how to keep predators away from tie cords?

[Birdsonghill]

I agree with you! I kept a large ,older ,white mare ,beloved horse, for my Granddaughter as she grew up(until the Mare "Pretty Girl" died after my Granddaughter went off to collage). She had a pet pygmy goat she protected from two of the most devastating dog attacks(one was coyotes). We found them together, with the goat fully under her, and both were glad to see me! I shot one (#4 buck)in the rump as it disappeared over the hill and it later turned out to be another, pet Husky in the neighborhood! I discovered that, when several days later, I saw the dog in their fenced front yard, with no tail and a huge bandage and a big chew shield collar! They had killed two and left three I had to put down, plus two, I nursed back OK, from bad injuries! At that time only three sheep in that paddock, escaped injury and they were covered in foam and exhausted from running, when I got there! All of them clustered around Pretty Girl! Our little goat was later killed in another attack. I had heavy 2X4 woven horse fence or 4x4 goat fence with multiple strands of charged wire,plus a strand of barb on the ground and at the top, about 6 ft. tall at that time and in that paddock! I watched the last two of the dogs sail over the fence, one barely pushing off the top electric strand and unaffected. I left keeping stock a few years ago due to health and those reasons. Too expensive and too much work for an old guy to keep up! In two of the three worse attacks I experienced, neighbors dogs did it! They were living in fenced yards and the neighbors claimed to not know the dogs were leaving their yards until somebody shot them or chased them home. Sad. All of my real bad dog attacks had at least one Husky dog leading the attack. Though several other mutts were also involved several events. I once had a beloved husky named Alice. She lived in the house and was in a covered kennel outside to do her business or get fresh air. They have to be chained, securely kenneled or kept in the house, they have the biological need to hunt and kill for fresh meat! My currant White Lab and English Pointer will not climb our fence or challenge an electric tape either, but they have been trained and are very obedient, plus their secure yard, they live in the house with me. I believe both of them would eat a convenient chicken, when my back was turned!

 

[centrarchid]

I use the dog approach and do pretty good. The weakness has been with Great-horned Owls. My dogs are quick to react when chickens give alarm, but sometimes owl makes a kill before before chickens sound alarm. On really dark and rainy nights the chickens cannot see the owl and then do not give alarm. Most of time when owl does get a bird, the dogs make so it cannot each much of it. I think I could deal with owl if roosters would roost up under something making them invisible unless the owl comes down on the ground. That would reduce most attacks. The problem would still happen on occasion where the owl walks around on the ground a lot. My owls certainly do.

My elders used to be a bit illegal and set traps for the owls which were highly effective. The approach is likely still in use by some parties. I am aware of the legalities, but those trapping efforts likely do not do significant harm to the owl population in an area.

I think we should revisit laws on controlling losses to of economically important flocks, but they should not be extended to hobby / ornamental flock owners as that would have too much culling.

 

[Birdsonghill]

A couple good, great Pyrenees dogs are about as good as it gets for protecting sheep and Goats and they seem to do fair for my neighbors who feed all the neighborhood predators, chickens. I love properly trained/raised Great Pyrenees as sheep flock dogs! I put up nest boxes for the owls, bats, bluebirds, wood ducks and more. Good luck and happy chicken ranching!