preditor protection

[zoruagalaxy]

what can i do to keep away squirrels, rats, cats, or hawks away from my coop and chickens? is there a specific scent or brand of liquid smell they can't stand? I have been using a spray of cinnamon and lemon to keep away cats, and that does the trick, and my rat problem is usually solved with traps. Does putting a fake owl statue keep away hawks or other big birds?

 

[Lady of McCamley]

It is a constant battle.

First, pick up food. If you can lock up food each night. That is a big deterrent to rats. They are there for the food....but THEN

They come out during the day. Yes the day. So I've tried it ALL to keep ahead of the rats. We've resorted to generation 1 poison (milder and won't affect an animal that eats the rats). They are blood thinner types that require more than 1 meal to be effective, however, less lethal to other food chain animals than the neural toxins.

Hawks....netting, netting, netting. Having a good solid run that is well covered with netting and tree limbs. That has cut down a lot on hawk kills. I've not tried the owl as the netting proved really effective (however I get owls too...and that hasn't stopped the hawks).

Cats...well they walk the fence line and stay there, so I haven't worried about them. Some of them help keep the rats down.

Squirrels...when you find something, let me know. Those little beasts face down into my feed bins during the day, then scamper off. Trying to keep ahead of them is constantly a battle. My rat terrier will chase them away.

Which leads me to getting a dog (who is safe around the chickens...takes training). I don't have a LGD but I do have a nicely noisy rat terrier mix who is an EXCELLENT ratter. He goes out with me every night to hunt for rats as I lock up. He also keeps the cats out of the back yard....and squirrels, to a degree.

That's what I've done these last 10 years. It is a constant battle. I'm looking forward to what others may have to say.

LofMc

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Does your coop or run have an "apron" of hardware cloth around the perimeter to keep varmints from digging in? This should extend out about a foot around the coop or run on all sides and be securely fastened to your fencing, and be covered with a layer of dirt or gravel.

As LofMc said, a good, noisy dog helps deter squirrels. I have two Shelties but you have to be willing to put up with the barking, lol. I did not find them hard to train, I just used the "see-no-touch" method for a couple hours a day for a few weeks. Worked great and was easy.

A plastic owl, IME, is worthless. I've seen hordes of pigeons, at least, perching around and ON the one that was supposed to keep them away. Don't know if one would work on a hawk.

Have had no issues with cats including our own, but we keep them away from chicks under about 8 weeks old. Any younger than that and they look too much like baby birds and I would not trust a cat not to go after them. After 8 weeks they look a lot like chickens and we integrate them with the adult flock, so they're safe from the cats.

Hawks ... others will disagree with me, but ... what has worked for me is to have a few black hens in the flock. Crows will chase a hawk, and it's my belief that a hawk sees my black hens and decides to hunt elsewhere. I have not had losses to hawks since I got a few Black Australorps!

Finally, search "no waste feeders" here on the site and learn how to keep your feed from spilling on the ground and attracting varmints. Don't attract vermin with kitchen scraps. Have your compost far away from the coop. Lock up your garbage, feed your dog and cat IN the house. Good luck and enjoy your flock!