Quote:
Well, you gotta do your best, but its part and parcel of the whole livestock experiance. I lost the *best* Cochin hen I had to a Hawk, he killed her, in the pen, and she was too heavy for him to lift out! If you let them out for any yard time, you can loose them.
Don't use plastic fencing. I have to replace all my pens because it was cheaper and easier to work with, won't keep out a thing.
Also on my list is electric fencing, but that won't stop a Hawk, so I had to roof some of the pens (to keep Hawks out and chickens IN)
Everything wants to eat chickens! Mink are really hard to catch, a friend of mine lost 18 bunnies so far to one, I keep telling her, she NEEDS a leg trap. I've had a few stray dogs here and there, nothing that wanted to eat the livestock though. One lost hunting Beagle last month came wandering out of my garage! Now, the neighbors cats are on my list...
Most of the predators seem to be on a game trail? Like they would hit me, then a week later come back. I joked about putting the Possums heads up on spikes as a warning, but I figured not everyone would have my odd sense of humor! We killed a bunch of those last year (Possums are stupid and easy to kill) My dog got skunked (twice) Plus the Fox, the Hawk and the Mink. Its a wonder that anything made it thru last year alive here!
Most of my losses were in daylight hours, or early morning, go figure. They just waited until the chickens were up I guess?
On the flip side, I have no Rats. I think the Mink ate them all, and moved onto my ducks/chickens when it ran out of rats...
We live in a big open space with not much ground cover for predators. I had no issues until I got chickens. A local farmer said last year was bad, that the predators were bold and desperate. They come right up to the house, security light and dog doesn't deter them!
Well, you gotta do your best, but its part and parcel of the whole livestock experiance. I lost the *best* Cochin hen I had to a Hawk, he killed her, in the pen, and she was too heavy for him to lift out! If you let them out for any yard time, you can loose them.
Don't use plastic fencing. I have to replace all my pens because it was cheaper and easier to work with, won't keep out a thing.
Also on my list is electric fencing, but that won't stop a Hawk, so I had to roof some of the pens (to keep Hawks out and chickens IN)
Everything wants to eat chickens! Mink are really hard to catch, a friend of mine lost 18 bunnies so far to one, I keep telling her, she NEEDS a leg trap. I've had a few stray dogs here and there, nothing that wanted to eat the livestock though. One lost hunting Beagle last month came wandering out of my garage! Now, the neighbors cats are on my list...
Most of the predators seem to be on a game trail? Like they would hit me, then a week later come back. I joked about putting the Possums heads up on spikes as a warning, but I figured not everyone would have my odd sense of humor! We killed a bunch of those last year (Possums are stupid and easy to kill) My dog got skunked (twice) Plus the Fox, the Hawk and the Mink. Its a wonder that anything made it thru last year alive here!
Most of my losses were in daylight hours, or early morning, go figure. They just waited until the chickens were up I guess?
On the flip side, I have no Rats. I think the Mink ate them all, and moved onto my ducks/chickens when it ran out of rats...
We live in a big open space with not much ground cover for predators. I had no issues until I got chickens. A local farmer said last year was bad, that the predators were bold and desperate. They come right up to the house, security light and dog doesn't deter them!
e
