Tell How Predators Got Your Chickens. Save Somebody Else From The Bad Experience

[KirstenJL]

Wow, a bunch of interesting posts. I think, even though we have done a lot of proofing, we are probably still vulnerable. The strange thing is you can go for several years with no problems and then a predator decides to get in and you have to deter them or give up. I think making your coop as predator proof as possible is the best course because once they know there is easy, high quality food there it is hard to deter them. I am thinking of an electric wire to deter them, preferably solar powered. Any good recommendations?

Premier1 for electronetting. Expensive, but so worth it! I wouldn't even bother trying to have chickens if it weren't for this option, but having it allows them to practically free-range. They have a mind-boggling array of charger options. I was completely new to this when I got mine; their customer support is very helpful, but you have to know what to ask. I wanted the solar charger too, but it has to placed in full sun. I don't have that here, so I went with a battery charger. Works fine. My only predator loss was when one of the wires came off the charger and I didn't notice.

 

[cuisinista]

I live in Santa Cruz CA and the list is pretty much the same except the bears...

 

[cuisinista]

thanks!

 

[cuisinista]

Caught another skunk yesterday - that is 5 so far. So far no more predation. We will just keep setting traps.

 

[DinosRBirds]

This is my second flock, and I just lost another one today, but that's due to a new problem.
This Is the story of the old problems:

We bought three bantams and three RIRs. One bantam died ecause it was a runt and just couldn't handle anything.
Then there was the Bantam my dad liked. he/she looked like an eagle. To make a long story short, covering a dog run in chicken wire won't help with chicks. And never set a dog loose with chicks around.
I was in the wirecovered run and was playing with the chicks and one strayed toward the wire. the dog was waiting for it. The chick got in the wire before I could intervene and found a place where the wire was loose. Gruesome story less gruesome he/she was eaten quickly.

next;

So I had left to go on vacation. I was having a wonderful time until that call.. It was my grandma.
She was calling because we had her take care of the chickens and dog and horses while we were gone.
The chickens were attacked and two were dead, including the third bantam.
We were now down to two RIRs.
We found where the coon had gotten in and covered it up.... with a pitchfork and some string....
WInter soon came and we still had the two chickens but when I went to school one day, I came home to see them both dead.
The pitchfork didn't suffice.
We were now out of chickens.
Soon I gained enough money and I bought a bunch of 1 inch hardwire cloth covered the hole with the cloth and havn't had any breakins that way.


But we now have a new run and i need to find out where they're breaking in now.

Moral of the story: Get good strong wire that will keep all sizes of predators out (at most one square inch) and make sure there is no possible way for predators to get into the coop.... which is almost impossible with rats and mice.. yes, mice..

I now need to make my coop impenetrable..

 

[cuisinista]

After trapping 5 skunks we had yet another murderous night, one buffy and one guinea.

We think we see the spot. Will spend another day patching possible entrances and look into electrifying the place.

 

[Achickenwrangler#1]

i like the quarter inch, it's great for windows too and actually helps keep out rain and snow no need to run out in the rain to shutter the windows.

 

[bruceha2000]

1/4" seems to always be 23 gauge. Pretty thin. 1/2" is 19 gauge, over 50% thicker wire.

Bruce

 

[bruceha2000]

From other reading, it gather it isn't so important to go deep as it is to go out. I think I've seen 18" as a suggestion. Apparently the vermin get close to the fence and dig but aren't likely to back away from the fence to dig. So maybe a couple of inches down just so it doesn't get ripped up and 18" out from the fence.

 

[Heat]

I have lost 2 birds to predators (thank goodness that is all).

The first one was to an unknown creature, we are guessing it was a coon or possum. But it happened in the dead of winter in the middle of a snow/ice storm we had this past winter so the ladies had been in the coop for a few days as it was (the snow was waaay to deep for them). But when the snow began to melt a little near the edge of the coop made out of an old goat barn the creature squeezed through a small gap (2 inches high at the most) and pulled one of the girls off of her roost.. it tried to pull her through the hole but was unsuccessful, just broke her neck :-( I think the only reason it came to the coop was because it couldn't find food elsewhere. We have placed broken pieces of cement around the perimeter, covering all of the gaps.

The second one was recently lost to my neighbors dog (I recently moved so I am in a different location than over the winter). My hubby and I are constructing a covered run with pallets as the sides and we are using a small mesh screen to line the pallets as extra protection. The top will be PVC pipes every 3 feet forming an arch with chicken wire over and hardware cloth over that to create more shade and protection. We are also looking at stringing some hot wire around the perimeter.

I hope this helps someone!!