first hawks, then mink, neighbors dog, now BEAR!!???

[jruhle]

Well, I had a thriving egg business with a few predator problems to say the least. A couple hawks ate a few, but that was solved with web. A mink at a few roosters, (oh well) and we trapped him. The neighbors dog killed 19 of my chickens and nearly wiped all my birds out. She paid, i bought more and then....... A BEAR. He got in, ate all my replacements but 3, tore the rearing pen and coop all up. Unfortunately I had to go commercial fishing or I would have hunted it down. I hate to give up, but what next? I guess I'll try again next year.

 

[J-Sanders]

Everybody loves a chicken dinner and that is a problem for us. We live on the border of the wildlife refuge here in florida and as such we have all the predators you listed plus we have alligators and snakes. We use a combination of electric netting fence and hot wire on the border of the yard along with a double fence that is separated by eight inches as we used eight inch posts for the run. But nothing is perfect unless you can watch them 24/7. There is a device that is getting some play around here that simulates eyes and makes the predator think that you are standing there watching.

It can be very frustrating to see your investment and time go down the gullet of some predator!

Jim

 

[jruhle]

It's difficult to keep predators in line here in Alaska. They never stop coming. I bought some chain link fence hoping it will work this time. I live off the grid so electric fencing will have to be solar powered and very expensive. Not sure its worth what I make selling eggs. So far the bear has never been back and haven't had any problems since with my dwindling flock. Time to rebuild and try AGAIN. Dang bears. (and hawks and mink and dogs)

 

[2plus2 is44]

What about good fencing and a GP dog? I think that would solve most of your Problems

 

[CAjerseychick]

What about good fencing and a GP dog? I think that would solve most of your Problems

x2. Time to have a predator on YOUR side (a good dog!)...

 

[jruhle]

We are currently looking for a German Shepard to train as a guardian. Our blue heeler mix is too old and deaf now. He used to do a great job guarding the birds. We got him because he was eating his neighbors chickens but when the neighbor got chickens he never touched them. When I got chickens, he'd nip my son for teasing them!!!! He's probably 12 years old now and retired. Time to shop for a new guard dog.

 

[zazouse]

Sure wished you lived closer to me, my daughter has a LGD that she got from me and she needs a new home and a job, she is fully trained with all kinds of livestock, i can not take her back because i now have one female here that i have to have and she hates her with a killing kinda passion.

Sorry you are having so many critter problems..