QUESTIONS ABOUT LOCAL PREDITORS BEFORE I RECIEVE MY NEW CHICKS

[rockmissjess]

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Hey all, so i live in Northern Arizona... and im about to order the following pullets friday and had some questions about everyones personal experiance with what we have around these parts..

Silver Laced Wyandotte
Golden Laced Wyandotte
Buff Orpington
Black Australorp
Delaware

So... Around Here we have Javalina's, Coyotes, Scorpions, Tarantulas, Snakes, skunks... (ALSO I HAVE A 6FT TALL CHAIN LINK FENCE SURROUNDING MY LARGE BACKYARD) when they are big enough i will let them free range other than locking them up at night to keep them safe from predators...

So my questions are this should i worry about the scorpions with my chickens once i place them outside? or will they eat them?

Should i buy some wolf urine pellets to help derive the coyotes from coming around? will the chickens be here bring in the coyotes?

Will the Javalinas harm my chickens?

Will Tarantulas Harm my chickens? or will they eat them?

will the chickens bring around more skunks? will the skunks go after my chickens?

How are chickens and snakes? ive seen a few baby snakes around here last year and the snakes that i know that are around these parts are: Arizona Western Diamond Back Rattle Snake, California King Snake, Corral Snakes... now around my home ive only seen a few of the king snakes... (which is a good sign)

I would just like to know everyone's experiences with these pests/predators...THANX
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[subhanalah]

The most dangerous predator to your flock is likely stray dogs. If you have a fence be sure to make it dig proof by adding a skirt around the outside perimeter or dig down 2-3 feet and bury welded wire.

 

[CAjerseychick]

your fence should keep out dogs, I would worry about coyote, and hawk....

 

[donrae]

Of the ones you have listed, coyotes. In general, raccoons. Also, aerial predators--hawks, eagles, etc. are always in line for chicken dinner.

 

[rockmissjess]

i dont know about seeing any hawks here but ive but a boatload of ravens

 

[acsteele]

Ravens are a danger to young chicks, not to adult birds and, they don't play well with hawks. I'm happy to see crows in the area, as they just won't tolerate hawks. You have chosen a nice variety of chickens, good luck with them!

 

[chicksurreal]

Ravens are a danger to young chicks, not to adult birds and, they don't play well with hawks. I'm happy to see crows in the area, as they just won't tolerate hawks. You have chosen a nice variety of chickens, good luck with them!

Same here! We have so many crows here and usually when I see hawks around it isn't very long before a pair of crows will come in and chase them off.

 

[chicksurreal]

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Hey all, so i live in Northern Arizona... and im about to order the following pullets friday and had some questions about everyones personal experiance with what we have around these parts..

Silver Laced Wyandotte
Golden Laced Wyandotte
Buff Orpington
Black Australorp
Delaware

So... Around Here we have Javalina's, Coyotes, Scorpions, Tarantulas, Snakes, skunks... (ALSO I HAVE A 6FT TALL CHAIN LINK FENCE SURROUNDING MY LARGE BACKYARD) when they are big enough i will let them free range other than locking them up at night to keep them safe from predators...

So my questions are this should i worry about the scorpions with my chickens once i place them outside? or will they eat them?

Should i buy some wolf urine pellets to help derive the coyotes from coming around? will the chickens be here bring in the coyotes?

Will the Javalinas harm my chickens?

Will Tarantulas Harm my chickens? or will they eat them?

will the chickens bring around more skunks? will the skunks go after my chickens?

How are chickens and snakes? ive seen a few baby snakes around here last year and the snakes that i know that are around these parts are: Arizona Western Diamond Back Rattle Snake, California King Snake, Corral Snakes... now around my home ive only seen a few of the king snakes... (which is a good sign)

I would just like to know everyone's experiences with these pests/predators...THANX
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We're in central AZ and we have just about every major predator to chickens imaginable. We've had a bobcat get two of our young cockerels, actually just saw him in our yard again this evening staring at our chickens through the chain link fence of their run.

We also have coyotes, neighbors dogs, hawks, raccoons, skunks, owls, rattlesnakes, mountain lions, (even saw a small bear in our yard a few years ago). We are surrounded by wilderness though, so we go to great lengths now to make sure they are protected as much as possible. I don't let them free-range unless one of us is out with them and we have a completely enclosed (covered) chain link run with the coop built up off the ground. I went a little crazy after our second cockerel in 3 weeks got taken in broad daylight by that bobcat and said NO MORE!

I don't know if skunks would harm our chickens, I just saw one after dark digging around in our compost pile, but the chickens are never out when the skunks are around. They are already tucked into bed.

 

[Sarevan]

I live in central Washington, high desert area. I have seen my hens tear up a scorpion, it was a couple inches long light brown in color. They were 4 months old at the time, then they ran around with the prize tearing it up even more and ate it. I didn't even have a chance to get in the run to get it! They have also tore up a bullsnake, I know there are rattlesnakes but so far in 20+ years haven't seen one in area of house.

I don't free range we have Hawks, Eagles, Falcons, and all sorts of Owls. A great horned owl was sitting on the run peak one early evening upset it couldn't get to the birds, they had run into the coop and were peeking out at it. This was during dusk in the summertime. The only time I let them out of run is when I am with them for about an hour, I have them stay together and have a long stick I wave to herd them to where I want. Been doing that since they were little and they actually listen.

Coyotes and peoples running dogs are the worst. I buried chicken wire in 3 layers out from the run and coop so when they dig they hit it. It is worthless wire only to keep the chickens where they belong and nothing out if used as wire on the fence. Burying it in layers has worked for me even deterring raccoons. I have it double layered around the base of fence besides the welded wire so they can't reach in and grab a bird that likes to be by the fence in the daytime. ( I have a lot of this chicken wire, the Ex thought it was good stuff.) I only use it for garden vines otherwise.

Other predators I worry about are bobcats, cougar, and bear. We have over population of bears in our area they can be seen year round. If they go after the coop I have a rifle and shotgun, IF I'm not home and the bear is determined I'll have to start over. The bobcat can be seen early morning watching the chickens from the sagebrush. It or another bobcat killed my Niece's dog. It was still a pup knee high maybe 45lbs, took it right from porch when we were gone. The cougar has been seen but quickly passing through the property.

Our nearest neighbor is 1/4 mile away and I hope it stays that way. Humans are the worst predators. Because of the large predators that have been so close to our home when outside doing chores I am always armed, 9mm to my hip hollow points highest grain I can get. May not take a big animal down unless hit several times but hopefully the noise will deter them.


On a funny note we have these Jeruselam crickets, they look like GIANT ants. Tan, brown stripes on abdomen a large one can be 1 1/2 inches long and stand 1/2-3/4 inch tall. The chickens LOVE them a total free for all when they find some that have gotten into coop or run. They live in old strawbales and they love tearing it up looking for them and grains still in the bale.

Sorry for this being so long, but just the stuff I have run into in the 11 months of having the fluffy butts. :cd

*** use the urine pellets, it is "supposed" to work, a friend in wildlife management says to pour you pee on them too to mark your territory. A big wolf hybrid is what smell I think the animals would get. ***

 

[gander007]

I live in Death Valley and here the worst and most prevalent
is the Bob Cat this is the one you really need to watch out
for as it is quick silent deadly and wont stop till you stop it ....