Two black bears found the chicken coop

[Sunshine Flock]

Here's the bear again last night. There were probably two. She wasn't there for long, just a quick pass through. Those washcloths were doused in ammonia. But the ammonia was weak, not at all strong, and by morning we couldn't smell anything.

We did this not knowing what else to do. The bear didn't cross that rope line and seemed to be sniffing one of the washcloths. There nose is significantly more sensitive than ours. I'm wondering if it helped, however temporary.

 

[Northern.Ontario]

Here's the bear again last night. There were probably two. She wasn't there for long, just a quick pass through. Those washcloths were doused in ammonia. But the ammonia was weak, not at all strong, and by morning we couldn't smell anything.

We did this not knowing what else to do. The bear didn't cross that rope line and seemed to be sniffing one of the washcloths. There nose is significantly more sensitive than ours. I'm wondering if it helped, however temporary.

View attachment 1531333

Maybe leave a radio playing?

 

[New2Chicks97]

I'm going to follow your advice. The options on what to purchase and where is overwhelming me. It's hard knowing how to get started.

We don't have electricity at the coop. It would take two extension cords to reach it. Would that be okay with this setup?

Just secure the wire to T stakes? How far out from the coop? Some people put the hot wire directly on the coop itself, but I think fencing out the coop would be a better solution. Not sure, though.

If you have T-posts already then you need the plastic insulators meant to go on the post that just clip on. I usually buy ours at our local farm & feed supply store. Here we have North40, Country Store and Tractor Supply Company. If you don’t have access to any of those then the items can be ordered from Amazon. https://www.amazon.com/Fi-Shock-ITY...536692322&sprefix=tpost&sr=8-2&ref=mp_s_a_1_2

There are the step in type posts if you don’t have enough T-posts. Our local store sells them for less than $2 a piece. https://www.amazon.com/Patriot-50-P...&sprefix=step+in+electr&sr=8-7&ref=mp_s_a_1_7

I put our fence out two feet from the coop and run so I had room to step over and not get shocked

 

[llombardo]

Fence should be 4-6 inches from coop or enclosure. That way it will cover most predators in general. You don't want to leave any options or room for any creature to bypass the fence. The insulators I got were with 4 or 5 inches long--if you are connecting them to wood on the coop or enclosure.

 

[llombardo]

Here's the bear again last night. There were probably two. She wasn't there for long, just a quick pass through. Those washcloths were doused in ammonia. But the ammonia was weak, not at all strong, and by morning we couldn't smell anything.

We did this not knowing what else to do. The bear didn't cross that rope line and seemed to be sniffing one of the washcloths. There nose is significantly more sensitive than ours. I'm wondering if it helped, however temporary.

View attachment 1531333

That is a nice size bear. Kind of feel bad for them. They have to be struggling.

 

[oregonkat]

We have black bear here all the time. The BEST solution is an electric fence, several runs of it. I have my fence charger plugged into an extension cord from the house. Attaching either the bacon or a piece of aluminum foil with peanut butter to the electric wire will give the bear a good whack and hopefully he will steer clear of the coop. They have big, paws with a large surface area touching the ground which is why the electric fence works so well with them.
All that being said, it is also a good idea to reinforce your coop with something like steel hog panels (not too expensive) and secure them really, really well to your enclosure. Good luck.

 

[oregonkat]

In looking at the photo of the bear and your coop/enclosure, that bear is going to be through that door in a heartbeat. It's only a matter of time. Get some electricity going for a fence. It does not have to be fancy at all and all the above posts about how to do this are great, but get it done. The rangers here that look after the parks and such along the rivers, set up a single wire electric (solar run) fence around the trashcans to keep the bears out and they are VERY effective.
Thank you for being sensitive to the fact that these creatures like many others, were forced into difficulty by the fires. Every animal is going to have to figure out their best options, just don't let your chickens be one of them.

 

[Howard E]

This is a temporary fence I setup for crowd control, but the principle is the same....

I used a 12 volt battery charger vs. an AC unit that would be plugged in. A 12 volt system will last for 2 to 3 months on a single charge. A deep cycle battery from Walmart costs about $75. I have a charger, but those are only $25 or so. No extension cords needed.

The white step in posts cost about $2.50 each. Space them 20 to 30 feet apart.

A simple system like this will solve your bear problem.

 

[Howard E]

On crowd control, I should mention that the single wire system kept 22 pullets confined within that enclosure all summer. Kept them safe and kept them in. Just saying.

 

[EggWalrus]

A quick easy retardant, but temporary, is to get a 100ft cheap natural fiber rope, put it in a 5 gal bucket of diesel after mixing in a couple of boxes of mouth balls. Soak the rope all day or over night. Wrap it around the chicken pen several times (as many as you can) every foot or two . There aren't many critters that can handle the intense smell of diesel and mothballs. It'll burn the hairs right out of their noses.