Free Range predators?

[wwarren8200]

The worst daytime predators should be the focus for your free range area since I assume you have a secure nighttime area. So that's coyote, dog, and hawk that need attention.

If you are doing this for business, then invest in a good flock dog. Expensive to purchase, but one good dog will be effective against all these problems. And if the dog bunks outside the nighttime coop, any weak points in your security would be moot.

The below photos are of our Kangal Dog puppy who is learning to watch the chickens. I taught him to watch for airborne predators, which is what he is doing in the pics. I taught him by using a tense body language while growling and barking at flying hawks as well as at their cries...took only three occurrences of hawk sounds, one of a hawk fly-over for him to get it. He cannot yet discern vultures from hawks, but that's okay... He now notices hawk cries and runs into the yard to search for them, barking the whole time. I am teaching him to not react to the cries when they are very distant. I do not trust him alone with the chickens yet, as he is still too playful.

Thank you for the info. I'll look into a dog.

 

[wwarren8200]

I have to agree with centrarchid. I've free ranged flocks here for nine years.  Not one loss to anything. I don't even have a flock guardian dog. I credit our luck (and our number will come up eventually, can't dodge that bullet forever) to always having several alert roosters and good cover on our mountain land, not open pasture. We even had a fox den about 200' from the coop once and though we found barred feathers at one of the openings, it was from someone else's chickens, not ours. We have had a livestock fence around about 2 of the 5 acres for 7-8 years now, but that won't stop most predators other than a non-motivated roaming dog during the day, though it was mainly erected to keep our birds from roaming.

Cover may be the real key here, in addition to great roosters. My birds duck under the Leyland Cypress trees regularly, which make fabulous, fast growing cover, not to mention the rhododendron we also planted as we were able over the years. Then, even in winter, there is still cover for them when leaves are gone from the deciduous trees and shrubs.

We do not let them roam when we are not home-they do each have pens attached to their respective coops-but we are home most of the time. But, free ranging is what we planned to do with our flock, the entire plan for our management from the start. If we had to keep them all penned 24/7, it would change our entire outlook and the eggs would not be as good due to them eating only commercial feed and having no foraging opportunities.

Our birds will be raised naturally with roosters (our roosters are very large birds) so will that be enough without a dog?

 

[speckledhen]

Our birds will be raised naturally with roosters (our roosters are very large birds) so will that be enough without a dog?

It depends on more than just having a rooster. Depends on the roosters themselves (not all are created equal), depends on how much cover they have to hide under quickly, etc. As I said, we've been very fortunate but you can't free range forever, especially in the mountains, without having a loss eventually. I've seen hawks dive on the birds, but the rooster intervened and he never touched one. Had that fox's den I mentioned on the property. We have all sorts of predators, including coons, possums, fox, coyote, roaming domestic dogs, owls, many different type hawks, mountain lions, bears and now, I've been informed that we also now have fishers in this mountain area (as if we didn't already have enough to worry about). It's possible, however, to free range chickens without having constant losses, providing you pay attention to some details.

At night, they are in predator proof coops, but during the day, we rely on our roosters coupled with good cover to keep them safe.

 

[centrarchid]

Our birds will be raised naturally with roosters (our roosters are very large birds) so will that be enough without a dog?

Not on the scale you are looking into trying. You are going to have target that hawks might pass up but foxes and coyotes will not be thwarted by the roosters even if the roosters attack. While on the roost all of your birds will be vulnerable.

 

[rancher hicks]

Well now this has been my experience.

Hawk got a hen one spring. Black hen white snow easy to spot. I've chases a couple away over the years.

Fox took big Delores once but dropped her she's so heavy. She was fine and laying still.

Last spring a fox came and killed an EE but got chased off after dropping the bird.

I did see a male fox late summer and chased it off. Birds weren't let out. It was morning.

I do walk the property and "mark" often. (not something I recommend the ladies doing) Saw two foxes about 4 weeks ago down the road.

Point being, you want to spend time outside often. Predators know who's who and when you're around I think they move on. Also make sure there is no where they can den up. Tear up any brush piles and stuff like that.

I've two fire pits and I burn when I can.

That's what I do, I'm sure others have their systems. I can't afford electric fencing and am not sure how much longer I'll have chickens. Winters get harder each year. I've got another cold now and am not happy. Animals still need to be tended to.

 

[wwarren8200]

It depends on more than just having a rooster. Depends on the roosters themselves (not all are created equal), depends on how much cover they have to hide under quickly, etc. As I said, we've been very fortunate but you can't free range forever, especially in the mountains, without having a loss eventually. I've seen hawks dive on the birds, but the rooster intervened and he never touched one. Had that fox's den I mentioned on the property. We have all sorts of predators, including coons, possums, fox, coyote, roaming domestic dogs, owls, many different type hawks, mountain lions, bears and now, I've been informed that we also now have fishers in this mountain area (as if we didn't already have enough to worry about). It's possible, however, to free range chickens without having constant losses, providing you pay attention to some details.

At night, they are in predator proof coops, but during the day, we rely on our roosters coupled with good cover to keep them safe.

At night the coop will be fairly secure and if a hawk was to show up I will make a section or two of netting they can get under. My roosters are calm but defensive and them being almost Jersey Giant size they will be pretty intimidating. The coop I'm wanting to copycat is the chicken caravan 130. Would that be sufficient predator proofing? (Video on their website)

 

[speckledhen]

I can't find that user on BYC, search doesn't bring it up so can't comment on the building. My coops are built like actual sheds with hardware cloth over all window screen areas, pens of 2x4 welded wire with smaller wire wrapping the bottom and wire aprons and large rocks as dig barriers.

 

[wwarren8200]

I can't find that user on BYC, search doesn't bring it up so can't comment on the building. My coops are built like actual sheds with hardware cloth over all window screen areas, pens of 2x4 welded wire with smaller wire wrapping the bottom and wire aprons and large rocks as dig barriers.

No haha it's chicken caravan.com

 

[speckledhen]

I'd never heard of chicken caravan so thought it was a BYC screen name. That thing has absolutely NO ventilation when closed up that I can see. And they say it can hold 130 chickens??? Baloney, I say. But, if you had birds inside and it closed up (I guess it's meant to be open all the time unless it's being moved? I can't tell), it would be predator proof but quite a hot box, being metal like that.

 

[matt44644]

Chicken Caravan 130 is $9,900 including GST. Wow!
$8527 usd

http://chickencaravan.com/130-2/