So after a long argument with the county I moved my portable storage building from the front yard of my 2 acres to behind the house. I had an emergency and flew out for a week, while my friend watched my house. When I returned i found that hawks had killed 8 of my birds, and my 4 ducks and 4 bantam duckwing hens refused to leave the building. I was ordering netting when I got to thinking that I was wanting a goat for my daughter anyway. So I bought a goat and it is now living in the chicken enclosure. It is roughly 50x50 (2500 square feet or so) as a guess. quite a large size, and now I may add another 100 feet of fence which I guess would make it a total of 75x75 foot square. Now my theory is the Hawks are not gonna be thrilled a large mammal is walking around this enclosure and probably has no idea what this goat is. I am also hanging some pie plates, a few plastic bags, and a scarecrow. Anyone have any thoughts or experiance with using livestock to help keep hawks away?
My guess is probably not, there is no better opportunity for a hawks meal than unsupervised free range hen's. i would love to free range but I like my chickens too much to not want to protect them in an enclosed safe area. I wish you luck but I fear a goat is just not the answer. AL
Well I'm guessing it is at least a lil better than nothing, and should go well with the pie pans and D V D's LOL. plus now I can get milk and make cheese along with my breakfast eggs! also being fenced in, in the back yard like that, is that considered free range?
Where we live the goats drew in ALL kinds of predators, especially the coyotes. Needless to say we lost all our goats and gave up on the goat thing. (This was with LGD's) Bad experience for us.
Hrmmmm well coyotes are not a problem for me here in the area. My fence is completely chicken wired with an 8 inch drop section of loose wire on the top making it much more difficult to climb in or out of. Hawks are the primary concern so I am hoping the added movement will distract them. So far they all seem to be taking to the goat as there new leader, staying within a few feet of the nanny or staying in the building.
We had our goats share the barn with our rabbits and a brooder of chicks, the coons waltzed right past a barn full of them to open the brooder and slaughter the whole lot of them. They won't deter from sky predators either, at least not long, as they won't care or challenge them. They only thing that will happen is your goat will eat all your chicken food and get sick.
Goats are definetly better than nothing, any larger mammal with the chickens will help. It's not going to stop a really determined hawk, but, it's better than nothing. I do have goats and sheep with the chickens, it does help some. Also, it's helpful to have a more protective rooster, and/or guineas and geese will help as well. Guard dogs are really the best, ours will try to drive off herons that fly overheard!! I am totally opposed to keeping livestock in pens all the time, so, we have everything I can think of to protect ours, -dog, goats, sheep, guineas, geese. I only lose chickens that fly over the fence and wander off, bantams mostly. One final thing..bantams are like candy to hawks, our worst hawks simply are too small to tackle larger chickens. P.S.--, any "silly stuff", like crests, short legs, feathered feet, will lead to dead chickens if you free range them, those traits are NOT PRACTICAL for free-ranging fowls..
Sounds like I've been lucky then! I do not seem to have a predator problem, though there are raccoons, oppossums, hawks & even gators in my area. I was thinking that maybe the goats were deterring them. Maybe it is just the little terrier mutt that goes outside periodically all day & part of the night?
Hawks tried picking off chickens with people and 2 50lb dogs within 10 feet of the chickens. No deterrent at all. Sorry I just hate to see you lose more birds.
