I just can't stand it!!

[Don P]

You can choose to disagree on how you manage your animal husbandry, but some like to free range their animals or chickens and know the risks.
Some people just keep a small flock and don't want or can't afford to keep an outdoor flock protecting dog.
As coyotes make their rounds or other predators come, it is just a part of the cycle of life. One might as well say, why do you keep chickens knowing coyotes will keep coming to your property and you will keep killing coyotes who have a right to live and eat. You shouldn't just keep killing coyotes or raccoons etc.

That is why the govt. made a law to protect Eagles and other animals. Because farmers were killing them off too much. So now I have 14 Eagles that fly around my property often circling together and pick off the wild ducks in my natural pond. So much so I won't waste the money on buy ducks anymore. But the fact they occasionally take a chicken out free ranging when I can't be there 24/7 to watch them does not mean I have no right to fresh eggs or raising chickens,

I can kill some of the coyotes, fence against other night predators, but when they get taking free ranging in the day, that is life. I have farmer friends who have their cows taken down regularly by protected wolves. The packs have even killed 5 great Pyrenees in a night to get to the cows and the wolves are so well fed they only take the pregnant cows and only eat the calves and leave the cow. Smart predators and its $100,000 fine to kill one of them and most have radio collars on. so it is just part of the price of free ranged beef.

You might think I am a bad person because I keep small goats the coyotes can kill too. You may say to me, why don't you just keep big breed goats the coyotes won't bother as much and stop keeping those pygmies and Dwarf goats. But I have a right to do what I want just as you do.

But to me having a horse locked in a stall all day or cattle in a pen or hogs in a slaughter yard, or a dog or goat on a chain, these are cruelty to animals. But then that is just my bias and preference. So I suggest you don't get all self righteous about your preferences and let others do as they please.

Offering advice on ways that help protect is fine, but condemning others for not liking to do it the same way you do is pig headed. No offense to pigs.

Why are you so biased in favor of the chickens and not other animals that may get killed off by chicken keepers? why not say: Darn those coyote, possum, rat and raccoon killers!! They need to stop keeping chickens which they know attracts predators to their property that they just keep killing over and over.

Many people, maybe mostly PETA members and Vegans probably think this way.
Just another perspective to consider.

 

[Cherib603]

What are we supposed to say when someone comes on and posts that a predator be it dog, fox, weasel or coon got in and killed their birds AGAIN??  What are we supposed to say? 

I believe the original poster was specifically referring to coops and pens and not free ranging. There's no excuse for placing your flock in a pen where they can't get out, but leaving weak points for predators to get in and kill them. And it's upsetting for us to keep reading these posts by the same people over and over who don't seem to want to do anything to prevent it.

 

[ChickenChaser9]

If I see a predator I shoot it. I suppose I am 'lucky' there aren't any protected animals living out in my neck of the woods but that would not deter me nor altar my stance one bit if there were. Of course it is not luck at all. It is having planned to live in a place where they do not live. Regardless of how anyone else chooses to raise their livestock I am not going to in any way lessen my bird's security nor relent to some person's bleeding heart. The ecosystem is something we humans have long since removed ourselves from and I have no intention of rejoining it just to the local raccoons can dine on chicken when they are just as eager to eat out of a garbage can or anything else they come across. Humans have hunted and killed foxes for thousands of years and while I do not go out looking for them if they are snooping around then they will get dead. The OP is right to be annoyed by all the repeat posters crying about yet another casualty. Is it sad? YES! Is it tragic? OF COURSE! Is it preventable! ABSOLUTELY! Whose fault is it, the chickens? HELL NO.

 

[3feathers]

Everyone makes their choice as to how to deal with predators. I don't see killing as a first solution I see it as a last and final solution. Not everyone is a "bleeding heart" that does not shoot first. I warned a neighbor after his dog was chasing some chickens that I would shoot it if it comes to that but would prefer he contained the dog. Sometimes other solutions take more effort and people are unwilling to make that effort.

"The ecosystem is something we humans have long since removed ourselves from and I have no intention of rejoining it"

I don't understand this part of your post. You are by definition part of the ecosystem as long as you exist in it and affect it.
'a biological community of interacting organisms and their physical environment.' It is impossible to remove yourself from the ecosystem unless you leave the ecosystem (leave not die as you would still be part of it dead). You would have to go off planet.

As far as the OP, anyone starting any endeavor has a learning curve.

 

[ChickenChaser9]

Everyone makes their choice as to how to deal with predators. I don't see killing as a first solution I see it as a last and final solution. Not everyone is a "bleeding heart" that does not shoot first. I warned a neighbor after his dog was chasing some chickens that I would shoot it if it comes to that but would prefer he contained the dog. Sometimes other solutions take more effort and people are unwilling to make that effort.

"The ecosystem is something we humans have long since removed ourselves from and I have no intention of rejoining it"

I don't understand this part of your post. You are by definition part of the ecosystem as long as you exist in it and affect it.
'a biological community of interacting organisms and their physical environment.' It is impossible to remove yourself from the ecosystem unless you leave the ecosystem (leave not die as you would still be part of it dead). You would have to go off planet.

As far as the OP, anyone starting any endeavor has a learning curve.

Tis is a final solution indeed. I see no point in messing around with solutions that are not final.

If you think that a raccoon is a part of your community that is fine with me I wont argue with you. It surely is not a part of mine. I suppose you could loosely describe me killing a predator as 'organisms interacting' as well but I don't really think that is what the meaning of the phrase intends.

 

[Mtnldy's Gurlz]

 

[MeepBeep]

So sorry that you are feeding the wildlife, and relocating raccoons.  It's illegal, for good reasons, in most states in the USA.  Mary

x2 and in addition if relocation by some stretch is legal (generally illegal in most states) why do people feel they have the right to dispose of their problems on someone else's land? I live on a rural lot and to some city folks it's probably the 'wild woods' but I sure as ^@#$% don't want your problem animals dumped on my property to become my problem, that is just downright selfish of the dumper... And I know I'm not alone in this respect, my wife has a friend Facebook that lives on a rural farm and people dump animals off nearly weekly at her place, from wild animals to all kinds of domestic animals, she is constantly calling the animal warden and filing police reports for animal dumping as well as shaming them on Facebook when she is able to get a license or picture of them in the act...

 

[ChickenChaser9]

Please do NOT make your predator problem someone else's predator problem. That is grossly irresponsible of you unless you intend to go door to door at every house within 3 miles and let them know you are dumping predators into the area. Actually its still pretty irresponsible even then.

 

[Mtnldy's Gurlz]

 

[ChickenChaser9]

Wow, I guess you all didn't understand what I wrote. I trap feral cats for catch, fix and release. A couple of times I've accidentally caught a raccoon instead. Once I released it where it was trapped and the other two were taken out into the wild woods, into forests that are miles from any private property. I'm not relocating problems to other people. I don't do it anymore, because of the concerns for their safety that was already mentioned. I do feed the local feral cats and the raccoons come as well. A well fed raccoon in the front yard that is using the kiddie pool stays out of my backyard where the dogs are protecting the chickens.

Thanks for all the love and support offered here.

I did not address you directly. See how I am now and you can tell because I quoted you? Nothing you have stated changes the truth of what I stated.

Please do NOT make your predator problem someone else's predator problem. That is grossly irresponsible of you unless you intend to go door to door at every house within 3 miles and let them know you are dumping predators into the area. Actually its still pretty irresponsible even then.

Yep. Still true. If you feel the need to get defensive perhaps you should either shed yourself of some guilt or accept some responsibility. Now that you mention it releasing raccoons within a few miles of other peoples homes is something I touched on. Weird but I seem to think my statement does apply to you now that you mention it.