![]() ![]() Smooth it out just before confining your birds for the night. What does the damage look like? Are the birds maimed, or is there just a pile of feathers left behind?Ī simple, but not fail-safe, first method of deduction is to lay sand around the crime scene area. Determine where, how and when birds are lost. The usual suspectsīefore you can control predators of chickens, you must first identify them. Since the former is nearly impossible and sometimes illegal, we’ll focus on strategies that deter predators, or keep them out entirely. You either can eliminate predators by lethal methods or you can employ tactics that prevent their access to coops and pens. Nevertheless, there are measures you can take to reduce your losses. By their wandering nature, poultry are vulnerable to predation. In fact, a group of our Midget White turkeys and Dorking chickens take an evening stroll every night around the barns, investigating the new grass growth and the birds in an opposing yard. Admittedly, much of the ground is scratched bare (all the better for dust bathing), but a large area of the chicken yard also consists of tall weeds, saplings and grass, where they go exploring and scratching for insects.ĭespite all their free ranging and the “entertainment” available to them, chickens (and turkeys especially) do not like to stay put – enabled, of course, by their wings, which we don’t clip. An enormous, hollowed out silver maple tree is their chosen spot to roost and enjoy the shade in the heat of the day. ![]() They have a homemade coop in which they dutifully put themselves away each night at dusk, as well as an old Butler grain bin in which to take shelter. The best strategy for stopping thieves is vigilance.Īt our farm, the 30-plus laying hens roam free in a large fenced-off pen with the goats, adjacent to the pigs. So unless you build the poultry version of Fort Knox, or imprison your birds in a bunker with a concrete foundation, you will, on occasion, lose some souls to any of the predators of chickens. Chickens, after all, look for ways to die. Understand how to correctly identify and deter the most common predators.Ĭhicken keepers understand, without a doubt, that a farm is a tenuous balance of predators and prey – nature’s checks and balances. ![]() Thoroughly knowing the predators of chickens is the first step to keeping your chickens safe. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |