Predator Exposure

[Kentucky]

This is not in reference to a specific posting, but what is wrong with this picture, and/or what am I missing?

1. Why add poultry to a pet group knowing that one or more of the other pets are instinctive predators?

2. Why add poultry to a potentially predatory environment without providing equal or greater protection?

3. Why after ignoring items 1 & 2 and something kills the poultry, not eradicate the predators?

Kentucky

 

[amazondoc]

I can answer #3.

If you have ignored #1 and #2 and suffered the consequences, it doesn't necessarily mean that you have to kill the predator. It just means that you need to go back to #1 and #2 and open your eyes to your responsibilities.

 

[nautical_bouy]

I got tired of asking myself the same question.
Personally it seems the ones that do just that, believe animals are like people and want to be nice, instead of realizing they can be trained but still have instincts because they are after all animals.

I refuse to feed an animal that will not in some way feed my family.

 

[amazondoc]

I feed lots of animals that don't feed me --

-- but I realize that they are *animals* and not little people in fur and feathers!

 

[BettyR]

If you ignore items 1 & 2 and suffer item #3 you have no one to blame but yourself.

You are the one who did all the adding without providing a safe habitat for the poultry.

If you bought your child a pet mouse and let it run around loose in the house with cats would you be really surprised when the cats killed it?


Quote:
Animals can have other jobs in a household besides being food.

I have two American Mastiffs; they protect my property and me. They have also been trained to keep water birds out of my pond where I raise fish for my family to eat.

I have three cats; they kill rats and mice in my barn that would otherwise ruin the feed that I give the animals that do feed my family.

 

[nautical_bouy]

We do have a cat who is great with snakes,,,, as far as feed,,, I keep all feed in galvanized cans inside a locked steel gang box,, if you keep the feed from where rats and mice get to it, you won't have rats or mice.

 

[LynneP]

I'm shrugging at your comments, I continue to be amazed at the shock some posters express after losing birds in a predator-rich environment. We have about 25 feral cats on and near our property, they're testing our new coop/run for us! I woldn't be without them- we're rodent free, but I also don't trust them, they're awesome hunters, especially the females. Every now and then the foxes or coyotes gets a cat, so I assume they'll drool for birds.

Even if you had no predators, introducing easy food can alter things. We're finishing our run, and assuming that since a lot of our neighbors lost all their poultry except for a few stressed roosters, that we might too.

Biosecurity. It's a lovely word.

 

[FlightsofFancy]

OK! I can't believe I am jumping in here......I have been in too many of these threads already, but here goes.

If you take in an animal and domesticate it, it is not a wild animal. If you protect this animal it does not mean that you are treating it like a "little person". It means that you are taking personal responsibilty for your property/pet/livestock/family member.

Whatever way you look at it we are part of the food chain, too.

Like a mother bear I will protect my cubs. Like a mother wolf I will protect my pack. My chickens are part of my pack.
Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!

 

[Buff Hooligans]

Quote:
Hear, hear!

 

[peruvian_princess]

I dont trust any of my pets around my chickens or my other prey like animals. Even though I have a chihuahua, a shih-tzu, & one big outside mutt. I completely enclosed my chickens in an outdoor run/coupe. PRotection from the hawks from above and from any stray dog or cat from all around. I would never let me chickens out to free range knowing I have a big dog outside and knowing how bad the hawks are I would be setting myself up for dissappointment. Even if I was able to free range them I would be constantly worried about what could come out of the woods. We already had an incident with a fox taking one of my solitary bantam roos. Bad experience wont happen again as long as I have my trusty 45 by my side.