The predators are lining up

[NHMountainMan]

The coop is almost done. Our security and game cameras are giving us some incite on what we'll be trying to keep out of the coop. We've got a bobcat sitting next to our porch, sniffing out the 8 week old chicks in the garage. And we've got a yearling moose wandering through our bee yard, ignoring the electric netting. The coop is in the background from about a 3 weeks ago. With good weather and a little luck, the chicks will be moving in this weekend. The wife wants to call the coop fort knox - but capturing the bobcat staring at the garage helped her understand why I'm predator proofing the coop and run. I'm adding motion sensor lights and alarms to startle the predators. But the weak point is the electric fence. Moose go wherever the want and they're so dang big they just walk through and knock it down. Just hoping I can repair it faster than a bear decides to follow the moose over the downed fence..

 

[CJLR]

If I where you I would consider getting a guard goose they are vary loud and Will also alert you when a predator is trying to get your flock aulso

 

[cmom]

The moose may be a problem but not as much as the bobcat. I had a bobcat several years ago get into a pen and kill 14 birds. I put leg traps around the area it penetrated. It didn't come back the next night but did the following night and I caught it. Since I have beefed up my security. I had motion lights but the motion lights will only tell you something is there. The predators will get used to them. Now I have electric around my coops and pens, concrete under the gates due to a fox that dug under a gate and killed several birds and heavy duty netting covering all of the pens because of an owl getting in and killing some birds. There are some places where I have dug a trench down a foot around the bottom of the fencing and put wire. I used hog rings to attach it to the bottom of the fence. I haven't had a loss in a long time. Good luck and have fun...

 

[Willowspirit]

The coop is almost done. Our security and game cameras are giving us some incite on what we'll be trying to keep out of the coop. We've got a bobcat sitting next to our porch, sniffing out the 8 week old chicks in the garage. And we've got a yearling moose wandering through our bee yard, ignoring the electric netting. The coop is in the background from about a 3 weeks ago. With good weather and a little luck, the chicks will be moving in this weekend. The wife wants to call the coop fort knox - but capturing the bobcat staring at the garage helped her understand why I'm predator proofing the coop and run. I'm adding motion sensor lights and alarms to startle the predators. But the weak point is the electric fence. Moose go wherever the want and they're so dang big they just walk through and knock it down. Just hoping I can repair it faster than a bear decides to follow the moose over the downed fence..

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Wow! Do you have electric fence or just netting? Netting might just be inadequate. For something like moose or bear you need multiple strands of twisted wire with lots of voltage and low impedance.

 

[cmom]

If I where you I would consider getting a guard goose they are vary loud and Will also alert you when a predator is trying to get your flock aulso

 

[cmom]

Wow! Do you have electric fence or just netting? Netting might just be inadequate. For something like moose or bear you need multiple strands of twisted wire with lots of voltage and low impedance.

I agree, I use the poly rope wire. It runs around 9000 volts. There can be some weeds touching the wire but I use roundup to keep the weeds off especially this time of year.

 

[CJLR]

Sorry also we have 2 and a half month old chicks we put in premier one electric chick netting and they just squeeze right thrue the top wire they don't care about the shock I would keep em in the brood a lil bit longer

 

[cmom]

My electric wire doesn't bother the birds but it will other critters.

 

[amanda1]

Wow, you have more than your share of wildlife to deal with! I don’t think you could overdo it at this point.

 

[CJLR]

We just recently had an owl get 5 of our chickens in one night then it got 6 qual just busted through the wire and this cage had a top on it and I don't want to kill an