I've never kept chickens so don't have a clue ... but our house is next to a lot of woods and protected park land and we have coyotes and bears around -- the bears come through the yard regularly to eat our apples... I would like to have chickens running around the yard and put them in a chicken house at night ... is this unfeasible with this kind of critter activity around? Also we get the occasional rattlesnake in the yard (big ones) ...
Typically , atleast around here, the bears and coyotes visit my yard at night or early morning (twilight). So you'd probably be okay letting the chickens free range and locking them up at night, .....in my opinion. As for the snakes, we get rattlers here as well, but they can get thru chicken wire and visit the flock anytime they want to really.
I think you should go for it. Most ppl have one kind of critter or another to deal with and try to deter from their flock. Just protect them the best you can and realize you will have some losses, either to illness or critters.
~Julie =0)
I hope you have lots of money to buy more chicks.I would think your inviting a lot of trouble. Snakes, Coyotes, and Bears?????????? want to buy a couple of lions????? Good luck
I'm envious. Out here, everything wild that's a threat has been wiped out, with the exception of hawks.
Hardware cloth rather than chicken wire is a good choice with predators like those: a coon will pull parts of a chicken through the wire and eat what he can. The snakes... well, they're pretty good at getting in, but choosing hardware cloth over chicken wire again, and good tight construction of your evening shelter will make a huge difference.
Hardware cloth sounds like a good idea ... well, it will be awhile before we seriously try it ... I also thought about guinea hens because they would eat some ticks (yes we have a ton of deer that come through the yard -- those darn apples again) but I don't think I could handle the noise they make -- plus they're not as cute to me as chickens ...
Howdy ! I live in Broome County , New york and we have all those critters here as well as a Cougar that was sighted a few months ago. I was wondering who was putting the cat in the wringer . I guess it was the Cougar howling. I have 100 hens who live behind a welded wire fence and we found it was better to keep a strip mowed between the woods and the fence. I walk the fence line several times a week to make sure nothing has been trying to dig under it. We have the biggest problem with foxes. They can climb the fence and have gotten many free lunches over the past few years. We practice SSS ( Shoot , shovel , shut up) If you plan on having chickens is a wild habitat, be prepared to lose some or all. Build the best fortress you can and be sure to lock the hen house at night.
Linda
Geez -- I'm not sure it's worth it because they would basically be pets and it would be upsetting to keep losing them! We have the raccoons and foxes too of course ...
I think your girls would be pretty safe during the day, especially if you don't have a problem with critters approaching the house during daytime (good dog helps). If they're locked up at night, they'll be okay too. And once they realize there are predators out their, they may get themselves to bed a little earlier, as well. My buff orpingtons are always the last to go to bed, and I suppose that tendency would put them at risk.
I have tons of predetors here too and as long as the birds are locked up at night
they are pretty safe
I've heard peacocks keep snakes away
I havent had any monster ones run thru my yard since I got my peasters
Aren't peacocks noisy? Pretty though ... do they eat ticks?
Hi there crockny. We have coyotes, bear, hawks, foxes, coons, neighbors dogs and cats, weasely types in several varieties, etc. not to mention some people have rats, but luckily...i keep my fingers crossed on that one.
We actually do pretty well with the girls. I have a dog and my coop is right next to the house. we let the girls free range when we are home, but we also have a large chicken yard which we surrounded with dog fencing, where the girls hang out when we are at work, and it is warm enough to play outside. ( it's a real mix, this time of year.) We lost one half grown chick to a neighbor's cat, and we lost one girl to a hawk ( we think) out of the approximately 20 we've had over thte past 2 and a half years. We have lost more to random chicken ailments ( chicken vertigo anyone?) and put two down due to aggressive male rediculousness. (about 7).
chickens are a roll of the dice. my mother ( same area) just lost 4 out of 5 to a daytime coyote raid. But can you blame them? It is cold and snowy and hunger time here for wild animals.
You are going to lose a few chickens. that's farming. I cry every single time it happens, and that's just how it is. There are lots of posts here and on the internet at large about how to do critter safe construction. I recommend getting flight netting, if you really want to be safe from flying predators.
chickens are meals on legs! we arent the only ones to think so.
that being said, i love my chickens. they have great lives while they are around ( egg chickens only here) and they are totally worth the effort. I would go for it.
I agree with Backyard hens.You do the best you can to protect them but everyone ,including wildlife, love a free meal.However this fall we lost 5 to free roaming dogs who just killed them for the sport of it and that was infuriating. I saw them as they were going after some more and ran them off. Jane in NH
very frustrating. I hate that. it is one thing if you are a starving fox mama, who needs to feed the babies, and another if you are free roaming fido. a few years ago, a neighbor started shooting the dogs that were harassing his geese. it was terrible, but the amount of people following the leash law went WAY up. most people can't believe that their dogs would do something like that.
anyway, i am building a new coop in the spring and I saw this in my internet travels.
http://www.ext.vt.edu/pubs/poultry/factsheets/10.html
it is about building a pest "proof" chicken coop.
