Chickens mostly encounter predators because their flight has a limited range and can move only a few yards, thus it becomes difficult for them to protect themselves from threats or attacks. They usually use their claws as a defense mechanism and can keep running using their flexible and strong toes, but fail in front of strong and ferocious predators.
So, let’s get to know how you can protect the chickens from these crucial situations.
How to Prevent Attacks on Backyard Chickens?
If you are an owner of a coop or have a small chicken farm, then here are the methods that would ensure the chickens remain safe and protected from predators.
Install Proper Fencing
Fences are the most budget-friendly investments that can help you to protect the chickens. You can try electric fences which will give a shock to the predators as they try to approach the chickens and thus keep them away. The best part is no animal gets harmed from the shock, it is just meant to scare them.
If you want to fight the birds of prey, then remove all the perching sites nearby, even standalone trees, within 100 yards of the chicken coop. You can also move the chickens into a housing format for the night to protect them. Secure the gates and also provide proper ground protection as foxes can dig under the fence to attack the chickens.
Keep Guard Animals
You can train guard dogs to protect the chickens, by chasing the predators and this would allow the chickens to roam free and safe. The dog can be trained to look after the flock day and night. Choose breeds, such as German Shepherds, Springer Spaniels, and Retrievers, who have the characteristics and temperament to guard the chickens.
Allow the dog to interact with the poultry and start the training process when the dog is a pup. This would ensure that the dogs start treating the chickens as family members. Alternatively, you can keep geese to protect the chickens. Raise the geese along with the chickens and train them, so that the geese can identify the chickens as members of the same flock. Geese can help to spot hawks and they make noise to draw everyone’s attention and even warn the chicken.
Using Security Cameras
Security cameras cannot prevent any attacks on the flock, but they can help you to identify the threat and based on that you can plan your next step. You can detect the frequent visitors at your poultry farm and also understand whether these predators are capable enough to get through the fences. So, if you detect a fox or maybe an owl or hawk around the coop, then you can make efforts to prevent any kind of risk to the chickens.
You can also pair the cameras with lights, timed noises, or motion sensor lights which would scare away the animals. But, before you use noise to deter the predators, check the limit so that it does not become a nuisance for the neighbors.
Remove Food Sources
Often, other animals are seen loitering around the chicken coop if they find any food source nearby, and they might not attack the chickens but damage the area around them. If there is a garbage bin, then predators might keep visiting the place and spot the chickens. Also, if there are piles of wood or shrubs, then these act as perfect hideouts, which predators can use for attacking purposes.
So, you need to clear the yard and remove every kind of obstacle from the coop’s surroundings. You can also try to set traps to capture the predatory animals and then shift them to a different place, but never harm them. You can also talk to the animal control board of your town to responsibly remove the predators and reduce their presence.
Keep a Rooster
Roosters are usually seen protecting the hens, so whenever they sense any predators around, they would make a loud noise. This helps to scare away or detect the predator and based on that you can take further actions. They also try to gather the poultry in a safe space as a way to defend the coop.
However, you need to go through the local guidelines about noise limits so that it doesn’t disturb your neighbors. However, the rooster might not be a protective solution at night as they fall asleep, so keep your eyes open and conduct a night patrol if necessary.
What Actions Should You Take if Predators Attack the Chickens?
If you find that any chicken has been attacked, leaving it injured, then you must immediately take it to the vet, otherwise, if the bird is already dead then bury it immediately away from the coop as the smell of a dead animal can lead to attacking predators.
Here are the steps that you can take to comfort the distressed chicken:
- Wash your hands before you take a look at the wound. Next, use medicinal cleaning supplies to clean the wound as much as possible. If there is dirt, gently wipe it off without drenching the bird in water.
- If the bird has been bitten and bleeding, then look for the source of bleeding and then try to stop it. Before you apply any medication, clean the wound and stop the bleeding.
- Apply a topical treatment that would help to heal the wound. You can use raw honey or hydrogen peroxide for the time being. Take the chicken immediately to the vet after providing it with first aid.
What Precautions You Must Take To Protect The Chickens?
Here are steps that you can follow as part of maintaining precautions while planning to protect the chickens from predators:
- You must get accustomed to your surroundings, and get to know about the wildlife around you before you set up a backyard chicken coop. Check what kind of animals get attracted when you spread grain on the ground. This would help you to determine the security strategies that you should implement.
- Get to know about the predators, such as which animals attack at what time. Wolfs generally attack at night, whereas hawks attack during the day. Some animals target weak and ill birds, whereas others attack chicks and eggs.
- Research about the habitats of the predators and learn about their attacking style. Hunting style also changes with season, so during cold you might detect an increase in predation. Considering this situation, move the chickens earlier into the coop to secure the gates during winter.
- Often the chicken can also attempt to break free, so you need to take care of that as well. Remain alert and repair the holes or block them, mend broken fences, and replace all the damaged parts of the coop.
- Lock the gate and also remove any ill chicken from the flock, as predators get attracted more to sick chickens. You must all collect fresh eggs which reduces the chance of predator visits and it will also discourage the hens from breaking their own egg.
What are the Common Predators of Chickens?
Based on the area, the predators can be determined. Mostly – birds of prey, such as hawks, owls, Jays, and crows, threaten the chickens. Also, dogs, foxes, raccoons, and skunks can attack these birds. Even rodents, bobcats, snakes, weasels, and coyotes can attack the backyard chickens.
