Predators During the Day? Or Just at Night?

[rivers2011]

My six month-old pullets are housed in my basement at night and a chicken tractor during the day. However, there are a lot of coyotes, racoons, skunks and mink in my area and I'm wondering if I should build them a more secure, permanent run for day-time. Or do predators only come at night? The tractor is basically a sparse wooden frame covered in a light-gauge, 1" chicken wire.

 

[silkeysandra]

Since you have real predators who may hunt during the day, I suggest you cover your tractor in 1/2 inch hardware cloth. Also, buy those auger kind of stakes like they use for dog tethers, and anchor your tractor down on the corners with those. if you move your tractor daily, just unhook the clips (use caribiners like for mountain climbing) move the tractor so the right side anchors are now on the left, pull up the left anchors and apply to the right. boom. protected tractor. This should give you some piece of mind. Understand we cannot be everywhere and I know some of us here still have to go to work away from our little feathered friends and that things sometimes happen no matter how hard we try to protect. If you do the above protection, only the coyote might be able to break in. Let us know if it helps.

 

[flowergirl60]

Dogs and hawks are the only predator around here. Mine are in a fenced yard with lots of trees. I would put 1/2 inch hardware cloth over that chicken wire though. Depends on where you are as far as ground predators. I'm in the city.

 

[rivers2011]

Quote:
I will definitely start working on this. Peace of mine is what I'm after ever since a neighbour told me that two of his pet cats were eaten by coyotes and one of his neighbours was walking her dog when it was snatched by a coyote. I just didn't know if I should be worried about them attacking during the day.
Thanks for your advice!

 

[Smittenroade]

Quote:
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[Two Creeks Farm]

Yotes and Foxes will activley hunt during the day, but mainly during 2 times a year. When they are feeding young and when the weather gets cold..real cold. It still is not uncommon or unnatural to see the main predators out during the day, and far to many people jump on the "it must be rabid" bandwagon assuming that they are like vampires with regards to daylight LOL!

Coons will hunt especially if it is a heavily overcast day, skunks and oppossums not so much but cold will bring them out as well.

IMO, dogs and hawks are always the prime daytime predators but dont be surprised if you get hit by others.

 

[bryan99705]

Plan on visitors 24/7 because most predators are feeding babies right now. Either beef up your tractor $, build a new one$$, build a permanent run $$$$s, or look into electric fence $. A solar electric fence may be good in that you can surround your yard and, if set up correctly, it will stop all but bird attacks before they can touch the tractor.