Official BYC Poll: The Worst Predator

[smarsh]

Kentucky varmints

we had free ranging chickens, night and day, we i was a kid. the options we had for predators at that time (coyote has since been added) included mink, weasel, fox (red and gray), possum, dog, cat, raccoon, hawks, owls. We lost chickens to all of them, but racoons took more than all the others combined. Mink was the mass murderer killing several at a time, most kill one and eat it. We lost them to Red-tailed hawks much more than other birds of prey. I acutally never saw a Cooper's Hawk kill one, but they were not so prevalent then due to DDT. I had the occasion to see a Great Horned Owl leave the chicken house with a half grown chicken in it talons, impressive. we also had skunks and snakes to eat eggs. i gathered the eggs after dark one night and put my hand in on a large snake in the nest. That would make anyone jumb. Red fox may have been second on the list, Gray fox were a little too nocturnal and too shy to enter buildings.

 

[cluckiemama]

We lost another chicken yesterday

Our chickens free range in the back yard and the entire yard is fenced. I found the chicken without it's head and one wing. I wonder if it was a hawk. I know our neighbors have lost many chickens to fisher cats. I'm not sure if it could come over the fence.

I am thinking about building a run and keeping the flock in. But, they love their freedom and I love seeing them all around the yard....

 

[curious1969]

I live in the wilds of Montana and would expect to have problems with "wild predators", but the only casualties have been from dogs

 

[cyhuff1965]

I lost 18 in 2 weeks to fox, now I have a coyote that will come in my yard in the middle of the day! No more free range chickens on this farm.

 

[Milk Glass Chicky]

The only real predator problem we've had has been hawks. Thankfully not recently, I think the last incident was in 2008 or 2009. Also thankfully, no losses, BUT the first occasion a chicken got injured. Apparently the hawk was trying to gouge or peck the chicken's eye out. She didn't lose the eye but it looked kinda warped, I'm not sure how much vision she regained in the eye once it opened back up. But she recovered, and still held as high of an opinion of herself as ever (though she was nicer to us, she used to be a flogging hen!). She was the runt of the mixed batch we got as chicks, a lovely white leghorn that we named Kate (after a Meg Ryan character in a movie). She also continued to lay.

We unfortunately haven't ever really let our chickens free range unless it was with supervision. I think that's helped prevented losses because I have no doubt in my mind that if the chooks had been free ranging during those attacks, they would've been gone. They've stayed in chain link pens with chicken wire on top of some and welded wire on top of others (my dad fixed them up). The first incident, the hawk somehow managed to squeeze through a place in the chicken wire on the top, I believe. Smart hawk, too smart. Must have studied that spot because I'd never really thought anything of it. Foolish me.

The second incident, my mama looked out the bathroom window and actually saw a hawk pulling at the SIDE of the chain link pen to get after another of my chickens, my favorite, Jane. Luckily the hawk flew off when we went out, but man, those things are strong. The hawk actually did a tad bit if damage to the chain link, I just wondered what would've happened if my mother hadn't seen it or we hadn't been home. Jane was fine, it was actually the first hawk incident that had me worried about her. I thought she was going to stroke out just from witnessing the attack on poor Kate. They both had to be brought in the house.

The third time, a hawk got into another pen (with chicken wire on top). That was surely something that could been prevented and we should've learned our lesson from before, as the top needed repairing prior to the incident. But it was a single, dark cornish rooster in the pen, and it's built around a cedar tree so we thought the roo would be alright until then. Thought the roo would be able to hold his own should he need to and the tree provided a great deal of cover. The roo was alright, just some feathers lost (I don't think the hawk touched him, just the roo lost the feathers from running/jumping and stress). Needless to say we don't use that pen now. I actually want to get rid of it because it's only about four feet high and I got tired of stooping down when I had to catch the chicken for whatever reason.

 

[pattyhen]

Our worst predator is hawks. I have lost 3 chickens to them. We live in the city and anytime the chickens see a hawk they go on alert and whenever we hear them I make a beeline to the door. The hawk does not stay long when they a human.


Pattyhen

 

[Smittymcmurray]

The worst predator I have ever had was our own darn HUSKY! Loves them running and loves them raw and there was no teaching her like there was my pit bull mix. And the latter was taught AFTER she saw and caught and killed her first chicken!

 

[Smittymcmurray]

BOTTLE ROCKETS are great deterrents for some dogs and coyotes out here in the country

 

[BirdMan32]

Had a crow swoop down on our run today (a net is covering it). I has been scoping out my chickens for a few days now. Clever bird......
He came away empty handed, but I don't think he is finished. We'll be waiting for him.

 

[drippeteau]

I have to agree. I have lost so many chickens to raccoons. They are vicious,caniving and relentless. They have dug up under the run and killed 12 baby chicks then another killed 5-6 chickens. I have captured and killed 11 raccoons up to this time and I finally got too tired of capturing and killing them. Then I have had 4-6 full grown chickens killed in broad daylight in our immediate house area by coyatoes. I am now so afraid of letting my chickens out. I can only let them out with complete supervision. I feel bad for them but if I let them out without supervision they will be dead in a short time.