Official BYC Poll: The Worst Predator

[Fluffyflufffluff]

RACOONS!!! Crafty, atrocious killers.....even killed my old pet cat!

DOGS are second on my list...before I fenced everything in and out.

Ohh my!! Speaking of cats, your post just made me remember ours. he's such a sleepy head he can sleep anywhere he desires. the last one is at the back of our neighbour's jeep. until they decided to back the jeep some more..

 

[Veronicakp]

I would say opossums and hawks and eagles, opossums have gotten clever and they watch you as you leave and go from your coop and they time and inspect everything, I have lost to many and I’m so tired of it I can’t catch the damn things

 

[James head]

I have always lost eggs and chicks to field rats and snakes. My older birds to opossums, skunks and feral cats.

 

[Fluffyflufffluff]

I have always lost eggs and chicks to field rats and snakes. My older birds to opossums, skunks and feral cats.

Since I started posting about my problems here in the forums, the theft actually didn't occur anymore. I hope it will stay this way... I feel really bad when im loosing my chicks

 

[Rooapalooza]

I picked man because I could only choose one. I think humans 1) treat most chickens the worst, and 2) kill the most chickens, both intentionally and unintentionally.

If I could pick several, I would probably go 1)bear 2)raccoon 3)mink/weasel 4)hawk 5)fox.

I have lost the most chickens to foxes and hawks. I have foxes all over my area and if I get home late or don't close the door well enough, my chickens have a high chance of being dead. They always kill a bunch at once, then only take one or two away to eat.

I think hawks have taken the most of my birds (probably 4 or 5 over the years). They are a tough daytime predator to defend against on a large free-range property. I can't put net over two acres. Every time I lock them up they form little picket lines at their fence and start clucking "Give us liberty or give us death!"

Raccoons and minks/weasels, from what I've read, kill the most birds. The problem with both these predators is that they will kill entire flocks in a night, and both can get in coops that the average person thinks are secure, until they come out to find dozens of birds dead. I haven't had this happen to me, mostly because I've learned from other people on here.

Bears are the scariest. When I lived up north they got into everything. Few coops can stand up to a bear attack, and they can come day or night. I'm not scared to chase of other predators, but bears scare the crap out of me.

 

[BaaKaaawk]

Got to tell you I am amazed that Raccoon is so far out ahead. Maybe this is a regional issue but in the SouthEast- death comes from above in the form of a Hawk and from below in the form of a Fox. Lost dozens to those two and never a one to Raccoons- and my deer cam shows them all around the coop at night (eating left over food and corn).

 

[Feathered_Texans]

I lost about 20, 4 week old chicks to fire ants! They were eaten alive while I was gone for just a few hours
Also, can lightning be on the list a while back we had one struck by lightning and all the feathers in a line from its head to butt were missing!

 

[FathertoFeathers]

Dogs and coons tied for first in my experience.

 

[Pennys Mama]

All of our casualties have been to an opossum.

Mine have been to owls, during the early morning hours. Hawks have done a lot of flybys but no actual attacks, yet (knock on wood).

 

[Pennys Mama]

Dogs and coons tied for first in my experience.

I actually have lost more to my own dogs than "predators" per se...... unfortunately.