Official BYC Poll: The Worst Predator

[darkmatter]

For my Chickens, raccoons have been the most persistent, dogs have been the most devastating, and a Red tailed hawk the most surprising. (not counting the stewpot)

 

[chooniecat]

Have not lost any fowl in 7 years of fowl ownership to predators. lost some 4h bunnies a few years ago to unclaimed and ultimately euthanized dogs(dumb people) after the bunny incident I keep my dogs in the outside pen during the day and free range my chickens/ducks only in daylight when I am home. I keep live trap set 24/7 and any wild animals caught get a good scare and spray painted and no repeat offenders to the area. I just spoke to a woman appx 1/2 mile from my property and she has lost most of her ducks to coons, she claims, and no one seems to want to try my tried/true method.it takes a little bit of effort but its better than the heartache I have heard. I adore the wildlife and want to live peacefully with them.altho we do hunt and eat what is shot quickly.live on 6 acres with surrounding corn ,soybean fields and 40 acres of woods on the rest. lots of critters.

 

[Miltonchix]

The ONLY thing I've lost birds to is CAT'S. Both feral and pets. May their carcasses .........

 

[Countedsorrow]

Far out!

The worst predator here in Aus (besides man)
is the Fox!

(Those roos can pack a punch though )

Holy moly - glad I don't have to worry about Coyote, Bob Cats or Bears - yikes!!!

 

[tdgill]

Quote:
I voted Man too, thinking it was a trick question. not realizing the purpose of the poll. Truely man kills more chickens than anything else.

I have had a racoon on my back deck - huge! and before chickens (bc) and have seen a small hawk flying overhead a couple times. Blackbirds or crows have chased the hawk off. I really reallly really dont want to experience losing a chicken to a predator. I keep my dog outside while chickens are ranging. I have a couple roosters, a secure coop but i really want a secure run also.

My dog has been paying more attention to birds overhead I think he's learning from the roosters, so i am following up on that and training somewhat. When we see a large bird i point to it and say hawk and teddy runs through the yard barking up at the sky.

I like the pallets with legs idea. Thinking of other things to provide cover from flying predators. I'm assuming then that chickens WILL run for cover and stay hidden and not run around panicking like I've heard they will with other predators?

 

[Rangely]

Fox killed one of my girls this morning! Chased him out of the yard and he dropped the bird. That hen had laid every day straight for over three months! The flip side is we are having fresh chicken for dinner. Over the past year I have lost 13 hens to foxes and 0 to every other predator.

 

[erafter]

Hello

Really it is dog owners that let thier dogs run free.

 

[eggsrcool]

Worst predator, Rats for me. Lost 15 quail and 1 chicken (chick) this year, because of them!

 

[kcravey]

I vote dogs! We used to free range our birds on 10 acres every day until one day a dog came and killed everyone of them! Later, we got more, and then kept them in a portable electro-net and a neighbor pit bull came and went under the electro net, the shock barely deterred her! She killed all the 6 week old chicks (the adults had already gone to roost thank God!). Now, I only let them out when I can be out with them to watch them. Lost some to racoons a long time ago and had to change all my latches so they are trickier. I also put christmas lights around all the coops/yards for added protection. Seems the coons dont like the lights. Lost some to hawks years ago, but now I make sure there are areas they can quickly run under for cover when a hawk comes. We have a lot of hawks here that sweep by every day but everyone runs for cover and has stayed safe. No hawk attacks in about 5/6 years.

 

[Emzyyy]

Dogs and hawks have been our issues.