How to Protect Your Chickens from Predators. A rooster is very helpful in free-range and contained flocks. Good predator management starts with quality fencing. Cover the floor of the tractor in hardware mesh to prevent predators digging their way to your chickens. Provide a night light (motion-sensor-activated) that will flood the chicken run with light after dark or install a set of Nite Guard Solar predator-deterrent lights (see advertisement inside front cover). Clean out the coop every day since uneaten chicken feed can attract predators. The run is made from garden fencing wrapped around pressure treated posts. To keep these tricky carnivores out, bury welded-wire mesh around the perimeter of the chicken run. Clean up any food scraps that the chickens do not eat before nightfall. Although dusk and dawn are the preferred hours to hunt for predators such as fox and coyotes, it’s not uncommon to see them in broad daylight. Don’t get discouraged. You can bring fresh clipped grass to your hens as long as it’s free of chemicals and as long as you have poultry grit available. Sharon Biggs Waller, a freelance writer and hobby farmer in northwestern Indiana, is a contributor to many magazines, including Hobby Farms, Urban Farm, Hobby Farm Home, Horse Illustrated, Horses USA and Veterinary Practice News. Even suburban flocks may be prey for opossums, foxes, and raccoons. Protecting Chickens from Predators. Cover Their Coop It’s up to you to protect your chickens from predators, and it all starts with your chicken coop security. eval(ez_write_tag([[300,250],'countryfamilyhomestead_com-medrectangle-4','ezslot_7',105,'0','0'])); Same goes for any roadkill out in front of the homestead. Mostly the same as North America with a few additions: There are predators anywhere in the world that people keep chickens. What they are doing is looking for movement. Therefore, you can always try the following: Close your flock, especially at nights. Maria is an excellent cook, and enjoys many crafty hobbies such as crocheting, soap making, and has a knack for learning how to make just about anything she wants. But, what animal will guard chickens and not kill them? Lastly I put a latch on the large door way up high and made sure it is a tight fit that takes a lot of force to open it. PoultryDVM presents an infographic which provides tips for protecting backyard chickens, ducks, and other poultry from predators. Identify the predators on your land by the tracks they leave. Some things to consider to attract predators are food sources, shelter or hiding areas, and vermin that may be around the homestead. Don’t leave out pet food, and secure the lids on garbage cans. You want a large yard where chickens have room to explore but still offer protection. All it takes is a coop door left open after dusk or a damaged hole in the fence. Snakes and rats will come around looking for eggs or baby chicks to eat. If burying the fence isn’t an option, extend your fencing along the ground for a few feet. While a coop should keep your chickens safe at night, there are still predators that hunt by day. Fences not only keep predators out, but also keep chickens from becoming a nuisance on the neighbor’s property. Note: Occasionally when chickens stand on wire floors in chicken tractors for long periods of time their feet can get cut, so check their feet regularly for cuts or sores. For example there are different species of foxes that inhabit nearly every corner of the earth. Let’s look at the effective methods of preventing predators from attacking your flock of chickens. (Check out All About Birds for more information.). This can be a hay wagon, a raised coop, small hutches, hedges or a simple plank over two large buckets. Tips for Protecting Your Chickens from Predators. Our coop had been surrounded by board fencing and chicken wire for years, even though I knew it was not the best choice. All these should be prevented from accessing your chickens by all means. link to Can You Raise Chickens and Quail Together? There are many ways to protect chickens from predators, but one of the best ways is with an animal guard. This site is owned and operated by Focus Prose LLC, a limited liability company headquartered in Michigan USA. If you have a large open area to raise chickens, make sure you have clear visibility by cutting down any tall grass and bushes within 50-75 feet. Protecting your chickens from predators begins with proactive measures. So to keep chickens safe, a need is to cover the coop with the help of a wire mesh. If you allow your chickens to roam free rather than keeping them in a coop or pen, it’s much more difficult to protect them from predators. Wildlife made their home on your property long before you arrived, so it’s natural for them to assume your chickens are part of their world. The beautiful hawk, soaring majestically, is a sight to behold. Take away any food, such as birdseed, suet and food scraps. There are also multiple deterrents sold on the market such as Solar Nite Eyes, decoy animals, and predator pee. Thus, you can do some actions before they attack the chicken. 3. A freshly killed deer will attract many critters to come investigate. You might also want to set up a motion-activated light on the coop to scare off any predators that go near it at night. Here’s a video playlist from our YouTube channel covering chicken predators. The first step to protect your flock from roaming predators is to recognize that no matter where you live, there’s a predator waiting. Utilizing electric fencing may not be feasible if you have young children that routinely visit the chickens. Focus Prose LLC is compensated for referring traffic and business to these companies. There is error while submitting your request. This can be as simple as a coop that is covered and raised off the ground. It’s up to you to make them change their minds in a humane and fair way and let them know that your chickens are off the menu. Not only is this, but some predators like possums and snakes are excellent climbers. Effective Ways to Protect Chickens from Predators. If you have a serious problem with hawks and owls, consider covering the chicken run with hawk netting. (These fences are easily moved and can be solar-powered.). (Both burying and extending is not necessary with electric mesh fencing.). Raise your coop off the ground by at least a foot. Whether you’re in an urban environment or surrounded by acres of land, other critters may want to cash in on the hard work you're putting into raising chickens. You've only seen one page. link to Do Chickens Attract Pests & Wildlife, Chicken Predators 2 – They tried again but failed this time – How to predator proof the chicken coop (https://youtu.be/_T4MjXxyeqc). These animals will sound … When predator proofing your chicken coop, always remember that chicken wire is only good for keeping chickens in, not keeping predators out. This is where they should always be at night. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Chicken keeping is such a wonderful hobby for anyone with a small amount of space in the backyard or garden and a desire for fresh eggs (and entertainment). Do Guard Geese Protect Chickens from Hawks. Raising chickens is a valuable practice for any homesteader, but protecting chickens from predators can be a tough job. If you raise free-range poultry, you're likely to lose some birds to predators, but you can minimize your losses. Place food and water in protected areas. Let’s identify the the many different types of chicken predators based on what area of the world you happen to live. Top Ways of Protecting My Chickens From Predators. Please try again. If using wire mesh to build an enclosure, make sure that the openings are smaller than one inch to prevent predators from reaching through. Because our chickens are so prone to predation, we have to think like predators in order to convince them that invading our coop isn’t worth their time. If you have any dog or cat food stored in an outbuilding it will attract critters such as raccoons and possums for sure. What is The Best Animal To Protect Chickens And Eggs? Dogs are also a danger to backyard flocks. You may have seen them perching high up, such as on a dead tree or telephone pole. The next way to protect your chickens from hawks or other predators you can consider is to increase the visibility. In this video, I provide some tips for keeping your flock safe and happy. Instead, try using small-mesh fencing material. Any time a chicken is free-roaming in the yard, you run the risk of an opportunistic hawk swooping in for the kill. No matter how much preventative measures you take, there is always a chance a predator will show up anyway. In some areas the local road commission may come and take care of roadkill, but most of the time it will be up to the resident to either bury it or suffer the stench for the next few months. Secure door latches against busy paws with snaps or carabineers. This requires taking predator management one step further by either live-trapping/relocating or using deadly force. So, here are my top five ways to learn how to protect chickens from hawks and other aerial predators. They can fight off smaller predators such as skunks, weasels, and other rodents. The Top: Create some kind of cover for your chicken run. Before going this route be sure to know the game laws in your area and never target an endangered species. Don’ts for Protecting Chickens from Predators Don’t leave your chickens in an open area. When you finally decide to add chickens to your homestead, there are a ton of questions you’ll have to answer. Hawks are diurnal, so they hunt during the day. We should do all we can to ensure this doesn’t happen to our flocks. At the top of the hierarchy of predator control is not having anything enticing for them to be attracted to your property in the first place. Protecting Your Backyard Chickens From Predators 1. Red-tailed hawks have a reddish hue on the tops of their tails, a dark bellyband and dark wingtips. I tried to think like a hungry predator to be sure I am always one step ahead of them. Wear thick leather gloves to avoid any possibility of getting scratched or bitten. Fencing is the number one way to protect your chickens from predators. As cold weather approaches, check the exterior of your coop and run for weaknesses and openings. You can still work in harmony with your resident raptors. Employ a stock companion, such as a well-trained dog or an older child looking for extra pocket money, to deter hawks from landing and frighten ground predators away from chickens. There are times when using lethal means is the only way to get rid of a predator. Disclosure: Boots & Hooves Homestead may earn a commission for purchases made after clicking links on this page. Taking all these preventive and control measures into account should give your chickens an excellent chance of a long, healthy life on the homestead. If your coop is small, such as a movable arc, consider using a smaller meshed hardware cloth instead of chicken wire. It’s vital that they have a safety shelter that they can run to when they sense danger. Make your coop and surrounding yard and pasture distasteful and inaccessible to predators. eval(ez_write_tag([[250,250],'countryfamilyhomestead_com-box-4','ezslot_4',106,'0','0'])); Our coop was broken into once by a family of raccoons and the entire flock of young hens were wiped out. Teach your resident livestock that your fence is not to be trifled with by stringing hot wire across the top of the fence or setting up a electric mesh poultry fence around the coop or free range area. Your email address will not be published. For free-rangers, don’t let the pasture grow so long that the chickens can’t see what’s creeping up on them. To learn more about us, click the button below. View our disclosure policy for details. I zip-tied the edges to the top of the fence to make it more difficult if a critter tried to climb up and over the fence. Hang bright ornaments around the coop, such as CDs, bird-scare ribbons, wind chimes, bells or plastic owls. Chicken wire does well against chickens themselves and larger predators who will be stopped by the presence of a fence, but a raccoon can reach its hands through and tear at the opening until it’s large enough to slip through. Improve Fencing and Housing for Increased Protection. Chicken predators consist of many different types of critters including mammals, other birds, and reptiles. Not only is it a mess to clean up when a critter tears into it and spreads trash through the yard, but it also keeps them coming back looking for more and finding none the may start to eye up the chickens instead. Unfortunately, chickens are vulnerable to a dismaying number of predators, from petite weasels to brawny bears. Read more: Check out these 10 tips for keeping chickens safe from predators. Your backyard chickens depend on you for health, housing and safety. If you feed any livestock at all you’re bound to have vermin such as rats and mice move in looking for any uneaten food. There will still be dangers during the day if you allow your chickens to free-range, but at least at night you can have the peace of mind that they are safe and secure. You can see the wing imprints left in the snow and a pile of White Leghorn feathers from a failed attack. Some will be very protective of the flock itself such as a rooster or a well trained guard dog. Whether you know it or not, critters around your farm are waiting for their chance at an easy chicken dinner. This is another method used to protect … Because raccoons will easily tear a screen, hardware cloth is a good choice for windows. Poultry Predator Prevention. Whether you live in the city, suburbs, rural, or remote wilderness, North American chickens owners have many predation threats to worry about. To protect your chickens from feral animals, keep them in a secure coop at night so nocturnal predators, like raccoons, can't get to them. 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