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

[Claire65]

It depends on where you live, how high the risks are.
I keep my small chickens in a coop/a net covered run attached. The free range a couple of hours each day in broad daylight when am home / on times when there are noises of people and cars.

The clever chickens flee upon the run or over the hedge to the neighbours when they see a dog /large predator on legs. When they chill outside they seek a spot under a chair or bushes against birds of prey I presume.

I had free ranging casualties (missing-not seen any attack) but with 6-9 chickens for 9 years I still can count them on one hand.

I had locked up casualties too. Fox. Rat (chicks).

Loosing chickens / pets is part of life. Avoid it when possible. But not everything is manageable.

@PrairiePeckers
I wonder in what circumstances a dog could kill all 38 chickens? But such a killer like that pit bull is definitely worth a whole lot of effort to get him/her eliminated.

Pit bulls are called American Staffordshire Terriers, and terriers are quite capable of a lot of strength (even the small ones) and agility. They're bred for working/hunting (all terriers), highly intelligent, need lots of exercise, they are generally family friendly (when they aren't used illegally), and prey-oriented. They get bored easily. I've owned several dogs (and babysat others) but all had to be trained to not fuss with my chickens. I've had three ASTs and the only dog that I had trouble with was an Aussie shepherd. Even my lab bird dog got trained. So I think the answer is, the owners may not give the animal enough exercise on his own, don't care if he uses his brain, and don't realize his nature is a predator/hunter. But no matter what if the behavior doesn't stop, the neighbors are going to have to put him down. This is on them, and I get so angry at ppl who just let their dogs run amok and don't care the consequences.

 

[chicken-tender]

We have been raising chickens for about 8 years on this property. There are coyotes, fox, raccoons, skunks, opossum hawks,owls etc here. I have done many of the things listed. I have a large rooster but only for the last year. I have 4 cameras in the run and Coop. I also have many pictures of skunks, opossums raccoons, house cats, deer etc inside the yard but none of them trying to get in the Coop. I also have a large flock or "murder" of crows living on the farm behind me. They patrol the area and every hawk I have seem has had at least two crows on its butt.
In 8 years We have never lost a chicken, to predators or anything else. We live in a rural area 3 miles from town on 3 acres.
My wife made small crosses from the blessed Palm Sunday palms and buried them at each corner of our property, each corner of the chicken pen, chicken yard and our gardens. The deer and rabbits cross our gardens and the property but never have eaten or damaged anything in the gardens. In fact, the deer never touch the apples that fall off our only apple tree until I pile them up in the middle of the property where they cross most of the time.
I understand many will not believe me, but that's OK. It works for us.

 

[chicken-tender]

We have been raising chickens for about 8 years on this property. There are coyotes, fox, raccoons, skunks, opossum hawks,owls etc here. I have done many of the things listed. I have a large rooster but only for the last year. I have 4 cameras in the run and Coop. I also have many pictures of skunks, opossums raccoons, house cats, deer etc inside the yard but none of them trying to get in the Coop. I also have a large flock or "murder" of crows living on the farm behind me. They patrol the area and every hawk I have seem has had at least two crows on its butt.
In 8 years We have never lost a chicken, to predators or anything else. We live in a rural area 3 miles from town on 3 acres.
My wife made small crosses from the blessed Palm Sunday palms and buried them at each corner of our property, each corner of the chicken pen, chicken yard and our gardens. The deer and rabbits cross our gardens and the property but never have eaten or damaged anything in the gardens. In fact, the deer never touch the apples that fall off our only apple tree until I pile them up in the middle of the property where they cross most of the time.
I understand many will not believe me, but that's OK. It works for us.

I edited this post for my terrible spelling and a evil autocorrect.

 

[AGeese]

My wife made small crosses from the blessed Palm Sunday palms and buried them at each corner of our property, each corner of the chicken pen, chicken yard and our gardens. The deer and rabbits cross our gardens and the property but never have eaten or damaged anything in the gardens. In fact, the deer never touch the apples that fall off our only apple tree until I pile them up in the middle of the property where they cross most of the time.
I understand many will not believe me, but that's OK. It works for us.

I was going to get a statue of Saint Francis, but I might try this!

 

[kerreyms]

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

Scary! That would keep me away!!

 

[Lelilamom]

I'd like to say traps and guns, but mostly it's just waving my hands in the air and screaming like a lunatic.

 

[The Good Grumble]

I put dig defence no dig stakes through my buried hardware cloth. Where my girls (and guy) are there were several enormous maple trees. They even have a stump in their run. So I had to pound these stakes in. I think they’re great. They keep the buried hardware cloth locked in.

I also have keyed gate latches on the man door, nest boxes and run door along with bolt latches, over my windows I have hardware cloth, and I bought stainless grill grates and installed those over the hardware cloth lol. Lastly I used solid stainless steel under the nest boxes, added extra plywood under the coop and sandwiched 1/4” hardware cloth between.

It’s the henitentiary.

https://digdefence.com/

 

[lagrange chicks]

Mine stay in a predator proof coop and run, no free ranging here.

 

[KnARanch]

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

Flashing eyes,motor edge head?

 

[No Coop No Problem]

Tough chickens, a dog, thick vegetation, and multiple layers of fencing (perimeter and several areas of interior fencing with chicken holes for their free movement). This has solved 99.9% of all predation. They sleep outside in trees and I never worry the slightest bit about any of them