Official BYC Poll: The Worst Predator

[aqhaktberry3]

RACCOONS! We had an extremely hard time trapping and figuring out how he was getting in. Every time we would think we had safely caged the chickens in for the night, sure enough we would go out the next morning he had gotten more. He never got any that were in the coop, but we had cages (that had young chickens in them) in the "run" are that was all fenced in and he had gotten the young ones. He ended up getting a total of 13 :*( Our coop is connected to an out door run type thing and it is completely fenced in. The fence is even dug a few feet into thee ground to prevent digging animals in. It also has netting over the top so they didn't fly out. We finally caught him and had a video camera out there and found out how he was getting in. He was HUGE. And he could manage to get into the trap get the bait chicken we would set it in, and NOT set the trap off. My dad had to TIE the chicken to the back of the trap. What a bad experience. But we learned from it and now we know how to keep them 100% safe.

 

[Opa]

If a moderator reads this I wonder could they add skunks and bobcats to the poll?

 

[eekgads]

Currently, I'm having a problem w/ fox but not 100% yet. Waiting for GamCam to confirm. Sucker is getting bold & taking chickens during the day...mid-morning (around 9 am).

We've also taken care of a possum.

 

[Namble]

It appears the majority of the votes are dog and raccoons. I've never had any problems with raccoons. But dogs are destroying my flock!

 

[Nifty-Chicken]

Fantastic poll!!

All of our problems have been coon related... I really don't like coons!

Opa, I'm going to stick this!

 

[redhen]

Seems like coons are in the lead...

 

[Mahonri]

What no one has lost a chicken to an Eagle?

 

[alpinefarm]

Even though dogs and raccoons are more common predators, you can keep them out if you are smart/motivated to do so. Same with birds of prey.

I voted for weasel as the worst because I think they are the hardest to keep away from the flock. I had one make a tiny (quarter-sized) hole in the steel vent screen of my otherwise "lockdown coop" and I saw it using that hole!

 

[buck-wild-chick]

Quote:
I saw an eagle eating a dead possum earlier near my mailbox.
Hope he got his fill and left

 

[A.T. Hagan]

In my experience it's a toss up between dogs and coons. I've lost birds to other predators, but only retail. Dogs and coons will kill the entire flock if they can.

.....Alan.