Pepper in Dust Bath?

[ChelseaBurns]

Hello Everyone!
We have had wild turkeys in our yard since we moved here decades ago. We have noticed a steep decline in baby and adult turkeys the past few years. Myself and Others in the area have also noticed an increase in predators such as racoons, foxs, opposum ect. It seems that the predators are raiding nests to eat eggs and adults.

The neighborhood brain has suggested that we put dry powdered cayenne pepper in dust bowls and create our own dust bowls with added pepper. He says that all predatory animals are repelled by the smell of cayenne pepper. That turkeys do not have receptors that cause the pain that we experience when we come in contact with hot peppers. That turkeys can eat hot peppers with no ill effects. That the pepper will also repel bugs. That turkeys will bring the pepper odor back to the nest and that the odor will repel the predators and or mask the smell of turkeys that predators seek. That the end result will be a higher survival rate. Has anyone ever heard of this or used the method???

Any advice is greatly appreciated!

 

[SunHwaKwon]

Well, one experiment would be to locate an area not too far from a predator's known hang out and place out two "meals", one with and one without cayenne on it/around it. If they eat both, then I would consider it a useless deterrent.

When my turkey hen was killed on her nest by a fox he also ate the ceramic placeholder eggs that I had in her nest. I was hoping it would kill him but actually a 204 bullet got him first. I know the ceramic eggs don't smell like cayenne, but they don't smell like eggs either. I think they wolf them down with no regard to whether they smell right or not.

 

[ChelseaBurns]

Thanks Sun but the pepper is used as an odor repellent. In theory anyway. The pepper odor is to repel the predators and stop them from finding the nest. I doubt that eating the pepper would deter or repel the predators.

 

[SunHwaKwon]

Thanks Sun but the pepper is used as an odor repellent. In theory anyway. The pepper odor is to repel the predators and stop them from finding the nest. I doubt that eating the pepper would deter or repel the predators.

Yes but if its on the meal they would smell it. That's what I was getting at. Put a bunch of eggs out with pepper and some without and see if the ones with pepper get eaten...

ETA If it were meant to be eaten to be a deterrent, that wouldn't be a deterrent, would it?

 

[ChelseaBurns]

I'm sorry Sun I misunderstood what you originally said. It is a very good idea and a good way to test if pepper will deter predators! Thanks! Im going to try your suggestion and see what happens!

 

[SunHwaKwon]

lol no problem! Luckily I don't have any dens known to be occupied near me or I would try it myself. So far the foxes have been staying away this year despite mating season

ETA I noticed the den closest to me - maybe 30 yards from my coops - had activity so I set up a game camera to see what it was. Turns out a groundhog moved in

I'm hoping he is adamant about keeping his new home and the foxes don't try to take over!

ETA again That makes me think, if you do have a game camera, set it up to see if they even show any interest in the peppered area, that way you will know if it was actually found and rejected

 

[coloradowildflower]

If you make some dummy eggs with tabasco sauce and cayenne pepper, then set them out for the predators, they may eat them and lose their liking for anything related to your flock. It's worked well with some predators out here. Doesn't do lasting damage to the predator, but gives them an experience they do not wish to repeat and thus an aversion to your flock.

 

[ChelseaBurns]

Sun I do know where I can borrow a game camera! Another great idea! Thanks again!

 

[ChelseaBurns]

Colorado Im hoping that they won't eat. That they will be repelled before finding the nest. If the odors do not repel and they do eat I'm sure they will learn a lesson and not eat again!

I've searched and found other natural ingredients that repel bugs, mammals and snakes. Im going to test them all to see what works if any.

Thanks!

 

[coloradowildflower]

Sounds great. Let us know how it goes!