What kinds of Predators have taken your birds?

[Jack Speese]

Birds of prey are in my opinion real vermin! Why the d*** things are protected I'll never know! A good strong fence or pen with a top and a coop, possibly with electric fence too, will keep out most land-based predators, but how do you prevent aerial attacks? Where birds of prey are a real problem, such as along major coastal flyways, your flock size will be pretty much limited to how big a pen with a top your are capable of building or can afford to build. An open pen with an 8 foot high fence and artificial or natural cover (trees, bushes) works to some extent but still isn't fool-proof.

 

[GingerJane]

dogs

 

[goatgal2012]

Just awhile ago here, we lost birds two nights in a row, to a mink of all things!! We live out in the country, in Nebraska, nowhere NEAR water! The first night, we went around & reinforced the coop really well. I still felt nervous & with good cause. The little #%*!@% came back the next night a took a few more! I was DEVASTATED! We had NO clue what it could be, so we rounded up a safe trap & set it. BINGO!! The next morning we had the culprit.

We were SO shocked!! We read up & found out that any kind of weasel, can get through spaces as small as an inch. I don't know how he stayed in the trap! So, we're going to reinforce, again, with half inch wire this time. I wanted to share this story so no one else has to go through the heartbreak I went through. I don't believe we'll ever have another mink, but I'm sure not going to take any chances!

 

[rogueriverhens]

We lost 3 to a cooper's hawk in one afternoon. Very sneaky predator. I never thought i would say it, but thank goodness for the blue jays who are very vocal about the intruder. The cooper seems to perch up about 100 yards from our chicks and assesses for a time, it then flies in very low. Good farm dogs seem to detour most other predators on our property... not even the ground squirrel's can enjoy the pasture

 

[chynasparks]

I lost all but 2 of my chickens in a 3 week period. I am very sure a raccoon got 2 but we also have Bobcats that have moved into our city. Our police said they chased one down a street nearby but could catch it and my husband saw one in our yard in daylight. We were home when some were taken. Never heard anything. Click on my album to see my flock. I had for babies from this flock. I was left with my rooster, Bill and a juvenile hen, Margaret. I chose to rehome them because the alternative was to leave them locked up in the coop 24/7 until we could create a covered secure run. Guilt and sadness is what I felt, still feel. But the 2 went across the street to a secure pen. There's girls for Bill and I hear him crow daily so I'm sure he's happy. I'm told Margaret is now laying large pretty eggs. I now have 5 new babies, 3 weeks old today. We are working on secure covered run for them.

 

[uman58]

I had a hawk problem, but I cured that. I now have a large plastic owl that I mounted on a pole in the middle of the coop. I haven't lost a single chicken since. Before I was losing one a week.

 

[uman58]

Oh, by the way my chickens free range.

 

[FNQAussieGirls]

Cover the coop floor with wire as well or provide ground protection. We are in the tropical rainforest coastal region of Queensland. Our first pair of chickens/pullets we lost one to a scrub python within the first week who found it's way into the coop most likely from a rat that dug a dirt hole under the coop. We moved the coop to a concrete pad and solved the problem. We have since covered the floor of the coop with the same 1/2 inch mesh wire as the rest of the coop and moved it under a group of trees. No solving the predator problem just need to provide protection.

 

[chynasparks]

Our coop is on a concrete slab. We are in the process of extending the slab to accommodate the 10x10x6 chain link kennel. Will cover it with a good layer of sand. Will roof it. Making a doggie door so I can let them out every morning. Eventually as budget permits, the front of the coop will have a kennel on the ground. I'll make sure nothing can crawl under. They can go out both ways. It's the best I can do. Free range was tried and failed miserably. I will spoil them with hanging treats love and care.

 

[Monica58]

I had a neighbors PitBull kill one of my chickens 3 weeks ago and have a picture to prove it since we have wild game cameras all around our property. One week later the dog was back on our property trying to get in the chicken run. My husband was trying to keep the dog back away from our chickens when the dog tried to attack him. I had enough and called the Sheriff Department. Now they have a citation and court date. It's so unfair and unnerving.