Predators and lighting

[MrsBachbach]

Does anyone use lighting to keep predators away from coops or barns at night? I'm going to be away for a few days and am thinking of leaving the coop open for the chickens to free range during the day, which they normally do as the pen is really too small to keep them in days at a time. They are always locked up at night. I am thinking of putting a light on a timer near the entrance for evening hours and wondering if it will deter any predators from nosing around at night. Any thoughts or experience with this? I am particularly concerned with skunk. I have smelled that guy around the place and I know my dog has gotten to close to it, but I am just wondering if they avoid lighted areas?

 

[mmmeyer]

If your flock is tempting enough I don't think the light will keep them away. I have a lite on a motion sensor. I still lost hens.

 

[MrsBachbach]

Thanks. Well, I might try the light and radio combination then. I have my LGD, but if something does sneak in the pen, she won't be able to reach them in the house unless I leave the big door to that open too.

 

[RonP]

I would rather they suffered and lived for a few days cramped, than suffered for a few minutes and died from an attack ...

 

[zazouse]

Thanks. Well, I might try the light and radio combination then. I have my LGD, but if something does sneak in the pen, she won't be able to reach them in the house unless I leave the big door to that open too.

You gonna go to all the trouble of putting a light timer why not just put one of them auto doors that are on a timer then they would be locked up at night and then let back out in the morning

 

[MrsBachbach]

You gonna go to all the trouble of putting a light timer why not just put one of them auto doors that are on a timer then they would be locked up at night and then let back out in the morning   

All the auto doors I have seen are very expensive. I would love to have one, but can't right now. $5 timers from Walmart I have already.

 

[MrsBachbach]

I would rather they suffered and lived for a few days cramped, than suffered for a few minutes and died from an attack ...

If it was still cool weather around here and my other pen was not occupied with juveniles so I could open it for expansion, I likely would. But its hot, humid and miserable right now. It's going to stink to high heaven with the accumulated poop, they are going to foul up their waterers with all the scracthing, and they will likely be hot and miserable. I think the chances of them being visited at night are low with my dog being here. I was just trying to think of additional things I could do to lower risk.

 

[rainbowhatchery]

Our whole barnyard and chicken hatchery is lit up 24/7 and we dont have a predator issue, but we also have 4 LGD dogs so I doubt the lighting is what is doing the job lol.

 

[NEChickenNoob]

Does anyone use lighting to keep predators away from coops or barns at night? I'm going to be away for a few days and am thinking of leaving the coop open for the chickens to free range during the day, which they normally do as the pen is really too small to keep them in days at a time. They are always locked up at night. I am thinking of putting a light on a timer near the entrance for evening hours and wondering if it will deter any predators from nosing around at night. Any thoughts or experience with this? I am particularly concerned with skunk. I have smelled that guy around the place and I know my dog has gotten to close to it, but I am just wondering if they avoid lighted areas?

Nope they don't. We have them out the wazoo here and they stroll anywhere they please. I light my house at night on the outside and can watch them wandering around. I would shoot them but they stink when they die. Some are even only mildly afraid of humans. I have had them wander up with 10ft of me on my porch while I was having a beer. I wasn't loud, but wasn't quiet either. I know they hate loud unexpected noise and having rocks thrown at them. If you can rig up some kind of auto fire cracker motion sensor paired with an automatic rock chucker, you'll be set. I buy one from you as well.

 

[Spitzboyz]

You can make a auto pop door cheap. Take a car attenna and rig it to a timer. You can pick one up at a junk yard cheap. I got one for 10 bucks, screwed it to osb pop door and timer, bingo! There are forums on how to make these.