Sad loss to bobcat

[wild chick]

Wild chick, you sound just like us! So many ways. Hang in there! I agree, better sad than dead. What can you do about the cat?

We eventually got Maremmas. Life Stock Guardian dogs. But it is not ideal either. They are not bonded to the flock as hard as I tried and, like you said, they help by being around but we had one bird taken while they were sleeping under the house in the summer - ugh! And the bark their heads off at night so I can't sleep so I started locking them up at night. We, too, built an expensive fence to have the dogs contained (and the wildlife get over easily). We even have the same size fence, ha ha. We also had no problems for the first 5 years and our coop/run is also not built for 24/7 occupancy but mostly for safe sleeping. I am trying to expand it but it is hard going.

Well, misery loves company I suppose! Much as I appreciate guardian dogs, they are not for me. The two dogs we have are what my life revolves around right now. We train & compete with them (when things are not shut down) and no way could I stand a dog barking all night. I'm on the edge of 3 million acres of Nat'l Forest and we DO have critters! I've told myself for 5 years it's not IF, it's WHEN the chickens get a predator. I am more sad for the chickens being confused and confined, but they are adjusting. Thanks for the company - let me know if you find a good solution that doesn't break the bank!

 

[BennieAnTheJets]

Well, misery loves company I suppose! Much as I appreciate guardian dogs, they are not for me. The two dogs we have are what my life revolves around right now. We train & compete with them (when things are not shut down) and no way could I stand a dog barking all night. I'm on the edge of 3 million acres of Nat'l Forest and we DO have critters! I've told myself for 5 years it's not IF, it's WHEN the chickens get a predator. I am more sad for the chickens being confused and confined, but they are adjusting. Thanks for the company - let me know if you find a good solution that doesn't break the bank!

Just like your set-up with hot wire, our cheapest and most effective for the night has been the eletric horse fencer with 50 miles power around our coop. Had some "yelps" from predators and everything turned over in the coop at night from frightened birds, but with night light on nobody flew into the ceiling to break a neck yet, thank God! After a few tests of the fence, our coons and foxes had had enough at night and left the coop alone!

Different story during the day. It is a deadly game of guess how much we can let them out today. That's why I got the fence and dogs. Very expensive but also helps to keep humans away, ha ha, to some degree, which is fine with me, for the most part. For the birds, even the two Maremmas have not been 100% because 1) they do not watch the flock 2) we have 3 flocks, really, going off in different directions and 3) we have difficult terrain with rolling hills and wooded areas and a big house in the middle, so it is really impossible for the dogs to watch everything all the time and the wild critters figure this out fast!

 

[Bigtom Turkey]

Bobcats,bears, snakes..Indiana is so blessedly boring.

I have, however, had many problems with coyotes, skunks, and raccoons, oh and opossums!

 

[Sydney65]

I have, however, had many problems with coyotes, skunks, and raccoons, oh and opossums!

You know, I don't think I heard coyotes last fall...they usually get rowdy at night in the fall. Skunks and opossums we had last winter. This yr so far just a rabbit living under my shed. Raccoons come in the spring. Between the fairly absent predators (excluding hawks and random eagle) and no one bldg nests, this is my favorite time of yr to let them run free. Come spring the girls will be in lock down.