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\n<\/p><\/div>"}. If you do not give this issue attention, unfortunately, you may have a gruesome discovery come morning when you feed the flock. Another option is an automatic coop door. The first order of business is to have a secure coop with a door that shuts securely at night. Smart chickens learn quickly to take cover if danger is circling overhead. 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. Avoid chicken wire, as this material is designed to keep chickens in rather than keeping predators out. Urine from other species can be beneficial in repelling bobcats and other animals. Add an angle at the top facing outward at 45 degrees, and 16 inches in width. Protecting chickens requires a little forethought and some regular maintenance. You can also invest in traps and guard dogs to repel predators. They hunt by going directly for the chicken’s head or jugular to kill them. Hardware cloth is a small, sturdy mesh product sold in rolls at your local hardware store. Just make sure not to keep a schedule when letting the dog out if it’s an indoor dog. Discover how to keep chickens safe from predators the natural way! Still, guinea fowl come with an added benefit: these birds will eat every bug you can imagine that might plague the garden and barnyard from ticks to flies. But beware, their protection comes with a noisy price. You can accomplish this by manually shutting and locking the coop door yourself or by assigning the task to others. Put a roof on it. A determined, hungry animal can and will break through chicken wire. It is well-known that Llamas are used to protect flocks of sheep with lambs from predators. They will chase off everything from the mailman to coyotes. Bobcats do not usually threaten people, though they may occasionally snatch a chicken or turkey from a farmer's barnyard. Bobcats are the most common and widely distributed wild feline in the lower 48 states; the animals adapt well to human presence as long as they have sanctuary. We've recently had a bobcat coming into our fenced yard at night and attacking our chickens. A large breed dog that gets on well with your chickens can be an excellent deterrent from not only birds of prey, but other predators. Choose from bear urine, bobcat urine and more. Where to Buy Baby Chickens and Other Poultry Online, How to Raise and Keep Broody Hens for Eggs, Easy Chicken Care Tasks to Make Part of Your Routine, Chicken Breeds for the Small Farm or Backyard Flock, You Can Design and Build Your Own Portable Chicken Coop, Start a Chicken Broiler Business on Your Small Farm, Keep Your Chicken Coop Smelling Fresh and Clean, 6 Poultry Health Problems (and How to Deal With Them). Coyotes, bobcats, stray dogs, cats, hawks, snakes, skunks, raccoons, possums, ferrets… there is a long list of potential predators that would happily make a meal of your backyard ducks or chickens … Use chicken wire or hardware cloth as an effective barrier against predatory birds. I recommend it. Some dogs, playful creatures that they are, just love to chase and tease chickens. Take a look at the results here! So, what animals should you protect your chickens against? If you are new to raising chickens, you might not even be aware of what predators are around. Read our Generally, any creature can pass on disease to poultry, especially wild rodents. Keep the water pressure light so that it scares the chickens without hurting them. All cats are different. Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 66,489 times. Consider motion-controlled spraying as well. How to Protect Chickens from Feral Animals, http://www.grit.com/animals/predators-of-chickens?pageid=2#PageContent2, http://www.ci.brainerd.mn.us/DocumentCenter/Home/View/469, http://articles.extension.org/pages/71204/predator-management-for-small-and-backyard-poultry-flocks, https://www.backyardchickencoops.com.au/can-you-keep-cats-and-chickens-together-in-the-same-backyard, proteger a los pollos de los animales salvajes, consider supporting our work with a contribution to wikiHow. Bobcats can also use their claws in any openings of your coop to snatch chickens. Squirrels are said capable of carrying diseases that pass on through their urine, such as Weil's Disease. Have them interact through a fence or enclosure for a few weeks. I am A farm girl and I am deaply attached to animals. These can attract coyotes and bring them closer to your chicken There are several ways to set it up. So, how do you protect your flock so you do not have to worry about losing your poultry stock to raccoons, dogs, weasels, hawks, and more? References. Can you keep them in a barn instead of a pen? Traps can serve as a good potential offense against predators, but be sure to research the safest kind for the animal you need to catch and use them judiciously only when all other measures have failed. To prevent a canine catastrophe, if you get a livestock guardian puppy, be sure to supervise its interactions with your chickens when it is young, and correct it any time it gives chase to your feathered farm animals. To learn how to use a cat or dog to guard your chickens, scroll down! 9) Bobcats. Bobcats can also use their claws in any openings of your coop to snatch chickens. These devices use a motion detector which is able to “see” 24 hours a day. Their sense of smell and eyesight is keen for hunting at night or during the day. 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