Official BYC Poll: How Do You Protect Your Chickens From Predators?

[BYC Project Manager]

Predators are one of the greatest fears a chicken farmer has. They can be cunning, fast, and very sneaky. Your chickens will be drawing in predators from the next county over! Well, maybe not that far, however somewhere back in these predators' ancient memories they have eaten wild chickens at some point and will come snooping around for a meal day and night. So keeping them safe from predators should be on every chicken keeper's top priority list.

How Do You Protect Your Chickens From Predators? Place your votes above (you may select more than one)

Feel free to share any other ways you keep your chickens safe in the comments section below.

Further Reading:

Top 10 Chicken Predators
A Checklist To Avoiding Casualties In The Flock
Predators & Pests

(Check out more exciting Official BYC Polls HERE!)

 

[Dhuntington]

I just bought a realistic looking mannequin to keep away the hawk that recently attacked.

 

[21hens-incharge]

I have the following security measures in place:

Solid wood floors on all coops
Covered runs
Motion activated light (originally intended to give me light while my hands are full)
Hardware cloth on all windows and vents
Predator resistant anti-dig apron
AND to keep pesky human predators out there are padlocks on all coops and runs. Yes I have had human intruders.

As I am in town and close everyone into the coops at night I am ok with chain link on my big run, cattle panels and chicken wire on the hoop run and 2x4 welded wire with chicken wire on my bantam run.

 

[Tinman0ut]

I have ducks with my chickens so they have a 24 hr access run (hardware cloth bottom to top, it’s got a 2 foot dig skirt, and it’s covered with hardware cloth). During the day I let them free range but have flags, CDs, and wind chimes and a radio hidden inside the coop playing AP radio news to deter ground and air predators... I’m trying all these methods after losing 1 of my girls to a coyote and because we do have hawks, bobcats, and 1 confirmed male Ocelot in my area

 

[Abriana]

I have a lovely rooster who is actually very on-guard, even though he's not much of a fighter (my boy who passed this summer was both! He attacked hawks several times). I also have an electric fence. It's been almost five years and I have had no ground-predator attacks ever, except for one girl who got out of the fence. I've had a LOT of hawk attacks, this year especially, so I installed twine above my fence. Works like a charm! I have a thread about it floating around here somewhere, it's called "Finally got the twine up!" If anyone wants to look at some pictures of it.

 

[Sycamore Hill Chicks]

Predators are one of the greatest fears a chicken farmer has. They can be cunning, fast, and very sneaky. Your chickens will be drawing in predators from the next county over! Well, maybe not that far, however somewhere back in these predators' ancient memories they have eaten wild chickens at some point and will come snooping around for a meal day and night. So keeping them safe from predators should be on every chicken keeper's top priority list.

How Do You Protect Your Chickens From Predators? Place your votes above (you may select more than one)

Feel free to share any other ways you keep your chickens safe in the comments section below.

View attachment 2517029

Further Reading:

Top 10 Chicken Predators
A Checklist To Avoiding Casualties In The Flock
Predators & Pests

(Check out more exciting Official BYC Polls HERE!)

Other: I have hardware cloth dug in a 2 ft skirt around the coop.

 

[RebeccaRN]

My coop is very secure for night time, but during the day they free-range. I have a very large, loud rooster, a huge deck they run under and holly bushes along one side of the yard that they have hiding places in. I also have a large dog who is in and out all day long. The only predator I've ever seen was a small red hawk but the rooster made such a ruckus it scared it away.

 

[Shezadandy]

i have posts for the fencing but how big are the sheets of netting? my run is 175x200’. will snow fall through it or pull it down? do i need posts in the middle?

I think the biggest sheet is 50 x 100ft -- (edited to add: There are 100x100ft ones for a lot more $$) my run is also very large and extends well past the rain shelter on both sides - I used zip ties (the smallest version, 4" I think) to stitch them together at the seams. You wouldn't want to deal with a bigger piece than 50x100, trust me!! The key is don't cut it to size until it's up and secured, and having helpers makes it much easier. It's a PIA but the end result is worth the effort.

Search Amazon for "aviary netting" The 2.4" stuff has done the job for me- especially if snow is a concern, I wouldn't want to use the 1" opening stuff. Really strong stuff. I found a full grown possum that had tried to climb the fence get wrapped up in the exra stuff that was hanging over the sides - and it got stuck and perished. Not an intentional outcome, but it couldn't break free.

I'm also on a hill, so absent the poles it would be hard to walk around in there without the posts, even with 6ft chain link (which has hardware cloth top to bottom attached). The chain link comes in handy because all it takes to attach the net to the fence line is slipping it through the top where there's a loop of wire.

The other reason I like it is it disappears- very unobtrusive. We don't get a lot of snow - the holes are 2" or so, and the snow does fall through - but some will collect on the netting. For the storms we have experienced, when the snow melts everything springs back up by itself.

 

[chrissynemetz]

I just bought a realistic looking mannequin to keep away the hawk that recently attacked.View attachment 2517668

It's kinda creepy looking.... I like it

 

[BDutch]

Where I live there are no raccoons , so I don’t need complicated latches. But we do have foxes now and then, and polecats, marters are a possible threat too (in the night). And sometimes we have birds of pray too. Mainly buzzards but I spotted a sparrow-hawk in the pear-tree near the run once too. Because my Dutch are really small this a real hazard.

I keep the chickens in a coop with much hwc and a run with strong netting and hwc (also buried in the ground). Between the coop (quit safe) and the run (less safe) I have an automatic pop door to keep the chickens safe at night.

They stay in the run most of the day and if nobody is at home. But for their health and joy i let the chickens free range too. There wings are not cut. My Duch are good in escaping to safe places. They fly easily on top of the run or over the hedge to the neighbour whenever they spot a dog.