Official BYC Poll: The Worst Predator

[waterchicken]

We had a Mink get in our coop last night, i think it might of escaped from one of the mink farms nearby. it killed all our baby chicks (8 in all), all the ones we got last year (10 in all), roughly 30 of our other chickens, two silkie roos (only 7 months and our only roos as we got rid of our white leghorn), and 2 ducks (only one was a drake tho.) all we have left is 6 chickens (my mom was kinda surprised that our only rose-comb didn't get gotten) one of those gots a scratch, and 3 ducks (lucky our other drake survived, we won't have to buy what we can raise) and one of the female has a big gash on her shoulder...............

we got it (the mink) around 2:30 today.

 

[Mandilynn]

I am a beginner and my chicks are still to little to be outside, so I do not have a vote, but do have a question. I see cats on here pretty frequently, and am wondering if they actively break into your coops and runs, or just pick off free rangers? We are in town, (chickens are legal here) and do have a neighborhood cat lady down the street. The whole street is crawling with them, she seems to continuously add to her collection. I have had them let themselves inside my house before when the kids don't shut the door all the way. Coop and run are totally enclosed. Any thoughts?

 

[galanie]

Cats don't normally bother grown chickens. They can't break in to anything but can fit through a smaller hole than you'd think. Small chickens and babies would be at risk. But you say your coop and run are totally enclosed. If so, you're ok.

I just love cats but cat people like that drive me nuts. It's unhealthy and horrible for the local ecosystem to have that many cats in one area.

 

[waterchicken]

we have 5 cats to keep the mice down, some winters we let them into the coop; haven't ever lost a chicken to them... but then again, that might be because of their attitude toward chickens; i think they see them as pests not pray. they (the cats) do like the occasional broken egg though; but i never had any problems from that

 

[CochinBrahmaLover]

Wheres the 'Other' chose?!?!

 

[RaeRae2]

Every chicken I ever lost was to a red tailed hawk.

 

[MargaretAnneHK]

Hmmm. It would have to be a toss up between raccoon and dog. Though if I have to choose, stray or neighbors dogs did the worst damage.

 

[Opa]

I would much rather deal with raccoons predation on my flock than dogs. Usually you can dispatch coons with impunity, with dogs then is usually problems.

 

[funnyfarmllc]

I had a mink chew the heads off eight chickens one night. Learned how to trap them from a neighbor.

 

[SacCityChickens]

My own dog killed one of my chickens as soon as we got them home.
So I spent the next day turning our side yard into something resembling a 'SuperMax' prison!
My dog has killed her last chicken

SCC