Official BYC Poll: How Do You Protect Your Chickens From Predators?

How Do You Protect Your Chickens From Predators?

  • I have a cement floor so they can't dig from underneath

    Votes: 55 11.3%
  • Their coop is raised off the ground

    Votes: 213 43.6%
  • Their run is covered

    Votes: 315 64.5%
  • I have secure latches on all doors, including nest boxes.

    Votes: 310 63.5%
  • They are fenced in with hardware cloth

    Votes: 269 55.1%
  • I have bushes and other hiding places for my chickens to hide under during the day

    Votes: 199 40.8%
  • I have one or more roosters on guard

    Votes: 224 45.9%
  • I've installed an electric fence around my perimeter

    Votes: 48 9.8%
  • I have a motion-activated light near the coop

    Votes: 111 22.7%
  • I have a game cam installed

    Votes: 71 14.5%
  • I have a properly trained guard dog

    Votes: 65 13.3%
  • Predators aren't much of a problem around my area

    Votes: 64 13.1%
  • I hang CD's and other shiny objects around to deter aerial predators

    Votes: 33 6.8%
  • Other (please elaborate in a reply below)

    Votes: 80 16.4%

  • Total voters
    488

Molpet

Enabler
Premium Feather Member
6 Years
Sep 7, 2015
14,056
57,360
1,152
New Lenox township. Illinois USA
My Coop
My Coop
This was my joke.
But there is also truth in dogs being predators. My mother had a dog coming into her chicken run twice :he And I heard of many more cases that dogs attack chickens. Even the chickens of the same boss/ they should protect.
LOL
Yes I read one time that dogs were the biggest chicken killer in urban areas.
 

Noah P

Crowing
Apr 26, 2022
1,470
6,711
316
Tatooine
New neighbor started raising chickens free ranging them. He got a new puppy, not a small one, thinking of it protecting the chickens. When the wife got home she went out to see her chickens and saw a pile of dirt. The dog had buried the chicken. Alive.
Oh no, did it survive? Or was it smothered?
 
Apr 10, 2022
1,005
1,406
226
I have a secure run and coop but instead of cement floor I made a base with a wood frame and then hardware cloth floor the coop and run sits on the wood and I cover the hardware cloth with sod or sand. They don't get locked in the coop at night but will go in by themselves at 7:45 each night the rooster makes sure of that. They never free-range as we have countless preditor in our area
 

FatherofChickens

In the Brooder
Dec 20, 2019
7
24
44
Mississippi
After three years of chickens, I've learned it's rough out there for a chicken. Mine are free range on a little hill top, deep in the woods and fields of rural MS. Coyotes bobcats hawks racoons possums skunks snakes rats cats wild dogs owls fox windegos you name it.

Here's my two cents on predators -

  1. Get an automatic coop door
  2. Keep a friendly rooster with long spurs who's not friendly to predators
  3. Keep food and water stored securely where other critters won't be attracted to it
  4. Don't be afraid to pepper coyotes and other wild chicken-eating-critters with a shotgun. Use bird shot at long ranges to pepper them and scare them off, firecrackers and bottle rockets work too
  5. Keep yard overgrown with bushes in spots, cover, where birds rest in shade and can hide;
  6. Keep yard trimmed enough to spot predators moving in from a distance - separate woods from coop with lawn
  7. Walk at night around coop, around yard, do a head count.
  8. Find a couple of stray pups and train them up to be bird guardians - Mine watch flock during day and walk with me at night. They've been known to chase off coons and possums.

Old school pro tip - Getcha a 5 gallon bucket and pee in it for a few weeks, get it good and rancid - then dip you some rags in there and hang them all over the place in and round the coop, outside, downwind, upwind - get the coop and predator entrance areas smelling real musky and those critters get nervous when they get a good whiff and get too close. They're like oh crap its the dude with the shotgun. Critters understand smells - its their language. My bird dogs even started marking the coop and the surrounding area strategically. Scent defense bro.

Make peace with the crows. My local crows are cool with me and the flock and hang around- welcome to the corn, and they watch for hawk and call in the calvary when he shows. King Hawk. I've seen him. Rescued grandma chicken from the clutches of his talons before. Literally, with a broom. Crows were going nuts , almost like a crow tornado, I'm charging with a broom bellowing like a savage, jump King Hawk, crows rode in like dive bombers swooped in and chased him away across the field, musta been a dozen crows and more on the way. King Hawk is gigantic, like a six foot wing span. I wouldn't believe it either unless I seen it myself.

Amen brother. Give your birds a good happy life - don't beat yourself up when something happens
 
Last edited:

Dakota8472

Songster
Apr 9, 2022
410
1,084
196
I'm so far only dealing with chip munks eating their food. there are 2 or 3 feral cats i chase out of the maintenance yard and let my dog harass, they see me managing the chickens so i think they know if they touch them they will be removed or taken out lol. I have soncidered catch caging them and dropping them off at a shelter or something. but my light brahma and male silkie give all the wild life shit now.
 

Dakota8472

Songster
Apr 9, 2022
410
1,084
196
After three years of chickens, I've learned it's rough out there for a chicken. Mine are free range on a little hill top, deep in the woods and fields of rural MS. Coyotes bobcats hawks racoons possums skunks snakes rats cats wild dogs owls fox windegos you name it.

Here's my two cents on predators -

  1. Get an automatic coop door
  2. Keep a friendly rooster with long spurs who's not friendly to predators
  3. Keep food and water stored securely where other critters won't be attracted to it
  4. Don't be afraid to pepper coyotes and other wild chicken-eating-critters with a shotgun. Use bird shot at long ranges to pepper them and scare them off, firecrackers and bottle rockets work too
  5. Keep yard overgrown with bushes in spots, cover, where birds rest in shade and can hide;
  6. Keep yard trimmed enough to spot predators moving in from a distance - separate woods from coop with lawn
  7. Walk at night around coop, around yard, do a head count.
  8. Find a couple of stray pups and train them up to be bird guardians - Mine watch flock during day and walk with me at night. They've been known to chase off coons and possums.

Old school pro tip - Getcha a 5 gallon bucket and pee in it for a few weeks, get it good and rancid - then dip you some rags in there and hang them all over the place in and round the coop, outside, downwind, upwind - get the coop and predator entrance areas smelling real musky and those critters get nervous when they get a good whiff and get too close. They're like oh crap its the dude with the shotgun. Critters understand smells - its their language. My bird dogs even started marking the coop and the surrounding area strategically. Scent defense bro.

Make peace with the crows. My local crows are cool with me and the flock and hang around- welcome to the corn, and they watch for hawk and call in the calvary when he shows. King Hawk. I've seen him. Rescued grandma chicken from the clutches of his talons before. Literally, with a broom. Crows were going nuts , almost like a crow tornado, I'm charging with a broom bellowing like a savage, jump King Hawk, crows rode in like dive bombers swooped in and chased him away across the field, musta been a dozen crows and more on the way. King Hawk is gigantic, like a six foot wing span. I wouldn't believe it either unless I seen it myself.

Amen brother. Give your birds a good happy life - don't beat yourself up when something happens
i always beg my dog to pee and poop near the chickens lol.
 

Dakota8472

Songster
Apr 9, 2022
410
1,084
196
how can you make nest boxes the chickens can use during the day that will prevent snakes from accessing them?
tis a good question, snakes are quiet the slinking climby things. I think id like to hear any opinions on this question as well. Mine havent began laying yet, but i know this may be an issue down the road.
 

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