For those who free range

[microchick]

Yeah, I wish we only had to worry about foxes and the like :/. We also have red tailed and sharp shinned hawks so we got em all

I finally contacted our local conservation officer about the fox problem last year. Hear in Missouri, if a predator (excluding raptors) poses a threat to livestock, you are within your rights to destroy the predator. I was hoping he could successfully trap the fox as it was a beautiful animal and relocate it to a conservation area and he said it was almost impossible to catch a fox in a live trap. The term 'sly as a fox' was quite true when it came to foxes and their ability to outsmart us humans.

I was amazed at the number of chickens the female we had around here last year took to feed her kits. We were finding feather piles around our farm's pond that weren't coming from our flock. Lots of white chicken feathers along with Guinea feathers. No chicken was safe.

I think I'd rather deal with hawks than foxes. My roosters keep an eye on them even with a covered pen and will send the ladies scooting for cover if they glance one flying over. A few days ago they even became agitated when they spied a Vulture in the vicinity.

Have to agree. Good roosters are worth their weight in gold..

 

[Erinne]

About the only way you are going to be able to protect your flock if you free range is to ride herd on them like you have been doing.

We have a lot of big red tailed and red shouldered hawks here along with fox and coyotes. My flock is penned and the run is covered but I can still catch the occasional hawk circling the run or roosting in a nearby tree just watching.
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We have Hawks Coyotes, coons possums ,,,I haven't seen a fox yet in this area at all. We have a HUGE dog that runs around all evening and night and on Sunday ( we have to keep her tied during day as Post people generally are afraid of huge black dogs). I dont ride shot gun over the adults but I do have the juveniles in a hutch on our screen porch. in a couple of weeks ( sooner if husband repairs the old run) we will put the juveniles there to introduce them to the older hens in relative safety..... once that is done, the young ones will be released with the others