Backyard Chickens And Dogs

by chicken house plans on Wednesday, June 11th, 2008 | Comments Off

The Chicken predators Menace and how to deal with them

Poultry predation is a problem that backyard poultry farmers have to deal with very often. Unfortunately chickens are really down in the food chain and have a lot to worry about as far as being eaten is concerned. In fact almost anything larger than a cat (or a cat)can lay its claim on a chicken and get away with it very easily unless preventive measures are taken against it.

Some of the most common predators are dogs, cats, weasels, foxes, raccoons, possums, owls, and hawks. These are very easy to find and are also very skilled in the art of “preying”. However you may not have to deal with each of them so the most important thing for you to do once you find strange occurrences in your backyard is to identify what you are dealing with. Fortunately for you, each of these predators leaves behind a trail through which you can identify the culprit.

For instance if you have found a dead bird with no parts missing, then in all probability you are dealing with a dog or a weasel, both of which will kill for sport. If there are a parts missing then your problem can be a raccoon or a weasel as well as a dog who managed to reach into your coop/run and rip a poor bird’s head or limb off.

A missing bird with absolutely no trail what-so-ever can be the work of a hawk or an owl who managed to swoop down and grab a bird. Remember hawks operate by the morning while owls by the night.

Of course there are many more things you should consider when dealing with predators.

About the Author

I have discussed this in greater detail on my page right here , where you can learn all about raising chicken properly and how you can make chicken coops and arks which are properly designed for such scenarios.

My neighbors dog keeps getting my chickens.?

I raise a small backyard flock of free range chickens. I pen them up at night, and let them roam through my several acres during the day. In return they provide me with the most wonderful eggs you've ever tasted. The problem is, my neighbors dog occasionally visits and either reduces my flock size, or terrorizes my hens if they haven't been let out for the day yet. The first time it happened, my neighbor was apologetic and compensated me for the dead birds. But the dog has been back several times. I don't want to be a jerk neighbor, but I don't want to lose my few remaining birds, either. I don't really feel that it is the dog's fault, either. Its in his nature. But I want to make it known to the dog that he is NOT welcome in my yard. I know that I legally can shoot him for molesting my 'liestock' but this seems way harsh and I wouldn't go that route. Could I unload the shot from a shotshell and shoot him with the wad to scare the bejesus from him?

If your neighbor is already aware of the problem with his dog, then you have to take this situation to the next level. Call your local Sherrif or Police Department and make a Police report for "Destruction of Property". The Police/Sherrif will then have to follow up and investigate your complaint and force your neighbor to restrain his dog or have it taken away by your local Animal Control Agency. Any attempt to shoot or scare away the Dog could have bad results, and you'd be considered the "bad guy" then.Not to mention maybe stuck with a big Vet bill for the Dogs injuries. You are the victim here and your property has a right to be left alone and respected by others. Do this the right way and the legal way. You will find that you get the results you want without risk of law suits from irrate neighbors and your chickens will be safe once more.
After all, this problem has cost you in the past, and you have no obligation to let it continue into the future.