Guardian rooster advice?

[NHMountainMan]

I wonder if any wildlife agencies would be willing to come out and relocate the bobcat? I'd look up and state agencies in your area and ask before the cat ends up killing somebody's dog or house cat

Thank you. I may call fish and game (the gang you can watch on Northwood's law). As our property is rural and abutts thousands of acres, I suspect that another cat would take the territory if one was transplanted. I'll give them a call. Thanks for the idea!

 

[NHMountainMan]

I use chickens as their own alarm systems. Chickens give alarm and dogs run to investigate. Much of the time I am not aware of such happenings as I am either asleep, at work, or kids have television too loud. Often only evidence I have things are working properly is on the game cameras. I am the weak link if must let dogs out. Setup you invision likely to work better if dogs outside all the time.

Bobcats in particular are fast and quite, you may not know present except by reduction in chicken numbers.

Mostly we've caught the bobcat on our game cameras too. But last week he was sitting right next to our porch at 6:30.. Way before dusk. And we found tracks and scat around our garage, where the chicks were awaiting their move out to the coop. My guess is that with the extreme heat, the cat is looking to eat without too much effort. Crazy was that the cat didn't run as the dogs barked through the window. It wasn't until I let them out the the cat ran off. And he was back once it got dark.

You're right though - I'm the weak link, having to let them out. But they're pets first and guardians second.

The coop is about 400 yards from the house. I was hoping a loud rooster could be heard by the dogs tipping me off to let them out. We have no close neighbors so I'm not worried about volume.
Again, thank you for the info. I'm new to this and really grateful for the lessons from more experienced owners.

 

[so lucky]

Boy, that is really bold behavior for a bobcat, isn't it? I wonder if it is sick, or addled by the heat.

 

[NHMountainMan]

I think heat - it was 90 and humid. We live up high and almost always have some wind so maybe it was coming to cool down. It was panting heavily but had full coordination when the dogs ran him off. Rabies crossed my mind but that's so rare.

 

[centrarchid]

Cat staying tight may have kittens. It will not be staying to wait for shot at chickens, it is getting something else it needs. Can you allow dogs to run it a ways?

 

[cmom]

I have several roosters. When there is a predator out lurking especially at night I hear all of the birds making a fuss. I usually shine a very bright flashlight down at the coops and the predator leaves and sometimes comes back so then I take my car down with the headlights on and and the predators take off. Usually coyotes. I don't worry too much because every evening when I go out to collect eggs I test my electric to make sure it's working ok and if it isn't I find the trouble spot and get it back online. There is no way to keep the predators away. I just have to make sure I keep my birds safe.
Last night. Most every night I see a coyote and sometimes a fox on this camera.

 

[centrarchid]

The cats do not always run because they think they are not seen. I had one that sat lazily in a tree while my two dogs worked area below it 20 feet below. Cat did not bail from tree until it realized I was looking directly at it. Then dogs noticed and ran it for a good ways. Cat quit coming for some time, at least not so I can detect it. Cat was taking my game harem masters. Generally, bobcats seem to be very sneaky but allow close approach of humans and other critters. I have been quit close on several occasions with either a boat or where cat had a radio collar on it so knew where it was laying. Latter deal had a cat resting frequently on a path that had hundreds of college students pass within 10 yards or so every day.

 

[NHMountainMan]

I have several roosters. When there is a predator out lurking especially at night I hear all of the birds making a fuss. I usually shine a very bright flashlight down at the coops and the predator leaves and sometimes comes back so then I take my car down with the headlights on and and the predators take off. Usually coyotes. I don't worry too much because every evening when I go out to collect eggs I test my electric to make sure it's working ok and if it isn't I find the trouble spot and get it back online. There is no way to keep the predators away. I just have to make sure I keep my birds safe.
Last night. Most every night I see a coyote and sometimes a fox on this camera.
View attachment 1835471

Thanks for the info. I've put up some motion sensor lights so hopefully that will provide some extra security.

 

[cmom]

I had some motion sensor lights up and it got to a point where it didn't seem to bother the predators when they set off the lights. They got used to them. When I shine my flashlight out I think they don't know what to expect because it moves. I shine it all around so when they see a moving light they don't know what to expect and take off for at least awhile. I have had mostly coyotes and I have shined my light down at the coops and then later in the night, when I check the cameras the next day, I have pictures of them out there. I think my best security is the electric wires that go around my coops and pens. I get a good shock and I have two legs. I'm sure a 4 legged critter will get a good shock too. I know some people are worried about a family member getting a shock from the wire. I think once they do they won't touch it again and it can be turned off, either unplug it or get a cut-off switch.

 

[PattyNH]

Thanks for the great advice. My little flock includes New Hampshire, Barred rock, buff orpington and golden buff- all supposedly cold hardy dual purpose birds. Living at elevation in the NH mtns, we will typically see a week or two every winter with -20 with wind chill in the -40 range. So I've been conscious of frostbite risk. I've had my dogs (Great Pyrenees / Swiss mountain dog mixes) exposed to the chicks and vice versa, in and around the coop and run. 1 of them has really bonded as chicken guardian. My hope is that the rooster will sound the alarm and I would turn out the dogs until I can get there. We've had a bobcat hanging around a dusk, and despite the dogs chasing him off twice, he keeps coming back circling the electric fence.

Hi! I'm in NH as well, but far south in Nashua. I have a handful of chicks that are around 12 weeks, including 3 Delaware and 1 SLW cockrels. I'll be looking to rehome soon so if you're interested just let me know! My current roo is a BR and can be a **** but alerts my girls when hawks/etc. are around.