Do BEARS bother chickens?

[Haunted55]

I woke up at 7:30 christmas morning to find my rooster all loopy wandering around the backyard wobbly. Couldn't figure out how he got out (looking thru the window in the back door) until I saw the HUGE gaping hole in the side of the coop. Yeah my rooster survived, and 2 of his lady's and 5 of his children, but they got 8 of the adult females. He must have fought for hours. After picking up what was left of the eight, lets see, heads, legs/thighs he ripped off the body, and the wings, I buried them. Only to go in and take a shower to get ready for family that was coming over to eat. Before the snacks were served he was spotted in our front yard, then as we were starting to eat our christmas dinner, there he was in the front yard again. Ok, we live in Florida, so most of our lives are spent on our huge screened in front porch, great view of the ONF. The coop is not more that 50 ft from our backdoor. Before the day was over the bear had been spotted around our house a total of 5 times. We can't kill him, its not legal here. They say to lock up your chickens, and your garbage. Ok, understandable, no problem we have been, but this bear ripped the whole section of the wall down and just had a feast I guess. Today we got an electric fence, says its enough for a bull, we got the 25 mile package, to do a 10X20 coop. The chickens have been living in the house the past 2 nights, tonight is there first night back out there. I hope the fence works. I kept hoping I'd hear him squeal or something when he went back to check it out, so far nothing. I keep checking on them with a flashlight from the back window. I can see all of them sleeping peacefully. I know I can't keep watch all night, and I don't know what will happen if I wake up tomorrow and have to re-live that all over again. I will be looking for rock salt or something for the shotgun I guess. They say I can't kill him, but I'm guessing I could start puttin' a hurtin' on him every time I see untill I just don't see him anymore. So anyway, thanks for letting me vent, some how it does feel better.

I feel for you! I had to stay up for 4 nights running because of a black bear after my pigs and chickens. Luckly I can shoot them here. You've done the right thing with the electric fence. They can 'smell' the electricity and won't bother it unless you have a young bear that is. How many lines of the wire did you put around the coop? I run 4, always. That way you keep out the big and the small. A motion light can help as well. If nothing else if it comes on, you know there's a reason and can check.

Fianlly, call the game wardens. You've had a loss and they have to respond or you can take matters into your own hands, but first call them and report the loss. Dumb question, but did you happen to take pictures? I know I didn't the first time I had problems with the bear trying to get at the piglets. I did the second time though and it helped me make my position with the authorities. They have to respond and remove the bear, don't let them give you a run-around. Call and keep on calling until they do something. If they are slow....talk to your local paper or TV station. Nobody likes bad press.

I wish you the best and hope this is resolved soon for your peace of mind.

 

[Haunted55]

Put some raw bacon on the fence the bear will get a quick lesson about eletric fence when it tries to eat the bacon.

Sorry for all your losses.

Have you tried this? If this works I'd really like to know! I have major problems with black bear in the spring and early summer.

 

[ocap]

i was reading about electric fencing, bears and bees. i think that an electric fence net might be the only way to prevent the bear from being destroyed. i recently moved to western North Carolina and will not even feed consider chickens without first buying an electric fence net.

 

[Gallus Sapien]

All I have to say is bears around here are oportunistic, and will always take the easiest meal first. One never knows if your chickens are on the easy menu on any given day. P.S. any coop w/o electric fencing is easy for any size bear.

 

[MrJorge13]

We have bears come through our yard all the time never had a problem yet. I have a 25 mile electric fence system around my run works on large animals like bears. A couple of my neighbors dogs won't come within 100feet of my run after they experienced the shock. I try to rake up everyday and not leave a lot of food in the run after hours. I was in the run one day and this guy walked through the yard never looked our way. The girls were very interested.

 

[sourland]

Have you tried this? If this works I'd really like to know! I have major problems with black bear in the spring and early summer.

My neighbor did this around his beehives after a bear wrecked his bee yard. The bear came back, apparently grabbed the bacon and hot wire (ripped it down) and has never been back. For him it worked. I guess the idea is to have the bear contact the hot wire on a fleshy, non hairy body part.

 

[chickengeorgeto]

A young bear in New York state grabbed a 6 month old child out of a stroller in 2002 and ate it. So don't think Black Bears are like Winny the Poo. Black bears are also a major predator of fawns and even break into houses (not just tents) to main, kill, or eat the human occupants. More people are killed each year by black bears than by grizzly, brown and polar bears combined and the number of attacks is growing.

 

[chickengeorgeto]

...I guess the idea is to have the bear contact the hot wire on a fleshy, non hairy body part.

Not to mention the salt in cured bacon is a good electric conductor and that a bear's moist nose and mouth parts are more vunerable to electric shock.

 

[Haunted55]

A young bear in New York state grabbed a 6 month old child out of a stroller in 2002 and ate it. So don't think Black Bears are like Winny the Poo. Black bears are also a major predator of fawns and even break into houses (not just tents) to main, kill, or eat the human occupants. More people are killed each year by black bears than by grizzly, brown and polar bears combined and the number of attacks is growing.

I agree! What most don't understand is they are all related and have a lot of the same habits and instincts. If you've never had the oppurtunity to look a black bear in the eyes, with no fence between you and it, you cannot imagine the inteligence in those eyes and the fear that knowlege creates.

 

[Haunted55]

Not to mention the salt in cured bacon is a good electric conductor and that a bear's moist nose and mouth parts are more vunerable to electric shock.

Good to know! We always have problems in the Spring and sometimes even through the summer. We had a female black bear who had been fed by a local family as if it were a pet. This bear has been caught and relocated 5 times now and she always comes back. I don't know how many children she has had but they all were taught by her to not fear humans, go to them for food and if there are no hand outs, find something there to eat. Not cool. If we have issues this year I will be sure to try this out. I have a 50 mile charger going around an area many times less than that. Maye they'll get the hint the first time, lol.