Official BYC Poll: The Worst Predator

[Churkenduse]

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

Oh that is so sad, I am sorry. I love that my boy plays with my chickens, he often stands there while they just mull around him he looks bored. Happily he never hurt any of them.
Our problem here is hawks and foxes.

 

[a123andpoof]

Our main problem is foxes. have lost 4 to them. I am afraid we may have problems with a dog in the neighborhood. He was out wandering around by himself and is a bird dog. I am glad I hadn't let my chickens out yet, but did have the chicks out and when he saw them he froze and got into postition. I was just picking up the last baby. This is the first time I have seen him out by himself, but his owner when walking him doesn't keep him on a leash, and he has been in our yard before. I don't want to really start anything though as I am not sure we are legally allowed to have chickens, and are moving soon. So will just have to watch out for him again.

 

[OmwToGallifrey]

I lost 24 chickens (21 hens and 3 roosters) last year to foxes. I managed to shoot one of the foxes in the act but that didn't stop the other foxes from helping themselves. They got so bold that they'd snag my chickens in broad daylight. This was all within a month.

The rabbit hunting has been crappy the past year or so too so it's just the natural cycle of things. Lots of food for predators = lots of predators. Once the population of their prey goes down the number of predators drops again.

I keep my chickens in a shelter at night and let them roam free range during the day.
Hopefully the foxes won't be so bad this summer.

 

[mohillbilly]

Our main problem is foxes. have lost 4 to them. I am afraid we may have problems with a dog in the neighborhood. He was out wandering around by himself and is a bird dog. I am glad I hadn't let my chickens out yet, but did have the chicks out and when he saw them he froze and got into postition. I was just picking up the last baby. This is the first time I have seen him out by himself, but his owner when walking him doesn't keep him on a leash, and he has been in our yard before. I don't want to really start anything though as I am not sure we are legally allowed to have chickens, and are moving soon. So will just have to watch out for him again.

if he was pointing he probably wont bother them as most pointers are trained not to attack live birds and to just fetch kills

 

[hennyandpenny]

i lost all of my meat birds to eiether a eagle or an owl (during night time so i couldnt tell) or an opussom. i also lost 4-5 chicks to a sparrow hawk who we thought learned his lesson last time(being chased by the hens in an incl;osed coop with my dad and i not to far behind and then jeered at by the whole family because we caught it and put it in a dog cage) but apparently not because it tried again less then half an hour ago (my dad heard its cry oof frustration because we put up some extra netting where there seemed to be some wholes, we also lost a few rir that we bought from a fellow vender at the farmers market and by a few i mean 6 in total. i beleive it was a mix of raccoon, dog, opposums and cat. dog because one was chased till she had a heart attack while being barred down apone by the beast and then another from actually being chased down and ripped to shreds.... the raccoons cant get then out of the cage so he let A FEW drop AND THEN ATE THEM... we caught an oppussom after he murdered my last meat chicken and cats because there are a few strays and we caught a few in the traps that was set with a dead RIR. ya... i love ohio....

 

[eggoland]

I live in bear country Colorado. I am new to this. I would love any ideas from any of you who have to deal with bears also. People have suggested electric fence. Is this a poultry fence or something with more power? I have been looking into poultry fencing as I also have raccoons, foxes, skunks, a mountain lion who comes down when food is scarce, & domestic pets. Yes I do live in town! Any ideas would be greatly appreciated!!!!!!

 

[eggoland]

I am so glad to hear that you haven't had any problems with bear & mountain lion. They are # 1 on my worry list. My little pullets are still inside, I want to make sure they are safe before I put them in their coop/yard area. I hope the bear ignores mine also.

 

[Daddas1Punkin]

We've never lost one but one of our chickens got jumped on by a cat yesterday! Where we live there are tons of cats.

 

[kengland]

Geography plays a big part. Those living in rural areas are probably more prone to Hawk attacks then say someone living in urban areas. A lot of backyard chicken folks here.

 

[Opa]

I live in bear country Colorado. I am new to this. I would love any ideas from any of you who have to deal with bears also. People have suggested electric fence. Is this a poultry fence or something with more power? I have been looking into poultry fencing as I also have raccoons, foxes, skunks, a mountain lion who comes down when food is scarce, & domestic pets. Yes I do live in town! Any ideas would be greatly appreciated!!!!!!

A hot wire may be your best deterrent because of a bear's dense fur you will need to invest in a very powerful charger that is called a burner.