- Sep 5, 2013
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Anyone with preditor issues of the furbearer class (fox, racoons, mink ect) you have a few options. Check with state laws you are likely able to do whatever whenever to protect your livestock. Meaning kill them, or relocate them (check state laws, some animals cannot be relocated). During trapping season you could either find a trapper to come to your place to set live traps to take care of your problem or you can get a license and learn to do it yourself. That way you can sell the hides and other parts to help replace lost funds and perhaps get some extra money for future endevors. I prefer the live trap method due to the fact it is safer for your pets and livestock, as well as neighbors pets that may roam onto your property, and for animals that can be relocated far away.
Also I am not a huge fan of poultry netting, AKA chicken wire. The holes are to large and the wire is very thin. Racoons can make short work of that thin wire, while smaller animals (snakes) can squeeze through. I much prefer the use of "rat wire" also known as hardware cloth. That makes it much more difficult for anything to get in and much easier to cut to the right size and form to what you need.
This is a list of any chicken killers that I am aware of
fox, coyotes, and other dogs
bobcat (and other cats)
possums
racoons
skunks (and all relatives including mink, fishers, wolverines ect)
bears
snakes.
birds of prey such as hawks, falcons ect.
rats
many of those can be stopped by rat wire. others such as bears, really large cats such as cougars and possibly coyotes may need a more persuasive protection. a shotgun loaded with the self defence shells that have the rubber pellets in them can work wonders if you're not allowed to kill them or it is out of season to kill them.
Also I am not a huge fan of poultry netting, AKA chicken wire. The holes are to large and the wire is very thin. Racoons can make short work of that thin wire, while smaller animals (snakes) can squeeze through. I much prefer the use of "rat wire" also known as hardware cloth. That makes it much more difficult for anything to get in and much easier to cut to the right size and form to what you need.
This is a list of any chicken killers that I am aware of
fox, coyotes, and other dogs
bobcat (and other cats)
possums
racoons
skunks (and all relatives including mink, fishers, wolverines ect)
bears
snakes.
birds of prey such as hawks, falcons ect.
rats
many of those can be stopped by rat wire. others such as bears, really large cats such as cougars and possibly coyotes may need a more persuasive protection. a shotgun loaded with the self defence shells that have the rubber pellets in them can work wonders if you're not allowed to kill them or it is out of season to kill them.
