has anyone used a baby monitor to alert for predators

[PattyNH]

I’m going to follow along because I’ve always wondered about this.

X2

 

[centrarchid]

A single barking dog got me to stop using monitor. Then we put in a dog door so dog could go in and out. Dog barked as running out and could get to problem even before I reached front door. Dog was good at dispatching. It was worth effort to train German Pointer to leave chickens alone.

 

[Folly's place]

In years gone by, my dogs were safe with the chickens, but still fenced away from the coop, because of the way the property is arranged. Now, our current dogs are poorly trained, as I'm not as energetic or motivated, so they aren't as much help as they could be.
Mary

 

[Mandrogora]

I have a $15 monitor in the coop that works great. I have ducks and chickens in there. They're in separate areas but it picks up on both of their sounds. I thankfully haven't had to respond any real predators. One chicken bok-bok- ba- GOCK's at everything new. As soon as my dog hears that over the monitor he springs into action. If anything tries to get in at night though I expect the ducks will be the one to sound the alarm.

 

[WthrLady]

We had one for 4 years before I died. It's getting harder and harder to find one that it just sound only. We bought it at once upon a child for $10. We only had it turned on in the house (the parent end of the monitor) when I wanted to listen to the goofy chatter of coop chickens while I was in the house.

The only time it alerted us to an intruder was when they were making alarm noises at a baby opossum that had fallen off the back of momma's back when she crossed the yard. You'd have thought there was a sabre tooth cat out there with all the noise.

We replaced the dead baby monitor with one of the cameras from our security system. I can log in and spy on them any time I want. There is another camera outside that is tripped by motion. That one alerts on motion and triggers my cell phone. THAT one is predator handy.

 

[NewBoots]

If you are mad as I get, then you will have more than enough wallop with bat to dispatch. Raccoon is going to be running for its life even if a child is chasing it.

I like a pick handle better myself, more (but not too much) weight at the end for a better swing. But your raccoons are more timid than mine, ours flip you off and dare you to close with them.

 

[Folly's place]

The obviously sick neurological raccoon in my barn went straight at me, but I was ready with that 22g, further than your bat would have been!
Mary

 

[centrarchid]

I like a pick handle better myself, more (but not too much) weight at the end for a better swing. But your raccoons are more timid than mine, ours flip you off and dare you to close with them.

I will go hand to hand with a 30-pounder, no fear of raccoons here.

 

[WthrLady]

They move faster than I can, but they can't move faster than lead.

 

[centrarchid]

I have a hard time shooting a raccoon that is running between feed barrel and along pens against barn sides under low light conditions. Only easy shots I have taken had raccoon decidedly cornered and largely giving up on flat out trying to run away. Most of the time the raccoon still sees options for escape. Multiple times in the last decade I have had coons come in multiple times during the course of a single night. Sometimes raccoon was coming back, other times more than one individual involved. They usually have joint cased well enough to know best path for escape and they use it if they know dogs or I are coming.

Prior to current dogs on this property, most of my raccoon encounters involved chases through a field where I could overtake raccoon or tree it. The weeds and brambles I had to run through made rifle almost useless while on the run.