End justifies the means

[Kentucky]

After reading many of the very sad posts, please understand that this is not meant to offend, however for me it is totally unacceptable not to do everything possible to protect a pet. For instance I can not imagine what must go through a poor chicken's mind while being eaten alive by a predator. When the wife got her little flock many years ago it was readily apparent they were her personal pets and by default it was my duty to protect them at all cost. Therefore at the outset I built them a pen with an electrified perimeter fence along with a virtually impenetrable coup for nighttime protection.

However at other times they were and still are allowed to free range, which obviously requires additional offensive and defensive measures of protection. As you might expect, living in a rural setting over the years we too have had numerous unsuccessful predatory attacks by hawks, owls, dogs, cats, opossum, raccoon, bobcat, fox and coyote. Beyond that you will have to use your own imagination for the details, simply put protection must equal the threat, the end justifies the means. Again forgive my somewhat ambiguous and vague manner as some things are best left unsaid.

Aside from that, I will gladly attempt to advise "within the limits of the law" how to provide pet protection, but be aware that most methods require a serious commitment of time and effort on your part. In summary, over time some of her flock has passed on, but none have ever been killed by a predator.

 

[birdladiusa]

Lol. I trap nightly and I live in city. 4 skunks dispatched. 2 possums relocated and one racoon relocated. Would relocate skunks butya know, not up for stinking. That trap is reloaded everynight. IIt's a nightly chore. But my girls just started laying and skunks got into enclosure eating food and water. Never touched chickens or eggs. I'm not a hunter by any means but holy smokes these poor girls are being overrun. And that's Allen June thru august. Woweee.

 

[Folly's place]

PLEASE don't trap if you won't shoot the varmits you catch!!! Relocation is cruel to the animal, illegal everywhere I know of, and brings a trap- wise predator to someone else's birds. I just hope that you don't live anywhere near here. Mary

 

[Kentucky]

Agreed people handle threats differently for a variety of reasons, that is as long as the threat to the chicken is permanently removed. In the past I too have used a quote "live trap", which in my case is a total misnomer. In some areas the State Wildlife Dept will provide and maintain traps that pose a threat to pets, livestock and property. However, it is well understood that city dwelling and/or other close neighbor environments present far more complex predator eradication conditions than that of rural living.

As previously stated the wife's little flock has a totally enclosed elevated impenetrable pen/coup and a wraparound 6' high back fenced pen, both are outfitted with an electrified perimeter wire of a constant standing voltage. The effectiveness is measured by the fact that the grape vines which cover part of the front pen are totally ignored by the wildlife. Thankfully, nothing has ever successfully breached their peaceful protected sanctuary.

 

[gmfwlbrdr]

Our state law states no relocation of certain species, I never relocate predators, i do all i can to keep peace and harmony ,but if the chickens are in any way harmed i do all i can to stop the threat ,i do not put time and money and get attached to my chickens and then sit back and do nothing ,i believe in protecting what is mine ,coons arent endangered by no means ,possums are so prevelant ,so i applaud good thread.

 

[bantamrooster]

We have the same list of predators here.
Wouldnt mind hearing some of your offensive and defensive measures of protection.

 

[MeepBeep]

PLEASE don't trap if you won't shoot the varmits you catch!!!  Relocation is cruel to the animal, illegal everywhere I know of, and brings a trap- wise predator to someone else's birds.  I just hope that you don't live anywhere near here.  Mary

X2 dumping your problems off on others is not a solution... I don't care if it's dumped 'out in the woods' it's someone else's property and the animal doesn't care about property lines so now the homeless, hungry and desperate animals poses a threat to everyone in the area it's been dumped and that could easily be a 10 mile radius or greater...

 

[gmfwlbrdr]

My fowl cannot free range ,we had an enormous Redtail hawk hatch out 3 chicks not far from my barn ,she has swooped the individual pens ,,so i have chicken tractors with an extra layer of poultry netting around the 2x4 sqaure wire ,i move them every Evening to fresh grass ,i have multiple pens that i move ,then i have 4 main breeding pens ,these pens are in a building ,, Hawks and owls cannot breach the double layering of multiple layers of wire netting ,and coons also have difficultys, i have a netting that is electricified so ground predators do not breech the chicken yard ,I also set live traps in predator high traffic areas ,it gives me peace of mind that ive done as much as i can to protect my fowl ,I would love to free range but till i get a large netting pen I cannot.

 

[ShrekDawg]

PLEASE don't trap if you won't shoot the varmits you catch!!!  Relocation is cruel to the animal, illegal everywhere I know of, and brings a trap- wise predator to someone else's birds.  I just hope that you don't live anywhere near here.  Mary

X2 dumping your problems off on others is not a solution... I don't care if it's dumped 'out in the woods' it's someone else's property and the animal doesn't care about property lines so now the homeless, hungry and desperate animals poses a threat to everyone in the area it's been dumped and that could easily be a 10 mile radius or greater...

Not to mention the fact that animals have established territories and/or it might have a family or babies. So by dumping it somewhere else, you are now placing it not only in an unfamiliar area but also another animal's territory. That animal is very likely to defend it's territory, especially if there's limited resources, and that includes chasing off or even potentially killing or severely injuring the relocated animal. And even if the animal manages to get past the initial adjustment period without being attacked, you've now put it in an unfamiliar area where it has absolutely zero clue where anything is. No clue where food or water, nesting sites, etc. Are. And if the animal had babies in a nest somewhere, you've now orphaned the babies. Plus all the stuff others have said about the animal being a threat to someone else. Just a bad idea all around. I used to think relocating was good or could be done, especially as a kid and when all the animal shows did it, but it's really not a good thing and shouldn't be done unless absolutely necessary. And even then it should be extremely remote and nowhere near people, which in a city you aren't likely to find that even if you go to the suburbs

 

[Sjisty]

We always relocate predators we catch - 6 feet under!