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

[Achickenwrangler#1]

Knowing me, I just might get him with a broom handle, if he opened his mouth wide enough, I would have my chance! We had a 200+lb ram that loved to head butt you any chance possible...you're only chance if you got noticed in his pasture was timing, you had to belt him on the nose mid stride and jump off to the side...it would buy you a minute or two while the tears dried from his eyes, and you could jump out of there. Once you've been hit by that your reflexes got super fast...believe me. He threw great lambs but got replaced for the next season, we didn't have the set up to avoid walking through certain pastures. Now we also had a bull that had two rings in his nose, one was made out of barb wire....that is a big tip off isn't it. Grabbing that made getting the ring off a merigoround piece of cake, but you have to miss the barb in your finger and twist it into his nose or you are done. Didn't last long either. I would definetly have a great rug, and a freezer full as well...but he will have to come to me..I only hunt deer, squirrels and rarbits....and the occasional feral cat.

 

[valschicksrus]

Hi all, well I lost 2 young chickens last night to something-(Aug. 4th). I found 1 dead in the coop, the other just gone, no trace so far. These 2 were my smallest birds. What gets me is, I had moved them into this 2nd dog run just a few days ago, thinking it was even safer than the first run cause I have small chicken wire over the cyclone fencing the run already had-- to make it safer for birds. The bottom is dirt but surrounded in concrete. There were no big holes around from digging under that but a few places the wire edge was looser than I thought. I spent the whole day going over it and tighting up places and adding bricks and long 2x4's inside and out. Predators here are mostly racoons, possium, & rats ( can they eat chickens?) Coyotes have been chased off the area, too many homes now.

After doing all this, just before dark, I went out and the birds were all at the gate when they saw me. They started squaking at me, acting nervous. Some were up on the perches, but they have gotten used to sleeping in the corners of the kennel instead of on the perches. This bothers me cause I think maybe thats how the predator got them. So, I let them out and put them back into the other side and then watched them. Again, they all got into a corner at the gate to huddle down, not using the perches I had in there for them. So, I put large plywood pcs. in the corners to give them a little more protection and said good night.

I will be so glad to get my coop built cause it will be completely inclosed at night so they are all safe. I just need my brother in law here to start it. (My husband is disabled and can no longer do things like this for me) I guess I will give more thought to adding wire to the ground inside the enclosed run where the coop will be built. Seems like a lot of work taking the dirt away and replacing it after the wire is added but it may be the only way to keep them safer.

The 2 birds that were killed were two I was not sure of keeping so they were not my favorites at least. We will see what tomorrow brings.

 

[valschicksrus]

i lost 10 of my 14 birds. it was completely my fault. i was in a rush. i missed closing a gate & my 1 y/o german shepherd girl killed them. she didn't tear them up - no marks. they were scattered all over the yard.

So sorry about your birds and your shepherd. I have raised many shepherd pups and some just have to much of the predator insticnt in them. I had one that killed my chickens and ducks when we first moved on the property many years ago. I sitll have a shepherd now she is going on 10yrs, I got her at 7. She has surprised me with the chickens from my neighbors yard that wandered over into ours, she left them alone and she is fine with ours but I don't leave her alone with them-- just in case!
I have heard of the "old" farmers training of leaving the dead animal tied around their neck till it rots to teach them a lesson. WHO could STAND doing that??? And would it really work???
Good luck with your birds.

 

[valschicksrus]

I have a chain link run, covered with hardware cloth/chicken with and tarps, the bottom is lined with hardware cloth and surrounded by electric fence. Look at your set up and think like a predator. I have a little bit of everything here, Hawks, owls raccoons, fox, coyotes,
What would a coon do to get to my chickens? A hawk? Weasel? So many people say "w e don't have predators" but that was before you opened the buffet.
Mine get free range only if we are out with them. but their run is large and safe. The coop is completely enclosed inside it.

Hi, I was reading this and have to ask just what is "hardware cloth". If I asked at Home Depo will they know what I mean do you think? I do have electric fence wire and boxes cause of the horses, so how do you apply that around the chain link run (thats what I have now, a kennel) without touching the metal?? How low or how high off the ground? Thanks for helping.

 

[valschicksrus]

So sorry about your babies. I hear many stories about dogs killing chickens. Looks like the moral to all of us is - never trust our own dog!

Unfortunately----so true! My shepherd does not bother them, but I still watch her like a hawk--just in case!

 

[Achickenwrangler#1]

Cats are one of those mystery guests that hunt at anytime, are hard to see, don't leave tracks, and can fit in spaces only big enough for their big fat heads. They drag their prey off...you may find a feather or two, maybe not. Feral cats blend in to neighborhoods and often eat from bowls left out by people, others get by eating everything the find. Bobcats are crafty, panthes are usually too shy to get near a home.
Electric fence should be around two to three inches off the ground, then nose high to what you want to zap - one foot for small dogs and coons two to three feet for large dogs and bears. They make post connectors to hold the wire off a fence-check with company that made the hot wire. You can hang a little piece of fat behind the wire to ensure a wet nose connection.
Hardware cloth also goes by rat wire, and welded wire, the will know what you talking about.

 

[okallthis4eggs]

Hi, I was reading this and have to ask just what is "hardware cloth". If I asked at Home Depo will they know what I mean do you think? I do have electric fence wire and boxes cause of the horses, so how do you apply that around the chain link run (thats what I have now, a kennel) without touching the metal?? How low or how high off the ground? Thanks for helping.

You can get hardware cloth at home depot and yes they will know what your talking about. If you need a lot of it you might want to buy it online. Google "hardware cloth" and use the 1/2" X 1/2" stuff thats 19 gauge

 

[okallthis4eggs]

Hi all, well I lost 2 young chickens last night to something-(Aug. 4th). I found 1 dead in the coop, the other just gone, no trace so far. These 2 were my smallest birds. What gets me is, I had moved them into this 2nd dog run just a few days ago, thinking it was even safer than the first run cause I have small chicken wire over the cyclone fencing the run already had-- to make it safer for birds. The bottom is dirt but surrounded in concrete. There were no big holes around from digging under that but a few places the wire edge was looser than I thought. I spent the whole day going over it and tighting up places and adding bricks and long 2x4's inside and out. Predators here are mostly racoons, possium, & rats ( can they eat chickens?) Coyotes have been chased off the area, too many homes now.

After doing all this, just before dark, I went out and the birds were all at the gate when they saw me. They started squaking at me, acting nervous. Some were up on the perches, but they have gotten used to sleeping in the corners of the kennel instead of on the perches. This bothers me cause I think maybe thats how the predator got them. So, I let them out and put them back into the other side and then watched them. Again, they all got into a corner at the gate to huddle down, not using the perches I had in there for them. So, I put large plywood pcs. in the corners to give them a little more protection and said good night.

I will be so glad to get my coop built cause it will be completely inclosed at night so they are all safe. I just need my brother in law here to start it. (My husband is disabled and can no longer do things like this for me) I guess I will give more thought to adding wire to the ground inside the enclosed run where the coop will be built. Seems like a lot of work taking the dirt away and replacing it after the wire is added but it may be the only way to keep them safer.

The 2 birds that were killed were two I was not sure of keeping so they were not my favorites at least. We will see what tomorrow brings.

Everything you mention will eat chickens. You need to protect them from all of those. Does your run have anything covering the top in case something climbs over the fence?

 

[okallthis4eggs]

Unfortunately----so true! My shepherd does not bother them, but I still watch her like a hawk--just in case!

Don't tempt her. She is still a dog and doesn't understand like a person does that chickens are off limits

 

[growyourbrew]

Yes, you will definitely need a top protection too because hawks, raccoons, etc WILL climb and attack from above. Foxes prefer to dig so you have to bury fencing BELOW the ground. Then (for us), there are the bears...the bears can tear through anything if they so choose. We were lucky that ours have just by-passed the coop.