going to leave. Females have ranges of about 6 square miles and males can have ranges of 60 square miles.

I never much cared for the "animals were here first" argument when predators are involved. If another bobcat moved into the territory, likely there would be blood until one of them was killed or moved on. Your property is your territory. It is very natural to drive out predators from your territory. It is also important to note that this is an animal considered "Least Concern" with a stable population.

 

[McChooky]

You might want to consider getting large game fowl chickens instead of regular chickens.

 

[mowin]

You might want to consider getting large game fowl chickens instead of regular chickens.

How large? Ostrich?
Bobcats can easily take down trukeys, and geese.

 

[McChooky]

S

How large? Ostrich?
Bobcats can easily take down trukeys, and geese.

Standard size modern or old english game chickens are called large fowl. Cackle sells the Old English(see link) https://www.cacklehatchery.com/product/gold-duckwing-standard-old-english-chicken/

 

[McChooky]

Hello all, I have a flock of about 31 girls, during the day they are free ranged, and during the night I put them away. And at about 12am, a bobcat killed two of my chickens, and left them they're without eating them. This same bobcat, we have caught killing 5 more of my chickens at different times, and returning the next night to try and eat them (of course, we had already removed them). We have gotten inches away from this animal, and it does not flee. We also have a permit to kill the bobcat, but am unsure if there is a better way to get rid of it. Any advice?

I live in the mountains of WV so its difficult to protect chickens here from predators. You can't trap,harass or kill any Owls or Hawks under Federal law so you have to get a breed thats alert and fast on its feet so it can escape. We have better luck raising Game chickens because they instinctively know to be on guard at all times unlike ordinary chickens.I live in the city and can't legally free range chickens anyway so it doesn't matter what kind I raise .But if you want to raise chickens with predators you need a game bird thats alert and fast on its feet.One that can fly....