FLORIDA!!!!!ALWAYS SUNNY SIDE UP!!!

[SilkiesnFrizzle]

Where did you read this?

My friend had her flock tested last month (NPIP) and she personally spoke with Jennifer, she lives in Plant City. I actually found on some interesting information on Floridas Sentinal Chicken flocks. Its an interesting program!

 

[SilkiesnFrizzle]

we have black, white, partridge, splash, buff, paint, and some show girls!

Let me know if you have any for sale ) ESPECIALLY PARTRIDGE! !! What colors are your showgirls? I hada Parti one...*sigh* she was beautiful.

 

[nikkers390]

This is predator issue, but since Florida is like no other state, I thought I would bring it up here.
We built a reasonably "safe" pen in our pasture about 150 feet from our house. We have geese and ducks and a few chickens. I have discovered that chickens and waterfowl don't always play nice, so we had another built strictly for chickens.
The pens are 6' tall surrounded by welded wire, supplemented by chicken wire for the bottom 3 feet with a skirt of chicken wire 18" from the end of the fence. It is covered in shade cloth to deter flying predators.
It seems that works well since we have had no night time losses, however day time losses are pretty heavy. The poultry would free range from about noon to dusk and then I lock them in the pens.
We have lost a couple of grown geese and a number of grown Muscovy ducks. No sign of bodies, vultures etc.
well, a few days ago, my husband spotted a big bobcat circling the pens, this was 11 am on a bright sunny day. HMMM?
Since then the birds are allowed free range only for a short while under supervision.
Unfortunately the bobcat is used to easy prey and stalks the pens after dark. We can't see out to the pens since there is no light out there. what we can see is tracks in the sand. I clear the sand when I lock up for the night and new tracks are visible in the morning.
I have 2 donkeys in the pasture at night and one has a really bad attitude. Obviously she sleeps on the job at times.
There has been no visible attempt to breach the fence or dig under.
Trappers we contacted do not "do" bobcats anymore since no one wants to pay their high fees for the time involved.
So, aside from camping out at night in the dark with a gun, can anyone think of deterrents which may be effective. I assume they are difficult to trap since trappers have given up. Poison is out of the question.
We live near woods where there is lots of year around prey, racoons, rats, squirrels etc. This one prefers poultry

Any and all suggestions would be appreciated.
We are new to the country life so not much experience in these matters.

 

[seminolewind]

WOW. A bobcat. First off, it sounds like your pens are predator proof, but next time look for your weakest link. I know I have them and try to fix, but some are difficult to fix. I have shade cloth as well, but I took it down last year and wired the top of the pen and put the shade cloth back on.

Is there any way you can built a small paddock around the coop and pen to put the donkeys in? It might help if they were kept next to the building at night. Electric fence is another option for day and night.

It's hard that you lose them in the day time. I have an alarm that is wireless to 200 feet (?), and the receiver is in the house and goes off if something moves. I don't know if you can set it up that way. Trapping may be an answer. Or a big chicken protecting dog. Some people even use human urine, LOL

Chicken dinner is so tempting to many animals.

 

[nikkers390]

My husband and I have discussed this. As far as dogs go, we have 4 already 2 rotties that want to eat the chickens they would only harass the birds in their pens and 2 pit bulls who are so sweet, they would not chase anything. Unfortunately, they are all house dogs who have never spent a night off their couch. 4 dogs is 2 dogs too many.
The donkey coral/paddock is adjacent/attached to the chicken pens, but they insist on grazing at night. On second thought, did you ever hear an unhappy, ticked off donkey? Just the sound should keep anything away (including sleep)
My idea is to hang solar operated blinking string lights around the pens, Maybe a battery operated motion detector light, a radio playing Coast to Coast all night. Electric wire may work as long a solar can provide an effective jolt. I heard about a motion operated sprinkler that gives a burst of water. Shooting it in broad daylight is an option, but the thing is sneaky and the woods are right next door so to speak.

 

[Runawaylobster]

My husband and I have discussed this. As far as dogs go, we have 4 already 2 rotties that want to eat the chickens they would only harass the birds in their pens and 2 pit bulls who are so sweet, they would not chase anything. Unfortunately, they are all house dogs who have never spent a night off their couch. 4 dogs is 2 dogs too many.
The donkey coral/paddock is adjacent/attached to the chicken pens, but they insist on grazing at night. On second thought, did you ever hear an unhappy, ticked off donkey? Just the sound should keep anything away (including sleep)
My idea is to hang solar operated blinking string lights around the pens, Maybe a battery operated motion detector light, a radio playing Coast to Coast all night. Electric wire may work as long a solar can provide an effective jolt. I heard about a motion operated sprinkler that gives a burst of water. Shooting it in broad daylight is an option, but the thing is sneaky and the woods are right next door so to speak.

Hmm.. well was warned about a bobcat in the area of my property in Live Oak, (there are Coyotes too) so i never leave my dogs out at night for more than a few minutes to pee.. My neighbor's dog got mauled by coyotes and had to be put to sleep .. so i'm with you i don't thing dogs would be the answer even if you had fierce ones.

I put up an electric fence it wasn't too hard to do and it keeps my dogs out of the chickens very well, once they learned about it they never go near the wires any more. you might need a stronger one for a bobcat tho.

 

[KlassAct]

Our best night time defense is two outdoor large dogs with big voices - one wolfhound cross and the other a lab/shepherd. They take their property patrolling duties seriously and I wouldn't leave just one of them out alone - although my neighbor's pyrenees has done a good job protecting her ducks. She lost one duck during the day with no sign of a struggle (we do have eagles on the neighborhood as well as hawks and a great horned owl.) So far, the bob cats, foxes, and coyotes have chosen to hunt elsewhere at night.

I do not let my chickens free range since I'm sure I would loose at least a few of them to the wildlife and the dogs. The coop and run are both welded wire fencing with 12" pavers around the outside to discourage digging. The perimeter of our property is no-climb fencing which might also discourage the coyotes.

The rancher across the street brought in a donkey to run with his cows and protect the calves. They may not feel the need to defend the flock the same way they do the rest of their herd.

 

[Bangarang64]

I also have a bobcat problem. I now only let my hens out when I can be outside with them, usually about an hour before it gets dark so they all go in on their own. This isn't even fool-proof though. During one of these "outings" a bobcat came out from the tree line and a grabbed one of my birds while I was standing about 20 feet away. I was shaken up a bit.

I've tried to wait that cat out with my 22, and even tried calling him up with a varmit/predator call, but with no luck.

 

[seminolewind]

That's amazing that we would have Bobcat problems in Florida. I say this because I think the panther is endangered, and protected. But since there were so few, Florida imported some Bobcats to reproduce with the panthers. Please, correct me if I'm wrong, I lead a sheltered life

 

[nikkers390]

I seem to recall that in order to provide a wider gene pool, Florida imported a subspecies of cougar from Texas. I'm not sure about the facts since this was a while back and I'm going strictly from memory. Florida has open season for bobcat from Dec to March. So they are certainly not endangered.

Thank all who replied to my post. From what I hear from neighbors and others with poultry, bobcats are a common predator. Some have totally given up on raising chickens and such because they were discouraged with spending time and money to feed the local wildlife.
Florida is a piece of paradise to be sure, but my friend calls her farm Jurasic Park.

Between racoons, hawks and other hungry creatures, one cannot get complacent. She has reinforced fencing, electric wire fence, a couple of German Shepherds and firearms at the ready.

We have decided to restrict free ranging and put up an electric wire barrier and see if that works. Never a boring moment, I say.
I

BYC!!!!