We've lost 3 chicks/ducks this summer. We're in western New York for reference... The first we know was a hawk, but in the last week we've lost a duck with no signs of a struggle other than my very distressed flock, and a hen from my favorite flock. With the hen, there was a pile of feathers and obvious sign of struggle. My husband followed the trail across our property, our neighbors, and into his neighbors...
At first I thought it was a fox, but our neighbor says theres been a lot of bear activity in the past few days. For one, he was chased up a tree stand by a young male bear last week. Today he spotted a different young bear on his land, and two others on his trail cams. We've had them back in our berry patch, but never near the house/coop.
The girls have been on lockdown until we figure out whats going on, but my worry is that it's getting close to winter and the bears are trying to get that last bit of food before they hunker down. If the bear is coming near the house, will he try to break into the coop? Has anyone had experience with this? The hens are in a coop, slightly raised off the ground. I'd like to think it's secure. The ducks are in a semi-protected run. The walls come about 3-4 feet off the ground, and the rest is chicken wire.
At first I thought it was a fox, but our neighbor says theres been a lot of bear activity in the past few days. For one, he was chased up a tree stand by a young male bear last week. Today he spotted a different young bear on his land, and two others on his trail cams. We've had them back in our berry patch, but never near the house/coop.
The girls have been on lockdown until we figure out whats going on, but my worry is that it's getting close to winter and the bears are trying to get that last bit of food before they hunker down. If the bear is coming near the house, will he try to break into the coop? Has anyone had experience with this? The hens are in a coop, slightly raised off the ground. I'd like to think it's secure. The ducks are in a semi-protected run. The walls come about 3-4 feet off the ground, and the rest is chicken wire.
I don't have a problem with bears but have about every other predator. I know my electric wire works. I have seen places around my pens where probably a coyote maybe a fox or bobcat have started to dig but quit after coming in contact with the electric wire. On some occasions I have heard a critter come in contact. The fence charger is the most important, the more joules the bigger the zap. My chick coop has a .5 joule charger and it's zap is more like a good bee sting. My fence charger on my outer coops is 1.2 joules and when I have touched that wire, it has made my heart skip a few beats. 
