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chicken predators | (Read 839 times) |
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paul wheaton
Administrator
Posts: 4469
missoula montana
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July 22, 2009, 12:27:49 PM |
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I'm writing a new article to kinda put all of my ideas on raising chickens in one place.
At the moment, I'm trying to make a list of all known chicken predators and then explore the space of how to protect against those predators.
First, the obvious predators:
coyote
eagle
raccoon
weasel
mountain lion
dogs
Now for the less obvious:
I've heard of people having trouble with possum. Is it with just stealing eggs?
I've heard of snakes stealing eggs. Which snakes steal eggs?
I've had ravens steal chicks before. And hawks take chicks and adolescent chickens.
What other predators am I not thinking about?
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Kathleen Sanderson
Posts: 337
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July 24, 2009, 12:24:36 PM |
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Add owls. We had one get into our indoor chicken coop twice (two successive nights); we had to catch it and release it outside. The second time my husband (now ex) drove about forty miles to release it in another area. Legally we could probably have gotten into trouble, as you aren't supposed to even handle protected species. But it was better than killing the owl, or losing more chickens. That owl found a small opening into our completely enclosed outside chicken pen, and then flew through a window to get into the inside pen, by the way.
I've lost chicks to cats several times, but never an adult hen. You just have to make sure the cats can't get at the young chicks until they are at least half-grown.
Kathleen
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Gwen Lynn
Posts: 736
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July 27, 2009, 03:24:36 PM |
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That is pretty wild, you having mink around there. I never would have thunk it!
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bdswagger
Posts: 31
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August 15, 2009, 03:16:37 PM |
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Also bobcats, which you'll find even close into town. Crows-like ravens-just love any small baby critters, like chicks or ducklings, goslings.
Did someone mention fox? The original chicken theif.
Leigh
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Joel Hollingsworth
Posts: 1098
zone 10: Oakland, CA
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August 15, 2009, 09:43:39 PM |
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For completeness, you might list humans. 
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