Maine

[combatfuzzball]

Another thing, since just moving into the area I've wondered what wild life I might come up against. Really haven't seen much so far, as it being winter. Any insight as to what I should keep my eye out for? I did have a kind woman in TSC tell me about a murderous weasel that got her beloved hens, I about shed a tear right then and there. Actually up until there I had never heard of a weasel getting anything really let alone a flock of birds! Now I've seen all sort is stories about those dang things! Anyways, anything information you guys could give would be great!

Where to start... It's Maine so here's a list.. Multiple species of Hawks, Owls, Eagles, along with Ospreys. Grey and REd FOx, Coyote,Weasel, Mink, FIsher, Skunk, Raccoon,Bobcat. In some locations your going to deal with Bear and Mountain Lions as well. Oh and Minks... Minks kill just for the fun of killing so if one of those gets in your pretty much back on the market for chickens. THink that's the major ones. I may have missed a few.

 

[ChyDez]

​Where to start... It's Maine so here's a list.. Multiple species of Hawks, Owls, Eagles, along with Ospreys. Grey and REd FOx, Coyote,Weasel, Mink, FIsher, Skunk, Raccoon,Bobcat. In some locations your going to deal with Bear and Mountain Lions as well. Oh and Minks... Minks kill just for the fun of killing so if one of those gets in your pretty much back on the market for chickens. THink that's the major ones. I may have missed a few.

Well, you didn't mention a Sasquatch. 0_0

 

[combatfuzzball]

Well, you didn't mention a Sasquatch. 0_0

Well, I didn't want to alarm you. I've read about reports of them in Maine though.

 

[goldeaglenest]

I have not ordered from hatcheries but once and it was not good.I am a great advocate of buying locally if possible.tbe chicks look like the breed they r suppose to b,they r healthier and it helps the breeder out.I know there r breeds u can only get through a hatchery and that's what u get is hatchery stock.There is a lot of sites on Facebook if you type in chicken. Or poultry u might some locally.

Add to that some of the less thought of offenders. Perfectly tame cats and dogs find hens irresistible, if not to eat, well then to chase! At least where I am in rural Maine, there are dogs that for some reason are allowed to roam freely all day long.

My mother in law has told me so many stories of dogs coming into her yard and getting her chickens. I think having a dog of your own that is trained not to touch the chickens is a good defense against this, but it is somewhat difficult to train and hard to find a suitable dog without getting one breed for livestock guarding, I would imagine. Also, just having a dog that is allowed to roam your property and leave scent around will help deter some dogs and other animals.

I haven't started raising my first flock yet, but from stories and things I have read, getting a rooster can add protection to your flock as well. I know that if a rooster went after my dog he would back down for sure.

I know one farmer in Maine who raised guinea fowl as an added protection. They are really clannish and stick together in tight flocks all day long. The moment they notice danger (predator or anything they don't like) they put up such a racket that it either warns other animals (your livestock) of the danger or scares the predator away altogether. The guy I know who uses these birds keeps and ear out for them so that he can check on things any time he hears the guinea fowl hollering.

 

[superchemicalgirl]

Where I am, in this order:
Fox
Fox
Fox
Fox
Fox
Skunk or weasel
Bird of prey

Almost all of our deaths have been to fox. We have had attacks of dogs, bald eagles, hawks, mink/weasel thing, that I can recall.

Few deaths have been inside their run, and no deaths inside the coop (to predators). Our hoop house, without a floor, had something dig under and eat the brains out of the juveniles that were housed there, so I don't use that as a coop anymore, I use it only as a holding tank the night prior to Camp Kenmore Day. I suggest making your coop Fort Knox, and always being home at dark to lock them up, and to use heavy wire fencing for the run. When you free range, be home/available/alert.

 

[lazy gardener]

Possums have also been sighted in Maine. Weasels will kill for the fun of it, and are good climbers, can squeeze through any opening you can push a quarter through. Rats will kill chicks. BOP are my worse offenders. I chased one out of my winter run a couple of weeks ago. Had taken the bird netting down due to snow load being too heavy for it. Since then, we've put up 2 x 4 welded wire. I like it so much that I plan to cover all of the 500 s.f. run, except for where the snow slides off the roof. Will leave that open, and put up bird netting there after last snow. I can no longer free range unless I am sitting in my yard with a shot gun.

 

[goldeaglenest]

Does anyone have any success using electric poultry netting? My plan is to have a predator proof coop for night time and have the chickens semi free ranging with poultry net around them. I want my coop to be moveable and I plan on moving it frequently around our field for fertilization purposes as well as giving fresh land to the chickens. I don't like the idea of a static coop and run and I know that free ranging is just too dangerous where I live. For one, the neighbor's dogs are constantly wondering around looking for something to do. If anyone has experience using the electric net let me know! By the way I got this idea from Justin Rhodes on YouTube.

 

[llisamac]

I was thinking of doing the same thing, but we have way too may Birds of Prey for that. So, we will make a tractor type, fully enclosed run, with hardware cloth (that we can just keep moving to fresh areas in the field).

 

[buckabucka]

I have some electric poultry netting that I could give someone a good deal on. We set it up one year, but never electrified it and eventually turned to other fencing. I think it would work well in the right situation, but we wanted the area running through the woods and there was way too much clearing needed. I would have to check on how big it is and what it was originally worth, if someone is interested.

We've seen all kinds of animals on our game cam, but still haven't lost anyone to predators. Perhaps that is why the rats thrive here!

 

[goldeaglenest]

I have some electric poultry netting that I could give someone a good deal on. We set it up one year, but never electrified it and eventually turned to other fencing. I think it would work well in the right situation, but we wanted the area running through the woods and there was way too much clearing needed. I would have to check on how big it is and what it was originally worth, if someone is interested.

We've seen all kinds of animals on our game cam, but still haven't lost anyone to predators. Perhaps that is why the rats thrive here!

What part of Maine are you in? I am deffinatelg going to give the poultry net a shot and interested in your fence as long as it's big enough!