So tired of predators...

[CluckerFamily]

I have two dogs that I walk on my perimeter daily.
I had a lone wolf a long time ago but I think the pack of coyotes eliminated it. And when a pack of wolves returned, they didn't come back after the tornado went through.
The coyotes seem to keep the larger predators away for the most part and the dogs deter the coyote from my property.

 

[old biddy]

I have two dogs that I walk on my perimeter daily.
I had a lone wolf a long time ago but I think the pack of coyotes eliminated it. And when a pack of wolves returned, they didn't come back after the tornado went through.
The coyotes seem to keep the larger predators away for the most part and the dogs deter the coyote from my property.

I live a long way from you - in North Florida. I am surrounded by pine and hardwood forests.
Recently, within the past year or so, my neighbor who owns hundreds of acres behind my property cleared old wood forests to plant pine trees. The land is bare right now. Once he did the clearing is when I started having predator problems. I am assuming they all came onto my property to establish a new hunting ground and, unfortunately for me, found my homestead. I have seen coyote, bobcat, fox, raccoon, bear, and possum in numbers I have not experienced over the past 20 years that I have been living here. It has been suggested to me that if I clear my wooded areas it might help my predator problem. Of course the reason I bought this wooded land was because I love the forest am absolutely hate cutting down the trees, so I have carved out the areas that I need for house and field, cabins and yard, pens and beeyard.
I guess my question is: do you think it will make a difference in predator problems if I clear out several acres of the small bushes and underbrush near my pens? Others have told me yes, but I don't think it will discourage the predators since they have already found me. Your thoughts?

 

[CluckerFamily]

I live a long way from you - in North Florida. I am surrounded by pine and hardwood forests.
Recently, within the past year or so, my neighbor who owns hundreds of acres behind my property cleared old wood forests to plant pine trees. The land is bare right now. Once he did the clearing is when I started having predator problems. I am assuming they all came onto my property to establish a new hunting ground and, unfortunately for me, found my homestead. I have seen coyote, bobcat, fox, raccoon, bear, and possum in numbers I have not experienced over the past 20 years that I have been living here. It has been suggested to me that if I clear my wooded areas it might help my predator problem. Of course the reason I bought this wooded land was because I love the forest am absolutely hate cutting down the trees, so I have carved out the areas that I need for house and field, cabins and yard, pens and beeyard.
I guess my question is: do you think it will make a difference in predator problems if I clear out several acres of the small bushes and underbrush near my pens? Others have told me yes, but I don't think it will discourage the predators since they have already found me. Your thoughts?

I have also had/have many predators in my area. I have a woods near me, between my land and the woods is farm field, a river runs through and a marsh is on the other side of the road. Predators follow the river because their prey does.
I truly don't think clearing it will help since they already found you.
I would secure my animals first. My coop is predator proof (hardware cloth everywhere even underground), but if a bear or cougar truly wants to get in, they will but the coop isn't far from the house. I have flood lights on both sides of the detached garage that my coop is attached to. I added the flood lights when the wolf pack was around so I could see better when the dogs needed to go outside at night or if I had to protect my coop. I haven't had any predators try to breach my coop, I have had chickens and the same coop/run for 7 years. The wolf pack circled the coop, I could see where they walked, but this has been it.
After securing the coop more, I would then maybe thinking about trying to remove some brush to see if that helps. I would be saddened to remove trees.

 

[old biddy]

I have also had/have many predators in my area. I have a woods near me, between my land and the woods is farm field, a river runs through and a marsh is on the other side of the road. Predators follow the river because their prey does.
I truly don't think clearing it will help since they already found you.
I would secure my animals first. My coop is predator proof (hardware cloth everywhere even underground), but if a bear or cougar truly wants to get in, they will but the coop isn't far from the house. I have flood lights on both sides of the detached garage that my coop is attached to. I added the flood lights when the wolf pack was around so I could see better when the dogs needed to go outside at night or if I had to protect my coop. I haven't had any predators try to breach my coop, I have had chickens and the same coop/run for 7 years. The wolf pack circled the coop, I could see where they walked, but this has been it.
After securing the coop more, I would then maybe thinking about trying to remove some brush to see if that helps. I would be saddened to remove trees.

I wont be removing the trees, but I think I will start cutting back the brush.

In the past I have had no problems with predators trying to get into the pens from the top where I have 2" bird netting on the day pens. Now I am not so sure that will be a deterrent. I have had one incident where I had chain link panels covered on the sides in the small 1/4" bird netting where the predator just reached through the chain link and tore out the small bird netting like it wasn't even there, grabbed my rooster and pulled it through the fence. I am a bit naivete but I don't know why a rooster would just stand there and let a raccoon or possum or whatever it was reach in and grab it. It is a mystery to me. They won't let me get close to them, so I just don't understand unless they were asleep during the day close to the fence.

So, my next question is: do you use bird netting or hardware cloth on the top of your pens? Thank you for your insight.

 

[CluckerFamily]

I wont be removing the trees, but I think I will start cutting back the brush.

In the past I have had no problems with predators trying to get into the pens from the top where I have 2" bird netting on the day pens. Now I am not so sure that will be a deterrent. I have had one incident where I had chain link panels covered on the sides in the small 1/4" bird netting where the predator just reached through the chain link and tore out the small bird netting like it wasn't even there, grabbed my rooster and pulled it through the fence. I am a bit naivete but I don't know why a rooster would just stand there and let a raccoon or possum or whatever it was reach in and grab it. It is a mystery to me. They won't let me get close to them, so I just don't understand unless they were asleep during the day close to the fence.

So, my next question is: do you use bird netting or hardware cloth on the top of your pens? Thank you for your insight.

My run is only 20'x20' hopefully next year it will be doubled or tripled. I have a metal roof on my run to keep the snow out for the winter months.
My sister also has a metal roof on her run, she found her metal roofing material from a person who was reroofing their shed.

 

[old biddy]

They are free-range so they can patrol past our property when needed. Although if you do fence your entire 20 acres they would be fine confined to that.

I'm afraid at this time fencing in 20 acres is cost prohibitive. If I fenced in a couple of acres would that be big enough to accommodate 2 Great Pyrenees?

 

[KsKingBee]

I'm afraid at this time fencing in 20 acres is cost prohibitive. If I fenced in a couple of acres would that be big enough to accommodate 2 Great Pyrenees?

I think they would be fine in that amount of area.

 

[old biddy]

Update on predators: There was nothing in the traps this morning but when I viewed my camera card I saw the villains. THREE raccoons checking out the perimeter of my outer pens. It was about 1:30am. According to the camera clock they only hung around for a few minutes. All my chickens and my peachick were locked up tight in the hen house for the night. These guys must come back in late afternoons as well...though my camera has not picked them up yet during the day. They totally ignored my two live traps. The bait I was using consisted of hot dogs and some old Panda Chow Mein and some old Chicken McNuggets. Either they were not interested in the menu or are just too savvy to try out the traps.

My daughter said she wants to get a donkey and that they will chase off any predators but I'm not sure if that will cause more trouble than its worth. But I did promise her I would do some research. Has anyone had any experience with guard donkeys? At this point I am about ready to try anything. ( LOL w/tears )

 

[Flockincrazy]

This is all that is left of my 3 month old rooster, Carlito. I post this under peafowl because Carlito and his three hen sisters have been hatched and raised along with my one and only peachick for the year, Chiquita. I had them all in the same pen and thought the pen was predator proof. I lock them in at night inside a very secure hen house. Just outside their little chicken door is a secure pen with 1/4" hardware cloth on top and sides with a foot of wire buried to keep out digging predators. That outer pen opens out to a larger chicken run made from panels of chain link fence covered in bird netting. At night they are secure inside the henhouse. In the morning I let them out into the secure hardware cloth pen for breakfast and then out into the chain link day run. I went to town today to buy batteries for my game camera and when I returned in late afternoon I went down to set up the game camera. Before I even reached the henhouse I could smell the predator...heavy musky smell. I was immediately on alert and went directly to the henhouse and found Carlito.

His head and one wing and feathers were outside the chain link run. There were feathers inside and outside the fence. It looks like something pulled his head and wing out through the fence. The head was intact but the craw was gone. AND there was no body and no legs. I could find no sign that the predator had entered the pen but it must have done so since the body and legs were gone...unless they had also been pulled through the chain link fence (can't imagine how that could have happened). Another distressing mystery here at Wildhaven Farm. I am distrought at losing Carlito, but am also worried now for the safety of my peachick, Chiquita.

I am thinking of covering the chain link with small bird netting tomorrow but I really don't have much confidence in that solution until I know what predator I am dealing with. I am looking into setting up an electric fence around my pens...not sure what else will help. I appreciate any comments.






View attachment 2352531

First so sorry for your loss
Second that looks like a weasle or something similar
Third if they can fit there head in they can fit the rest of them in

 

[CluckerFamily]

Update on predators: There was nothing in the traps this morning but when I viewed my camera card I saw the villains. THREE raccoons checking out the perimeter of my outer pens. It was about 1:30am. According to the camera clock they only hung around for a few minutes. All my chickens and my peachick were locked up tight in the hen house for the night. These guys must come back in late afternoons as well...though my camera has not picked them up yet during the day. They totally ignored my two live traps. The bait I was using consisted of hot dogs and some old Panda Chow Mein and some old Chicken McNuggets. Either they were not interested in the menu or are just too savvy to try out the traps.

My daughter said she wants to get a donkey and that they will chase off any predators but I'm not sure if that will cause more trouble than its worth. But I did promise her I would do some research. Has anyone had any experience with guard donkeys? At this point I am about ready to try anything. ( LOL w/tears )

oooooo! Those villains even came with their own masks for disguise!
I hope you catch them soon.
I haven't heard anything about guard donkeys.