Free ranging predator protection

[NYboy]

A friend just had a redtail attack her yorkie. Dog is fine after $1,200 vet bill!

 

[centrarchid]

Afre96, the Yorkie is best kept on your lap but the retriever should be effective deterrent against anything from red fox size down. When it comes to numbers of birds lost to wild predators, it is my best estimate that red foxes, racoons and oppossums generally take the most. Hawks and coyotes are more exciting and they do take a few birds but the previously mentioned are generally most important over the long haul. Having the latter dog will protect your chickens and Yorkie from red-tails but again keep the little out of harms way.

 

[afre96]

My retriever is a smaller dog and only about 35 pounds and its an inside dog..as got the raccoon my brother catches raccoos for sport and purge animals of that kind. I have been BEGGING my mom to let us adopt a great perynese puppy but no budge.........

 

[centrarchid]

My retriever is a smaller dog and only about 35 pounds and its an inside dog..as got the raccoon my brother catches raccoos for sport and purge animals of that kind. I have been BEGGING my mom to let us adopt a great perynese puppy but no budge.........

Does you brother have coonhounds?

 

[afre96]

Does you brother have coonhounds?

He used to but he has many friends that do and he can barrow some anytime he wants

 

[centrarchid]

He used to but he has many friends that do and he can barrow some anytime he wants

Black and tan hounds, most used to hunt coons but some for fox, used to be our livestock guardians. We had multiple at a time but all were more than a match for smaller predators (coyote size and down). Most were penned up amoung chickens but some free ranged, especially older dogs.

 

[Raiderdave0109]

We just got 3 full grown RIRs this weekend. We let them out in the yard for a few hours each day while we are in the backyard with them. While they generally hang out under a pine tree digging into the dirt, they do wander around the rest of the yard which is pretty wide open. We had a couple hawks circling today but the blackbirds swarmed them until they moved out of the area.
So how do you protect them when they are out in the open like that? I don't want to fence them in, because our plan is to have them roam freely.

 

[Azulegg]

A red-tail hawk will kill chickens. I lost four hens last year due to a red-tail. Now I have to free-range them in their enclosed yard when I used to pasture them all day (I do leave them out for 2 hours before dark so they can get greens). Any how, I have two roos I let out all day (a large ameraucana roo and a smaller rumpless araucana/ameraucana cross) and the hawk has tried to nail them but has been unsuccessful. What is it that makes hens easier prey for these predators? I would rather lose an extra roo to a predator than my girls.

 

[afre96]

A red-tail hawk will kill chickens. I lost four hens last year due to a red-tail. Now I have to free-range them in their enclosed yard when I used to pasture them all day (I do leave them out for 2 hours before dark so they can get greens). Any how, I have two roos I let out all day (a large ameraucana roo and a smaller rumpless araucana/ameraucana cross) and the hawk has tried to nail them but has been unsuccessful. What is it that makes hens easier prey for these predators? I would rather lose an extra roo to a predator than my girls.

The roos are more aggressive when it comes to predators. The hens seem to not have a wild and deffensive attitude when they're not mothers, they are also a little slower then the roos. The roos have an easier time defending themselves because their spurs and naturally flighty behavior. It's always better to have a roo that is the most aggressive thing in the world instead of a sweet pet.