Just had our first predator attack... not sure how to prevent it from happening again...

[ambrosia]

I went out to let my flock out of their coops this morning, and found my feed bucket in the driveway...! I had heard my dog barking last night, and DH forced her to come in. Apparently she was trying to tell us there was a thief in the hen house ~ literally! A large bear dragged my feed (it was in a large Rubbermaid container) approximately 35 feet then tore it open and dumped the contents. The bear has feet 8.5 inches long, not including the claws!! It also tore open an unopened sack of 1/2 and 1/2 for my husbands deer project...

So glad my babies were locked up tight! But that (bleep) bear took that container around several corners and through the milk house before dumping it, so I know it was determined to get the feed. So, now I have to ask DH to get rid of it... I think. Because it will keep coming back now that it knows where to find food, right? And what if it gets in one of the coops??? I would be devastated....

Any ideas??

 

[Achickenwrangler#1]

I would try electric fence. You're right, he will be back.

 

[ambrosia]

The feed was inside the barn! The coops are built right inside the barn, behind the milk house... I thought they would be safe there... I will upload a picture when I can.

 

[MsBagawkbagawk]

I don't know what to say. Where I live are biggest fear is bobcats and coyotes but a good dog can keep those at bay. I might try setting up a red light in the chicken house. It looks like a predators eyes and might keep a bear away. A product called Night Guard (I think) uses the same principle except it has a light that really looks like an eye and a motion sensor.

Another thing might be keep the food in the house and all excess food out of the coop for a week or two. Eventually the bear will probably realize that he won't get anything.

I would also make sure you have good tight locks on the coops and that there is absolutely no way that he is getting in.

Thank God he didn't get your chickens. I hope he doesn't come back.

 

[ambrosia]

The building to the left is the milk house... he went through the door to that building and down the walkway to the coops...

 

[MsBagawkbagawk]

Wow, you really did mean a large Rubbermaid tub! Yeah, I would bring all of the feed inside for a while.

 

[kitten6566]

If you bring the feed inside make sure it is a different container. If the bear smells the same tub or the feed he will try his best to get in.

 

[Achickenwrangler#1]

Since the bear got his reward, it will be back, this time maybe for chicken dinner...it needs a punishment instead now - like sticking its nose on an electric wire...works well. I knew a woman who liked tossing stuff into the backyard in the Poconos, one spring while she was away, the bear decided he didn't want to wait, so it tore open her door and trashed the kitchen....told her not to feed the bears..

 

[ambrosia]

Well, it turns out we are posting for the bugger tonight. A friend of mine is a bear hunters guide, and he says it needs to be taken care of due to the fact that it is an extremely large bear and it is not afraid of invading human space.

 

[ChickPrincess]

Don't bother with the Night Guards... I returned 3 of them to Amazon just the other day. I set them up according to the directions for raccoons and we had 3 visits (that we know of) in a week and a half.
I doubt a bear would even look twice at it.