Official BYC Poll: The Worst Predator

[greggooo]

Lost 1 original rooster to a fox.. found blood in the snow and no body found, but he did give a good fight. 1 rooster to a raccoon (all the ladies were safe because he was a bomb rooster), and most hens lost to hawks... I've never lost a chicken to a dog. I would lose my mind. All 4 of my dogs are hunting or bird dogs by breeding.. so point is you can train them against their instinct. AKA you can have any bird except these! Lol

Hawks scare me most. You can't prepare for them.

 

[HDH]

I lost 7 duck to coyotes. Was a veryy sad and emotional day, that day.

 

[deepbluesea]

I've lost one to a raccoon and one to a hawk. The hawks make me the most nervous, because they are around all day. My chickens are doing well staying under the hedge most of the time when I'm not out with them. I've pretty much decided that it's worth it to me to possibly lose some to allow them to range in the fenced back yard during the day.

 

[Farming Feathers]

I've lost my gal to dogs as has both of my neighbors last week...I only had one hen they (neighbors) lost 6 or more and all to local domestic dogs.

I think cooping with secure lock down is most often the recommended cure, but strange though it may seem I feel loss would be less if they (the flock) were roosting in just a roof covered area with sides that come down enough to form a warm pocket high in the roof design.

The idea being predator must jump up toward the roof...and birds would launch away in all directions...would you loose some...yes

Such may cut down on how many are lost since the hens are not corralled and cornered where a predator will attack and kill multiple or all chickens...I might add this won't be as effective with pack animal attack (dogs or coyotes) hunting as a pack.

Like others here I'm just trying to offer ideas as I lost my chicken and now trying to evaluate a method to deal with the predators....

Just my opinion, but raccoon is the greatest threat for these reasons...correct me if you feel this is wrong...they raccoon unlike a k9 species demonstrate a mind set when confronted with electric fencing of any kind...they will still probe for a way in where most others will go elsewhere.

Though coyotes do jump fences more than 4 feet high without touching the fence... they... when exploring new foot path and places... examine a fence or wire lines and if electric it bites them and they tend to stay away not even jump the fence...yes my thinking is towards low impedance electric fence wire and not mesh....no I'm not in that business or promoting a product.

 

[Chelsa'sChicks]

I've lost one to a raccoon and one to a hawk. The hawks make me the most nervous, because they are around all day. My chickens are doing well staying under the hedge most of the time when I'm not out with them. I've pretty much decided that it's worth it to me to possibly lose some to allow them to range in the fenced back yard during the day.

I agree! I love my chickens, but things happen on a farm once in a while. My chickens keep to shaded areas or tree lines by the barn. They aren't stupid and the more you let them out the better they get at it. Hawks are also my worry cause they are always out. I have always let the chickens free range (also I always have roosters - some people dont..) and they know when to come back home about an hour before dusk they will be directly out in front of the barn or already starting to roost. I have a few brave ones that "stay up late" and roost about 20 min before dark. I rarely lose a hen, but usually the roosters as they have a job and do it very well.

 

[MilburnCreek]

My hands-down vote is a Fisher Cat, but it ain't on the poll list!

 

[Emojikitten]

I was curious as to which predator the most chickens have been lost to.

Last night a hawk decapitated my chicken.

 

[Crowinjoe]

We've lost two to dogs, two to 'coons and one to an american eagle, maybe, it just vanished, no feathers, no prints but we still have 12 brown egg layers.

 

[Farming Feathers]

I still have not settled on what predator took my hen...my neighbors held to complaint that local dog attack in the neighbor hood on the same day was the likely cause, and I know we have grey fox hunting my fence line.

but my reaction is not in full agreement with dogs...I found no blood, and very few feathers, but the feathers found are mostly primary and enough to suggest a problem to that bird (my chicken and her feathers)...there was no carcass or other evidence.

She weighed between 4 to 5.5 lbs Wyandotte silver lace hen and not bantam.

I have seen large hawks at our location, with the fall of leaves a large hawk could see her, but to carry her away from location of where few feathers found the hawk must come in at a sharp dive angle (clear power lines)

...grab and fly low to clear tree limbs and make hard turn within 20 feet to avoid other tree lines across a dirt road

...all of this while holding a chicken. A hawk is what could be possible if it is large...and I have seen them large enough, but they don't maneuver when struggling with weight to carry...

It would seem a large hungry hawk would attack and eat on the ground if that hungry, and not attempt to maneuver tree lines while carring prey.

I think dogs would leave more evidence, and a grey fox is possible, but feel from the area of feathers she (my girl) would have seen the animal coming and a struggle would have made a bigger mess...though fox is very skilled.

Perhaps I should just accept the loss and not ponder since it was better than finding what would be remains as that could be much more painful.

 

[ARpullet]

Dogs and hawks are my problem. shot at the dogs and they do not come back for awhile, but the hawks are a big problem in the winter. No leaves on the trees, so i leave them up in the run.