Sad, but I had to end it up.

[Ruralhideaway]

The OP made a difficult call to prevent suffering in his flock. I commend that courage.

I'll join in reminding some that chickens are in fact livestock, their disposition is entirely up to the owner. I pet mine. Some just eat them or free range them for bug control and accept predator losses. That's their business. Not mine. I like it that way.

BYC is a great place to learn "to each his/her own". Meaning tolerance of other ways. I've stayed here largely for that reason. The insane animal rights activists aren't in control here, nor should they ever be.

 

[MillersFarm]

1. Move the predators.
1. Feed the predators something else.
1. Keep the flock in a covered and secure area.
1. Move the flock to area free of predators.
1. Get flock protection from other animals that defend against and deter the predators.
1. Put flock up for adoption.
1. Kill the predators by means other than poison.

1. Moving predators can be cruel, and Illegal. They don't have any idea of where they are nor do they know where to hunt. Lots end up starving or roaming onto other people's property becoming a nuisance to them.

2. Feeding predators only trains them to rely on humans even more and will make them lazier and less likely to hunt naturally. And what on earth would he feed them? He can't exactly go to the store and buy chicken for whatever he's dealing with everyday.

3, 4, & 5. The OP already stated that they currently can't afford to secure their coop/run area. SO if they were to move them or get an animal for protection that would cost him $$

6. The OP doesn't want his flock to go to someone who would starve them and keep them in poor living conditions for the rest of their lives, Which I completely understand

7 trapping and killing animals isn't as easy as it sounds, You'd need proper traps, bait, and an actual gun to kill them with, And guns can be very expensive..




The OP Didn't come here to be criticized, He did what he thought was best, Doesn't mean he's some heartless person who killed his birds for no reason. You all have no right to say what he did was horrible and that he had tones of other options other than culling his flock, which really didn't sound like he did, @Thomas Lamprogiorgos I'm so sorry to hear you had to get rid of your birds Dealing with predators can be very stressful for poultry owners, I'm dealing with foxes myself right now, I managed to shot 2 so far but one always keeps coming back and taking off with my birds. They're tricky little things too, Almost impossible to trap since they so clever.. I hope one day you'll be able to get back into owning chickens once things aren't so crazy for you~ And good luck with your quail

 

[ButtonquailGirl14]

It’s already been said, but just to reiterate:
If you love animals, do not trap and relocate. Not only is it illegal, it’s a cruel and confusing death sentence for the wild animal dumped in a strange and hostile new territory. New predators, new rules, new food and water locations.

And for whoever suggested letting the chickens go, dumping a domesticated animal on the streets or in the wild is a twisted thing to do. They will either be picked off by a lucky predator or slowly starve to death.

Many farmers will cull an entire herd or flock if conditions are working against them and they need to start over. As long as the meat isn’t wasted, it’s a perfectly normal practice in raising livestock.

Sorry for your loss, OP. I hope your future endeavors are more successful.

x2, although I would never do this I totally understand why you did, and I am sorry you had to

 

[MillersFarm]

Smh at some of these replies.. Allowing an animal to live in cruel living conditions is better than just offing them? setting them out so they can just be killed later on?


@HappyDancin' Getting a trapping permit does not make relocating legal..

 

[Abriana]

My goodness, we don’t need to turn this into a big deal do we? I don’t see this on other threads when people kill for meat.

 

[bruceha2000]

But I would still never be able to kill a raccoon... I'm enormously an animal-lover.

I like animals as well and I don't hunt or fish. I absolutely do not enjoy killing trapped predators. If they stuck to their natural food rather than my chickens I wouldn't trap them. However it is a bit easier to off a coon after finding one of your hen's headless and neckless body in the morning in a not quite secure coop in a closed up barn and seeing it going after another inside the barn the afternoon.

 

[Crow-ded house]

I do not kill animals for sport. That is my choice. My chooks are pets that I enjoy. Yet I have shot and killed an oppossum, three snakes and a coyote as they became pests and killed my chooks. I did not enjoy it but if they were not disposed of they would keep coming back. And no matter how “predator proof” you think you are it is never good enough.

 

[Conan]

On topic, please.
Good for you, Thomas, for doing the right thing for your flock. I'm only sorry you had to make that decision. I hope keeping quail works out better for you!

 

[mowin]

Wow.... way to blame another race. I'm assuming you've never been to the South where dem Southern Boyzzz been cockfighting since the Mayflower arrived here in 'Murrica?

BreanneRN only stated a fact. No reason to play the race card.

 

[chrisb01]

Greece is a 3rd world country.
Other countries lend us money and we live with money lent to us.

The laws in Greece ARE very diff from ours, to say the least.. I've been there, it's a beautiful country; I love the people there too.. I hope someday you can chicken again, in the mean time, hang with us; you're right, learning is a virtue..