Losing chickens to predators

[Kevin]

During the summer of 2017 I had an issue with losing chickens to predators. Several of them have gone missing, with just a few feathers in the chicken yard. From the trail of feathers, something drug the chicken from the chicken house. I figure this was either a bobcat or coyote.

It is not a chicken hawk, because there is no body. Chicken hawks do not eat the bones.

A trail camera in the chicken yard showed a couple of raccoons and an opossum. However, opossums will not drag a chicken off. It will eat the chicken in the chicken house.

It was my own fault because the chicken house did not have a door on it. I figured my dogs would help keep predators away. Then again, whatever it was probably waited until the dogs went inside for the night.

Lesson learned, always have a door on the chicken house and close them up every nigh.

 

[Lurker66]

I dunno Kev, don't underestimate possums or coons. It's been my experience possums n coons are #1 chicken killers, followed close by dogs n coyotes n feral cats.

Only thing I know that stops them is a well built pen and coop....but in the end, something always kills off my chickens.

 

[Kevin]

I dunno Kev, don't underestimate possums or coons. It's been my experience possums n coons are #1 chicken killers, followed close by dogs n coyotes n feral cats.

Only thing I know that stops them is a well built pen and coop....but in the end, something always kills off my chickens.

thank you.

I built a door on the chicken house and have been closing them up every night. I was hoping the dogs would keep them away, but I dont guess that happened.

 

[Lurker66]

I've never tried it but heard a radio helps keep animals away. I'd imagine they'd eventually get accustomed to that too.

I tried a motion light, worked like a refrigerator light...they ate everything.

 

[Aceoky]

'Coons love chicken & are much smarter & stronger than most folks know . IMO the best thing is to surround the coop/run with a HOT electric fence (they have solar powered if you don't have A/C close to them. Of course that won't deter hawks & owls. I have a 2500 sq foot fenced area totally surrounded by 4 wires of electric , tested often it's HOT, most nights I don't close the coop door so they can come out very early (which they do) even with 3 week old chicks out there nothing so far has bothered them at night. Had a few hawk attempts but luckily I was close enough to get them to safety and scare the hawks off. With a mixed age flock of 55 at the moment I "could" lose some but don't want to start.