Predators that don't fear people

[JedJackson]

The predators are only doing what is natural to them. The hungrier they are, the more desperate and less afraid they will be of humans. You can kill the predators that are legal to kill, but more will follow if there is prey around, and chickens definitely are prey. Knocking down their numbers is a temporary solution. Just when you think the problem is under control, you will get another massive attack. And if the predators aren't afraid of humans they will not be afraid of dogs or donkeys or anything else. Plus there are so many kinds of predators. Hawks, owls, eagles, coyotes, foxes, stray dogs, opossums, raccoons, skunks, snakes, minks, weasels, bobcats, mountain lions, bears, and even people. Natural prey like rabbits, quail and other rodents attract these predators, but what is easier to catch? A wild animal or a domesticated animal.? The bottom line and the hard truth is that if you free range you can expect losses no matter what you do.

 

[Red Mangrove]

It seems weird, but the more they free range and the fewer interventions I have made, like quarantining, vaccinating and giving antibiotics when sick, the stronger the flock has gotten.

This is universally my experience as well. The more wild I allow my chickens to be, the less illness they experience. I think maximum exposure is the best method for having a healthy flock

 

[Chickenman623]

jjjennejjj, I'll share with you my personal experience. I moved to the piece of property I presently live on for the purpose of raising llamas. At one point I had 25 at my place. When I first moved in I had several packs of coyotes that would terrorize my llamas most every night. A few even jumped the fence and attacked them. My solution was simple.........but somewhat heartless. But my llamas meant more to me than the predators. So I started shooting them. Within about 12 months I had no coyotes bothering my herd. I could hear them at night as before but they no longer came near enough to even be seen. It has remained that way for many, many years now. I hate to shoot any animal I'm not planning on eating but I feel the same protectiveness about my hens. I would gladly shoot any predator bothering them. Shoot enough of them and believe me, they not only get the message but pass it on to their buddies and offspring. I've been free of coyote, bobcat, racoon and opossum since the early 90's. I'd say it's a pretty effective solution.

 

[GrandmaOrpington]

I feel like the Rodney Dangerfield of wannabe homesteaders. I get no respect from the wildlife. Predators do not fear me.

I generally keep 50-80 chickens. I started off practical with dual purposed breeds, added breeds in to be able to have a rainbow of egg colors, then added rare breeds for beauty. I love the roosters the most and tend to keep 8-10 at a time with the intent to breed my own in the spring. I keep way more hens than I need just so that my roosters are happy and don't fight. Several of them even sleep together cuddled with a few hens around them. Unfortunately, the roosters are the first to be taken by predators because they defend the flock.

I have a very large coop and run that can be sectioned off, but in general the partition doors stay open and the flock roosts close together, but in 3-5 different "packs" at night. The coop and runs are designed for them to have plenty of space, and is predator-proof, covered by 1/2 hardware cloth floor to ceiling, overhead and underneath the foot of earth and deep bedding, and 4 months out of the year I run industrial fans to try to keep them cool.

However, I have found that ample free ranging time each day keeps them healthiest. Before I started giving them access to the pasture and woods around them, I had repeated bouts of random illness, chicken plagues, and Texas heat strokes that would wipe out 1/3 of the flock over a couple months.

When they free range, they are happy and robust. I get way better egg production, and I enjoy the seeing them graze and explore. Months go by and everything is fine, but then predators strike and I lose a bunch over a series of attacks in just couple weeks.

We have 4 livestock guardian dogs, trail cams, motion detector floodlights, and have never had issues at night. So it is in broad daylight that these attacks occur! And what is worse is it often happens right in front of me.

We have many red tailed hawks in our area. They perch in trees around our pasture. I put c.d's and silver swirly things around the chicken area and there are "hiding spots" and brush for cover. But the worst I have seen was one inside my barn. I had a sick hen in a dog cage so that I could tend to it, and the hawk reached through and pulled the cage off the table and flew away completely ripping my poor hen's wing off. I walked in right as it flew out the overhead door.

I have watched a red fox quietly scurry away with a hen in its mouth. I have been surrounded by pandemonium as a pack of coyotes descended on my flock from what seemed like every direction. My 2 dogs were chasing them around, but were way outnumbered. (That's why I got 2 more LGDs.) I once had a lone coyote carrying a rooster in its mouth walk past me as I was cleaning out a horse trough and it didn't even run when I yelled at it. It stopped in its tracks and just looked at me like I was crazy then happily trotted back towards the creek.

On days that I lost 4-9 birds without witnessing it, I didn't know if it was hawks, coyotes, or wild pigs- all of which live on our property. We have 85 acres but neighborhoods were just built on our back fence and several very large developments have cleared out mass amounts of nearby land. It feels like our mostly uncleared land is a wildlife refuge.

Our neighbor swears he counted 12 coyote dens along the creek that separates us when he was searching for his cattle that got loose.

And just yesterday, around 12:15 in the afternoon, a bobcat quietly pounced on a splash wyandotte minutes after I opened their coop door. A rooster intervened and its alarm brought the dogs running. I was literally 10 feet away filling up a waterer. I turned around. Feathers and birds were swirling in the air and then I saw its leopard like spots and nub tail right as it ducked into the brush. I sprayed the hose at it and screamed and was happy it got away empty handed, but surely not for long, right?

I haven't wanted to set coyote traps or get a donkey because we have 4 dogs, and 2 torment the horses by chasing them, and I don't want them injured or killed. I am a scatter-brained homeschooling mom that can't keep up with her phone or keys and am a terrible shot, so I definitely don't want to walk around the ranch carrying a gun.

What are my options? Are there people who will come hunt these animals? Is it safe to shoot them with so many nearby neighborhoods? Will animal control do anything? But mostly, WHY ARE THESE WILD ANIMALS SO UNABASHEDLY UNAFRAID OF ME???? Is it dangerous for my kids to play outside??? I guess I have unrealistic expectations that the wildlife would be be content with all the land we left uncleared. Does all the wildlife need to be eradicated for us to have our little farm with it's delicious, large variety of chicken buffet.?

I insist on free ranging; it's better for them and doing the math, I lose fewer to predators than I do disease. So coop/run only is not an option. I am not safely able to shoot them myself on the fly, but I am interested in whether any chicken owners successfully track to kill or have other methods of deterring them.

Wow! Your place sounds like the wild, wild West. I encountered a possum on top of my run last night. I live in a small town with lots of neighbors nearby. However, there is a small wooded area just behind our property.

This is the first time I've had a predator problem. I don't allow our chickens to free range because we have a hawk who lives in a tree next door. I have cameras watching the coop and the run. I always check on them before I go down for the night, fortunately. I saw what looked like a giant rat on the wire above the run and the chickens were obviously disturbed.
The possum is currently experiencing a terrific headache. I doubt that this particular possum will be returning. This experience was certainly a wakeup call. Never assume that your chickens are completely safe.