Official BYC Poll: The Worst Predator

[brodie]

i was so stoked about growing some laying hens for eggs. but after reading all these posts, im asking myself if its worth all the potential problems. racoons, foxes, weasels, SNAKES!!!!! (which i am deathly afraid of), RATS!!!!!( afraid of those too!), foxes, skunks, hawks, etc. etc. etc..........i need some new motivation! tell me why i want to do this again????

 

[rhodewarrior]

Quote:
The payoff is so much greater than the risk!

We have had our hens over a year now, and we have only lost one and that was due to my husband procrastinating on finishing the coop.

He felt so bad about it, it was immediately finished. If you have a good, secure coop and if necesary, a run if you do not want to free range, the experience is very rewarding. My son loves playing with our hens and they are so docile, he can pick them up. Every day is an egg hunt, they eggs are SO much better than store bought, we will NEVER go back! They all have their own unique personality.
As for snakes....I have seen chickens absolutey shred a poor garden snake that my mom was not quick enough to get out of their run, the same with lizards. I also found out they will kill mice, a little mouse was unfortunate enough to enter one of my RIR's dogloo....the only part left was its head.
You can build a coop that is secure from most predators, except rats, they can chew through most anything, but they seem to go mostly after eggs. We have some big rats here in Lakeside, but we are consistent with keeping our eggs collected and haven't had a problem. Not sure if they would go after hens, I would think they would attack them like I've seen them go after cats. I am sure there is someone on here who does know!

I hope this helps!

 

[Dust Bunny]

just wondering... why does man only account for a fraction of chicken predation? its pretty hard to deny man is the worst chicken predator! no other creature on earth raises thousands of chickens for eating in sad factory farms! our family alone goes through at least two fryers a week, i think you would be hard pressed to find ANYTHING that consistently eats as much chicken as humans, just sayin

 

[Whitney13]

I have lost a lot of grown chickens to hawks. We have one that comes back every year and roost within 200ft. of my chicken house to hatch out her babies. I am talking to the wildlife rangers to see how to get them out of the yard. Our neighbor just shoots them, but I couldn't kill them so I am trying to find another way to get rid of them. I would have turned my neighbor in but I don't have any proof. She shoots them for no reason, she doesn't have any chickens anymore.
I have lost 75% of all the chicks and eggs on my property to snakes. Those darned rat snakes figure out ways to get in my chicken house and eat my eggs and babies. I will let them go if I catch them before they eat anything but if they eat anything they sadly have to die because they just comeback and kill more chicks or eat more eggs. Caught a king snake in there eating my eggs once but I took him to the back of my property by my pond and let him go because he eats the cottenmouths and copperheads. I have snake proofed my chicken house this past week by insulating the cracks with foam insulation and putting screens over all the windows that were originally covered with chicken wire which dosn't help keep snakes out. I hope this works because I just ordered $75 worth of baby chicks.

 

[Prodigal son]

I voted weasel although not from personal experience. Several elderly people have recounted the killing frenzy weasels go into at times. Luckily, and strangely, my Chocolate Lab/Rott. cross has decided my chickens are actually his. He lays about 20 feet from the run then, for some reason known only to him, he walks around the coop/run about once an hour. It's like he's figured out these birds are important to me so he's taken their protection into his own paws.

 

[noodleroo]

don't forget alligators. got the hen that chased minnows and frogs. fun to watch her wade in and feed. otherwise dogs are my biggest fear as i can't fence it all.

 

[jackiesmamachick]

As I said a while ago I just lost 15 chickens to a dog down the street. 3rd time. So now I am going after her for cost to replace my babies.

 

[brandibaby23]

I lost 20 some chickens two nights ago, I'm thinking to a weasel. It just chases them out of the coop killed them with a bite to the head and left them lay!!!! I had 40 chickens I have about 12 left. This was my first attack from anything, I have had chickens for 3 years now and never lost anything to a predator.

Now I am heartbroken and sick. So I believe weasels "Bite!"

 

[FrozenChicken]

Lot's of predators here but don't see Spruce Martin on there, nasty critters killed 25-30 chickens in our ol chicken house when I was a kid (long time ago LOL). There was dead chickens everywhere. The old chicken house had an attic that was filled with wood shavings for insolation. Anyway there was a hole in the ceiling and my dad had a hunch that whatever killed the chickens went up into the hole. So he hooked a long hose to the tail pipe of his pickup and stuck it up the hole. Well it wasn't long when the spruce martin came out of there running around in circles. He did manage to shoot him though with his 22.
All predators that can get where the birds are confined can do a lot of damage and if they strike at night well chickens don't see very good in the dark.
As for coyotes , I could lose hens without even knowing from these varmits as they will do a hit and run and take the chicken leaving very little sign.

 

[MareeZoCool]

Quote:
I agree, roaming dogs are THE WORST! They don't have that natural fear of most humans, so they take their time on your property.