Official BYC Poll: The Worst Predator

[Fraoch21]

for people in the uk, i have to say otters, pine martins and foxes are are horrible! The pine martins just rip the heads off all their victims and leave them, only eating one or 2!!! Ive lost a few over the years to them. But otters have to be the worst! They come back every year in winter and kill everything. I lost about 20 ducks to them in 1 winter!!

 

[philintheblank]

I lost 6 out of my fisrt 8 hens to a dog across the road we ended up giving the other 2 away so it didnt happen again, the coop needs to be redesigned now. It got out because the owner didnt keep his fence in good repair. We called the city and apperently they slapped him with a 200 dollar fine for a "dog at large", now he has that dog chained up to the fence on a 3 or 4 foot leash, i feel bad for the dog now too, so we called the humane society on him, waiting for a response from them. sorry to hear about eveyone elses loses awsell.

 

[cecilia1959]

I have lost most of my chickens to foxes, just last week 10 when the foxes dug under the chicken house and went to town. To fix the digging problem, I dug a trench all around my houses and pens and with my fingers crossed no more lost to digging. I also let my free range in the back yard to eat bugs and other things, and one flew over to the horse pasture and the fox came and grabbed her and we all ran screaming at the fox and he let her go. I have to sit outside and make sure no one flies over now. I also let the dogs run around but he still comes back.

 

[Mzyla]

When the coop is situated within close proximity to your house - the "forest" predators must be extremely determined to come that close, to where humans reside.
Moreover, my dogs can smell them long before they even come to a property lane.
I have seen my dogs charging into the woods, barking many times - mostly at night.
Thus, we didn't lost any of our chickens to this kind of predators.

However, we are losing couple of baby chicks to a "flying predators" - HAWKS!
I guess hawks wouldn't be able to fly up with an adult chicken - too heavy.
And, he knows he cannot just dine at the property, because he will become diner himself....

I observed Hawk in action - he did this with lightening speed - Down and up with chick still crying in his beak!
Before I can even count to 1-2-3!
Dogs just danced into the air helplessly.

Our chickens are free-ranged during a day and such an acreage would be impossible to "top-netted"
In this scenario; Any other predator's attack can be prevented, but I don't see much prevention for hawks.
I made a "scare-crow", a hanging beer cans - as suggested by others and it's just not working!

 

[Opa]

It's not surprizing that as the numbers increase the percentages have stayed the same. Raccoons seem to be far and away the worst predator. While the only two birds I've lost were both to a hawk, I stay ever vigilant with my traps. I've taken 7 coons in the last month. All of the dog proof leg hold traps I use are placed with a few feet of my coops so any captured coon was entirely too close to my birds.

 

[ksulley]

Definately fox for me! 6 chickens so far!

 

[areyoumymother]

Quote:
What is the dog proof leg hold trap you mentioned and where do you get them....

Lost one (of 14) 6 week old Silver Wyandote yesterday to 'something'. haven't figured out what exactly got the chick. whatever it was lifted up the tacked down chicken wire along them bottom of the coop and went off with the whole chick, only a few feathers remain just outside the compromised area of chicken wire....I need to reinforce the bottom with hardware cloth, will be doing that today.

I am new at this and scratchin my head trying to figure out exactly what I'm dealing with

 

[Opa]

I've been real happy with the success I've had with the Duke DP coon trap. I don't have to worry about accidently catching my dog or the neighbors cats. I also was tired of having the bait stolen as often happens with box traps. I found the quickest and easiest way to anchor them is with a screw in dog chain anchor.

 

[areyoumymother]

Quote:
Awesome, thanks Opa. I was thinking if I can catch whatever it is I will know what I'm dealing with

 

[animalpro24]

We have lost one duck to Bald Eagal. Lost quite a few birds to raccoons.