Bobcat

[DanielleGut]

Ok so we let our flock free range during the day and they go inside their coop in the evening. It is surrounded by hardware cloth and covered in netting... nothing can get into it. It's a solid set up. But all 3 of my ducks went missing 1 by 1 sometime close to dusk 3 nights in a row. We guessed it was a bobcat that we saw in the past so we kept the flock locked up for about a week. Then today we let them out again and when we went to check on them this evening to lock them up... they were all on my back porch perched on the furniture there.... so we started grabbing them one by one to put them away when we saw it...... the bobcat... in my yard, back by the fence. She watched us for a moment then briskly and effortlessly hopped over the fence and ran.
My question is this.... have any of you had a problem with bobcats before and how can I keep it off my property??? Any tips or tricks would be appreciated!!!!

 

[592784]

I can say I have not seen any bobcats personally in our yard. However, one morning recently when I went out to let my girls out into the back yard, I saw huge paw prints which were feline in nature. Too big to be stray/feral cats.

I have no suggestions other than to check on your local laws (game wardens)about bobcats and how to keep them away or how to deal with it. I do know we have had other creatures in the yard which would love to have chickens for dinner. At night I’m not concerned because their coop is predator proof and motion lights in the yard run off anything creeping around.
But this doesn’t help you out for daytime hours when your feather babies are outside.
Only suggestion is to maybe lock them up before dusk if possible before the night creatures come out. Whatever you do, hope it works out

 

[Smileybans]

We have a bobcat in our yard. I know because I have trail cameras all over my property and have caught it on camera. I live in a village so it doesn’t really come any farther up my yard than the wooded area close to the crick. I think my kids keep it at bay too.
Is electrifying your fence an option? If so it might keep the bobcat from jumping over it, if it has to touch it that is. Or installing a motion device that will scare the cat once it’s detected. I had one that let out a high pitched noise when motion was detected. It didn’t do a darn thing for the groundhog chewing up my plants but kept most everything else away. Including the foxes and opossums.

 

[DanielleGut]

I have 2 dogs out back but the bobcat doesn't seem to care or it knows when the dogs are inside. I have an inground electric fence for the dogs so I'm not sure if I could run a 2nd electric fence..... we are planning to limit the flocks time out of the run... but it makes me nervous that the cat is even coming this close.

 

[Smileybans]

Bobcats are freaking smart. I meant maybe getting something to electrify the fence it’s jumping over. Like livestock fencing. Unless you mean it’s just jumping over the underground fence? But you could put up some sort of electric fencing on the side your dogs don’t go on. A shock to the butt might stop it.
But if that’s not possible then look into deterrent devices. There’s the noise ones I mentioned but also ones that blink. I got those recently. The reviews are mixed online though. I got mine for a skunk and they seem to work for me.

 

[GC-Raptor]

I've seen Bobcat and Fox during the day around my property in person and on my game cameras day and night.
I lost 2 chickens last year while Free Ranging.
The first was in March at sunset when hens were going into their coop. It was a Fox.
The second loss was in June a few minutes after I let them out, about an hour before sunset. I was still outside when I heard the commotion.
I was on the other side of my property, about a hundred yards away.
The chickens were near the woods , edge of my lawn.
By the time I got there it ran into the woods with the hen. I believe it was the Bobcat. The Bobcat seems more brazen, it doesn't run away when I see it on my property.
I keep my 2 Flocks of chickens in a 10'x 20'x 6' high dog kennel's most of the day. I've never had a Fox or Bobcat jump over.
I let them out an hour before sunset daily, weather permitting.
If you Free Range you'll eventually lose Poultry.
I Free Ranged an hour or two daily for nearly 3 years before I lost a chicken. I only lost 2 so far.
If you Free Range sunrise to sunset expect to lose a lot more.
Fox and Bobcat have a territory. You could trap and shoot to protect your property. But it's temporary. Another will replace it. So it will be an ongoing process. Set trap, catch, shoot and repeat.
I don't know how to keep them away from my property without surrounding the area with a 6 foot high fence. It will need a skirt if you also have Fox.

I'm willing to accept that I'll lose a chicken once in a while to my limited Free Ranging. I keep anywhere from 3 to 10 Pullets/Hens for eggs. Any extra eggs go to friends, neighbors and coworkers.
I currently have 5 Pullets and 3 Hens. GC

 

[bryan99705]

a large guardian dog may be your only choice short of shooting it

 

[592784]

I've seen Bobcat and Fox during the day around my property in person and on my game cameras day and night.
I lost 2 chickens last year while Free Ranging.
The first was in March at sunset when hens were going into their coop. It was a Fox.
The second loss was in June a few minutes after I let them out, about an hour before sunset. I was still outside when I heard the commotion.
I was on the other side of my property, about a hundred yards away.
The chickens were near the woods , edge of my lawn.
By the time I got there it ran into the woods with the hen. I believe it was the Bobcat. The Bobcat seems more brazen, it doesn't run away when I see it on my property.
I keep my 2 Flocks of chickens in a 10'x 20'x 6' high dog kennel's most of the day. I've never had a Fox or Bobcat jump over.
I let them out an hour before sunset daily, weather permitting.
If you Free Range you'll eventually lose Poultry.
I Free Ranged an hour or two daily for nearly 3 years before I lost a chicken. I only lost 2 so far.
If you Free Range sunrise to sunset expect to lose a lot more.
Fox and Bobcat have a territory. You could trap and shoot to protect your property. But it's temporary. Another will replace it. So it will be an ongoing process. Set trap, catch, shoot and repeat.
I don't know how to keep them away from my property without surrounding the area with a 6 foot high fence. It will need a skirt if you also have Fox.View attachment 2473528View attachment 2473529View attachment 2473530
I'm willing to accept that I'll lose a chicken once in a while to my limited Free Ranging. I keep anywhere from 3 to 10 Pullets/Hens for eggs. Any extra eggs go to friends, neighbors and coworkers.
I currently have 5 Pullets and 3 Hens. GC

Very concerning when bobcats aren’t deterred by much of anything. Pretty animals but still scary

 

[Folly's place]

Electric fencing! Either several strands of wire or rope, or electrified poultry netting. @Howard E , @cmom , and Premier1supplies.com have good information, and Premier also has good products.
Mary

 

[SusannasMom]

kill it
@josephdad