What kind of predator?

[williamsingr12]

If its a bear you do have a right to legally defend yourself and livestock by 2nd amendment.

 

[True Patriot]

If it is bears electric fence for perimeter. It may also take moving the food sources. If you have a location outside the coop but in the run where the chickens can access. Bears can be difficult to deal with. However you decide make sure you take your safety into consideration also. Best luck.

 

[True Patriot]

If its a bear you do have a right to legally defend yourself and livestock by 2nd amendment.

The 2nd amendment is the right of the people to keep and bear arms against the tyranny of government. I certainly hope that we don't have any dictator bears running around.

 

[williamsingr12]

A rogue bear is better off shot ! Your fence wont stop him, and he will be back time after time year after year and grow larger and larger each year , the gov its already tyranical, lol was for over 8 years and the traitors are still running free!

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

A rogue bear is better off shot ! Your fence wont stop him, and he will be back time after time year after year and grow larger and larger each year , the gov its already tyranical, lol was for over 8 years and the traitors are still running free!

No politics please. Not allowed on BYC.

 

[Nat and Ana]

The poor chickens are in the basement in their old brooder (but man have they grown). They all seem to be eating and drinking fine. I'll be changing the type of lock on the doors to a latch and padlock. I'm hoping that will keep out racoon. If it's bear I think I'm just screwed because I doubt we'll be putting up hot wire in suburbia. sigh.

 

[ChickenRelatedUserName]

Nail boards and other similar traps are illegal in a lot of areas.

That's probably true. The Department of Wildlife has specific guidelines on how to build them and encourages their use out here.

 

[williamsingr12]

Get up your trail cams fast but be careful , you know what your dealing with. Keep looking for tracks daily if you can especially after rains you will be able to see them better, check in the mornings just after sun up before the dew is gone and the tracks have not dried,, learn predator signs Its been in your yard during the day so whatever isnt so afraid of you or knew you were gone or someone knows your habits of travel times even. If you are going to search for tracks I would be armed at all times. If you run into a bear unarmed he will kill you more then likely. But if you dump a clip of 9mm in his mouth n nose area point blank, he will be dead and not you !

 

[ChickenRelatedUserName]

Oh jeeze....

 

[microchick]

Bear or a really big raccoon. I had three cockerels in a chicken tractor while building a bachelor pen. The 'run' part was chicken wire but their coop was solid, except I had forgotten to cover one window with hardware cloth and only had chicken wire over it. Woke up to the cockerels loose in the yard, one corner of the chicken wire torn loose on the run and the door pushed open. One cockerel was missing most of his tail feathers. I caught them, checked them over and reinforced the door and window but left the run as it was. That night I set up a game camera and caught the predators in the act. Three raccoons, probably a family as two were smaller, one larger.

Set a live trap and caught one possum and two raccoons. But the best solution was to get the cockerels in their own pen which is circled with hot wire.

Don't underestimate the power of a boar raccoon.

Please check with your local conservation department about dealing with rogue wildlife. Where we live, when wildlife proves to be a nuisance and destructive to livestock (yes, chickens are considered to be live stock) we are allowed to use extreme prejudice against them except in the case of protected species like hawks, owls and eagles. Even in the event that a cougar kills wildlife or threatens human life, we are allowed to dispose of the animal.

But, CYA and please call before you do something that will cause you more grief than you want.

Good luck. Glad your birds are okay!