Do You Use Open Space To Protect Your Birds?

[calista]

I have seen so many beautiful coop setups here with plantings around the run and hen house. It brings to mind the endless argument my parents had going when I was growing up on the farm: MOM ("I want to plant flowers and shrubs in the run and around the entire perimeter!" vs. DAD ("Only gives the varmints a place to hide!") They usually compromised on spread straw ONLY in the run and a large open space surrounding the entire barn with no plantings at all. (Meaning Dad usually won each season, and Mom had her flowers and shrubs around the house instead.)

Removing all potential hiding spots around your coop and run means removing any places that predators use for cover to stalk from. Large open spaces are a deterrent for most chicken predators. (At least that's what I was taught.) Dad wouldn't even allow any stray boards, piles of lumber, or other junk. He kept the grass in the open space perimeter very short and regularly trimmed all the shrubs around it.

Of course, this is not possible for many backyard setups in relatively small spaces. And our chickens were lucky enough to free-range during the day, where our dogs and geese kept a close eye on their safety; we lost very few birds.

For those of you who can, do you keep open space like this around your coop and run? Have you cleared out any piles of stuff and kept the grass short? How has it worked for you?

 

[pkw]

We keep everything clear on our property mostly because of snakes but also because we like to have a clean property. I want to be able to see where the snakes are though. I really hate snakes.

 

[Olive Hill]

I guess it would largely depend on the type of predator you are most concerned about. If you're worried about the stray neighborhood cat, sure, they're much less likely to take the opportunity if they lack cover from which to stalk. But I've yet to see mass losses to domestic cats -- feral or otherwise. Raccoons, foxes, coyotes, bob cats, and their wild night-prowling kin on the other hand, don't care one way or the other. And since during the daytime landscaping provides both cover from aerial attacks and varied environment in which the birds can find food, I see many more pros in having cover than in not having it.

 

[kota1369]

I keep my yard as cleaned up as I can, but I do have hiding spots for my chickens.
My yard smells of predators, so I do not get many things looking at them accept my neighbors
thinking I am nuts. The main worry I have is from above and fortunately my ladies are very
observant and so am I. I have had to send my dogs out to let the hawks know we are
here and watching. And have had one stray dog quite interested in them until I let
my Rottweiler go out and they had a quick discussion through the fence about chickens.
Also, when I clean up dog poo.... I do throw it on the outside of my fence by the coop and
run to keep that smell around strong. In the year I have had them they have had one
cat try to sneak up on them. One of my dogs took care of that way before it started by
growling and barking fiercely at the window and when I saw what it was about , she politely
sent the cat over the fence.
I do not worry about snakes with my ladies as I do not plan on having chicks anytime
soon.

the lady with 4 dogs, 4 city chickens, 4 meat rabbits, 7 kits and a lizard

 

[calista]

Good comments, Olive Hill! Wish Dad were still around so Mom and I could gang up on him with this approach.

I'm thinking SOME cover helps the flock as well as helping any stalking predators.