Tired of Losing Birds

[teriz1091]

Within the past 6 months or less, we have lost 2 full grown Pekin ducks, a young turkey, 3 hens, a duckling & 3 guineas.

My husband & I are both frustrated. He’s ready to go buy a livestock guardian dog right now, despite me trying to talk him out of it. A puppy will be useless for quite some time.

My suggestion is just to keep all the birds confined to their pens for the time being. He wants them to be able to continue to free range. Something obviously knows we have a buffet, & is taking full advantage.

Any suggestions for keeping our flock alive? At some point in time, I would like an LGD, but this is not the time.

 

[OhZark Biddies]

My suggestions would be

1. Keep your remaining birds behind wire for their own safely
2. Get some game cameras, and figure out what is going on.
3. Proactively remove chicken eaters from the property
   
4. Get a pup and raise it with your birds or get a grown LGD that already knows the ropes

When I was a kid we had a blue healer (aka Australian Cattle Dog) that was raised around chickens, and she just naturally looked after them with no training or effort put in by us. She'd even scatter the hens when a hawk would fly over.

My point is that you might not need one of the larger, more commonly considered LGD, just something that has a herding or shepherding instinct that is raised with the chickens from puppy-hood.

As for point 1, I keep my chickens in an enclosed run for their protection, but I've also chosen breeds that take confinement well, and have to keep the number of birds that will live comfortably with out problems, so that is something to think about.

I think eventually I'll let them range for an hour or so before bedtime, but for now they only know the coop and run, so they don't fuss about wanting out to range, so ignorance is bliss. Your's will be wise to the ways of the world, so they will want to be out there living dangerously.

 

[Folly's place]

You could also set up electric fencing for them, either multiple strands of wire or rope, or electrified poultry netting. Properly done, this will keep ground predators at bay for your flock.
Having a safe coop and run are essential, so they can be in when issues develop, especially if there's been a raptor attack.
Continuing to feed wildlife, or neighbor dogs, with your birds is not what should be happening!
Mary

 

[cmom]

I agree with all of the previous posts. My game cameras are my best friends along with my electric wires around my coops and pens, concrete under my gates and a good heavy duty netting that covers all of my pens. I haven't lost a bird to a predator in several years. A coyote going by some of the coops.

More coyotes.

 

[teriz1091]

Whatever is getting them is doing it in broad daylight while we are at work. The 2 grown ducks were killed trying to protect the hen. He found them with injuries to their head, but otherwise intact, along a trail of hen feathers. Those are the only bodies we have found. The rest have only been piles of feathers, no other remains.

We do have a dog that is a fantastic guardian, my 12yr old Aussie. However, he is beginning to show his age, & prefers to stay indoors now. Once it cools off, he will be more likely to want to stay out during the day. We actually have a total of 5 dogs currently, another reason I don’t want to add another right now.

 

[OhZark Biddies]

Whatever is getting them is doing it in broad daylight while we are at work. ....

We actually have a total of 5 dogs currently, another reason I don’t want to add another right now.

Could it be one of those 5 dogs?
Could it be a stray, or neighbors dog?

Dog can be some of the worst chicken killers, but if you can rule those outit sounds likely to be a female coyote who is feeding pups... or a fox doing the same.

But of course I'm guessing... I always suspect the mail carrier in cases like this too.

 

[teriz1091]

Could it be one of those 5 dogs?
Could it be a stray, or neighbors dog?

Dog can be some of the worst chicken killers, but if you can rule those outit sounds likely to be a female coyote who is feeding pups... or a fox doing the same.

But of course I'm guessing... I always suspect the mail carrier in cases like this too.

No, 4 of the dogs (2 of which are less than 10lbs) all stay in the house during the day. The other lives in a pen outside, but is utterly useless for really much of anything, she’s just a dummy. All of the dogs have been around the chickens since we first got them over 3yrs ago, & respect them. The older hens have pecked them when they wander by too close, so they give them their space.

I’ve considered the thought of it being a neighbor’s dog, as it only seems to happen during the week when we aren’t home. Our closest neighbors are both a mile away, one north & one south. One house has a Pyrenees, the other has a German Shepherd, which does chase coyotes very near our property, if not on it.

I’ll try a trail cam & see what we get on it.

 

[OhZark Biddies]

okay, well I'm betting a female coyote feeding pups.

or that dog you think is a dummy... that's just an act... he/she is working the pen latch, putting the whack on a chicken or duck, firing up the grill... raiding the fridge... probably enlisting those 2 little dudes to help with the cooking and clean up...

or a fox... but if you have a lot coyotes, and live in a rural area, the coyotes seem to kill out the foxes....so I think coyote.

But again, how well do you know your mail carrier?

 

[Beer can]

Within the past 6 months or less, we have lost 2 full grown Pekin ducks, a young turkey, 3 hens, a duckling & 3 guineas.

My husband & I are both frustrated. He’s ready to go buy a livestock guardian dog right now, despite me trying to talk him out of it. A puppy will be useless for quite some time.

My suggestion is just to keep all the birds confined to their pens for the time being. He wants them to be able to continue to free range. Something obviously knows we have a buffet, & is taking full advantage.

Any suggestions for keeping our flock alive? At some point in time, I would like an LGD, but this is not the time.

Doesn't take a LGD, though I'll admit they are awesome dogs. Best free ranging I've ever had yrs ago, lived where I could free range a dog. Had chickens, ducks, guineas and turkeys, never lost a one, thanks to a free range Beagle.
Just little old beagle kept my flock safe.

 

[centrarchid]

Consider restricting free-range time to last part of day when someone is home and old dog can be mustered out after peak heat passed. That is approach I use with juvenile chickens, but it requires a more structured day and checking of pens once birds retreat to roosts.

Hotwire fencing can also have benefits even if chickens do not always stay within protected perimeter.