Really watch for predators now

[Old farmer at bFADFarms]

So true. Last Friday a coyote took my all time favorite new hen. Out of 2 bared rocks one was a boy. I had dreams of little Rocky's and Hennifers in the spring. I don't think I've ever had a loss hurt this bad.

Very discouraging.

We take a lot of precautions but the coyote found a gap in the security.

I guess Long Johns wasn't a huge loss but it sucks when you lose a good young hen that you really like. So sad.

So sorry for your loss. I had dreamed of having a small hatchery. So one spring I got together about 300 eggs put them in an incubator and hatched 225 of chicks. Had set up my small 6 x 8” brooder house and enjoyed watching the little guys run back and forth and try to be grown up. Next morning came out to the brooder house to find 22 chicks surviving and the rest piled behind my feed container. The work of a rat. Only to find out that when they tore the house down across the neighbors corn field the rats just poured out. And some headed my way. With the help of some friendly black ratters and a team of good Aussies I have been able to again find only mice around the homestead. I have had attacks by coon, opossum (who hung him self in the chicken yard fencing, fox, coyote (friend went to hunt them one night) after an hour with no success shone his light around to count 14 sets of eyes and one coming up behind him; and weasel a true 12” long. Who was killing my hens one a night till he got a Guinea hen, I called the game warden who said it wasn’t a weasel they “must have a disease”. Talk to my trapper friend who said it was, and set his trap at 10:00pm and at 4:00am next morning had the weasel. Game warden said it was so big because nobody is trapping anymore. All this said to say: as the weasel went for the chickens the Aussies where there chasing them off, coyote come near Aussies chase them off, raccoon come on the property Aussies chase them off. If it wasn’t for my Aussies my homestead would be the local smorgasbord for all wanting a as they thought easy meal. The other benefit, in one summer the 3 dogs killed and brought home 294 groundhog out of the neighborhood. The corn farmer behind me was elated. What I’m saying is get a good dog that has protecting in its background and they will save you 90% of your losses.

 

[PimsGarden]

So sorry for your loss. I had dreamed of having a small hatchery. So one spring I got together about 300 eggs put them in an incubator and hatched 225 of chicks. Had set up my small 6 x 8” brooder house and enjoyed watching the little guys run back and forth and try to be grown up. Next morning came out to the brooder house to find 22 chicks surviving and the rest piled behind my feed container. The work of a rat. Only to find out that when they tore the house down across the neighbors corn field the rats just poured out. And some headed my way. With the help of some friendly black ratters and a team of good Aussies I have been able to again find only mice around the homestead. I have had attacks by coon, opossum (who hung him self in the chicken yard fencing, fox, coyote (friend went to hunt them one night) after an hour with no success shone his light around to count 14 sets of eyes and one coming up behind him; and weasel a true 12” long. Who was killing my hens one a night till he got a Guinea hen, I called the game warden who said it wasn’t a weasel they “must have a disease”. Talk to my trapper friend who said it was, and set his trap at 10:00pm and at 4:00am next morning had the weasel. Game warden said it was so big because nobody is trapping anymore. All this said to say: as the weasel went for the chickens the Aussies where there chasing them off, coyote come near Aussies chase them off, raccoon come on the property Aussies chase them off. If it wasn’t for my Aussies my homestead would be the local smorgasbord for all wanting a as they thought easy meal. The other benefit, in one summer the 3 dogs killed and brought home 294 groundhog out of the neighborhood. The corn farmer behind me was elated. What I’m saying is get a good dog that has protecting in its background and they will save you 90% of your losses.

294?! Wow... We have a serious groundhog problem at the museum I work at and it is a huge problem for my gardens I take care of. We get rid of a handful and more come right back into the old holes, it's infuriating. I wonder if we could let some dogs out in work... I once saw a litter of 7 baby ground hogs, never knew they could birth so many!

 

[Old farmer at bFADFarms]

294?! Wow... We have a serious groundhog problem at the museum I work at and it is a huge problem for my gardens I take care of. We get rid of a handful and more come right back into the old holes, it's infuriating. I wonder if we could let some dogs out in work... I once saw a litter of 7 baby ground hogs, never knew they could birth so many!

Do to a sad and greedy situation I lost all my Aussies, being disabled I immediately acquired a new pup, and began training him, that was in July of 2023. After training he saw a groundhog and killed it. Just the other day I was sitting in the drive and could not see around the barn all at once he took off around the barn and a few minutes later came back with a large sow groundhog and once he had it just like my others it was his and he wouldn’t give it up til it was gone. I imagine that a planted wire and collar the kind that works with gps could possible work at the library. I don’t have groundhogs in my gardens and if in the field he gets them.

 

[ChicNmom]

I have lost 2 of my cream legbars in the last week. Tell me please..Since we live on 11 acres of woods; and since our chickens are free range, how can we protect them? I get so attached to my girls that I cry for every loss. So far in 3 years, we've lost 5 hens. That's about 25 days of grieving. I'm afraid to go out to the coop every day.

Unless you keep them locked down in a very secure coop/run nothing is 100%. Even then a couple of years ago I discovered a rat nest under an old kitchen cabinet I had modified to be a brooder.
They found a way through the underground rocks and fencing. I can't believe they never attacked a chicken but they were well fed on chicken feed.

We have motion sensors in the woods. For a few months they would go off or the chickens would make the danger sound. Either way we would go out. I think the coyote kept trying until it found a gap it could get through unnoticed because the chickens didn't see or hear it and no sensors went off.

We added more sensors. We also put some portable radios set to a talk station along the perimeter of the woods and my husband pees or dumps his urine in the woods.

We have a decent sized run attached to the coop. Now i don't let them out unless I can be out there with them. Last night they wanted to go in the farthest part of the yard so I stood there with them guarding them with a rifle. I felt like a prison warden. LOL

 

[April Hen]

I live in rough country. Neighbors are miles away and without a doubt, we have predators. I am pretty sure it was young coyotes. Today, I lost my rooster Long Johns, and a hen. Long John was too big for an eagle or a hawk. Dang it. Have not had a loss in a long time. I don't let them out at the same time each day. Sometimes I don't let them out at all. Sometimes most of the day.

Now, I will go into lock down. I will stay in lock down for probably 3 weeks. This is why, while it is nice to free range, let them out and scratch and peck, predators and weather, will keep you locked up, and that is why one needs to have a coop and run that will fit the flock 24/7.

Dang it. Long Johns was on my cull list, but not the year old hen. Dang it. Now I have to rethink that whole plan.

Mrs K

That stinks. So sorry for your loss. How big of a run for 3 hens and a roo is appropriate for lock down? They go crazy pacing the fence...all dirt. Not sure what I can add to make it better.

 

[Mrs. K]

Not sure what I can add to make it better.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/a-cluttered-run.1323792/

A lot of stuff inside the coop/run that birds can get under, on top of, behind makes better use of the vertical space.

As for them pacing, they will get over it, just ignore it. It is better they pace than be eaten. But a lot depends on the space you have, and how you have the space set up.

I would want at least 30 square feet for the run, so 5 feet by 6 feet, or 3 feet by 10. More is better. I do throw hay in mine, and have a lot of clutter.

Mrs K