Villainess
Songster
Believing that there were no predators in our area simply because he had never seen them, was the first mistake my husband made. As a result, I lost one of my ducks.
I live by a road. I’m surrounded on both sides and the back of my property with neighbors that have cows, horses, goats and dogs. I have cats and dogs. None of this prevented a predator, in this case a raccoon, from killing my duck.
Predators come in many forms that you probably don’t even realize. If you own cats or dogs, or your neighbors, these are predators. Make no mistake, while these animals are domesticated, they are still predators. There are birds of prey: hawks, and eagles and owls, etc. Those cute little raccoons? Skunks? Opposums? Minks or weasels? Coyotes? Foxes? Snakes? All predators. If there are cows around where you live, this means there most certainly is going to be mice or even rats around, drawn in by that feed and what you feed your birds.
Do not be fooled by the size of these animals, or how cute and cuddly any of them may appear. And if they know you have something appealing to them (like a tasty pullet) they will stick around for the right opportunity to strike. Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow. But if they know there is something for them to eat, no obstacles to stop them (or even those they can get around), they will find a way to get in to get that free meal.
I live by a road. I’m surrounded on both sides and the back of my property with neighbors that have cows, horses, goats and dogs. I have cats and dogs. None of this prevented a predator, in this case a raccoon, from killing my duck.
Predators come in many forms that you probably don’t even realize. If you own cats or dogs, or your neighbors, these are predators. Make no mistake, while these animals are domesticated, they are still predators. There are birds of prey: hawks, and eagles and owls, etc. Those cute little raccoons? Skunks? Opposums? Minks or weasels? Coyotes? Foxes? Snakes? All predators. If there are cows around where you live, this means there most certainly is going to be mice or even rats around, drawn in by that feed and what you feed your birds.
Do not be fooled by the size of these animals, or how cute and cuddly any of them may appear. And if they know you have something appealing to them (like a tasty pullet) they will stick around for the right opportunity to strike. Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow. But if they know there is something for them to eat, no obstacles to stop them (or even those they can get around), they will find a way to get in to get that free meal.
