Snakes will wiggle their … Place them in metal containers around your coop to deter the skunks from approaching. Channel wildlife away from the Chicken coop If you do not have an exterior fence, or your coop is on the edge of your property, a good strategy for further protecting your brood is to channel the wildlife traffic away from the coop. Although these insects, pests and bugs seem to be very small but then they have the ability to multiply in a short period of time. Here are tips to keep coyotes out of your chicken coop: Coyotes can’t “grab” your chickens through the gaps around your coop fencing. on How to Keep Predators Away From My Chicken Coop? You’ll recognize that a fox has been in your coop if your chicken is missing. Raise The Level Of The Floor. Relevance. So just how do you keep predators out of the chicken coop? Will lights keep predators away from chickens? Use a trained dog to keep predators, including raccoons, away from your property. Vermin - rats and mice Rats are a double whammy when it comes to chicken coop predators. Make sure the top of the run is covered (if they will be in a run) and that there are no openings. Give your chicken-friendly dogs the run of the chicken yard – particularly at night. by Kassandra Smith Favorite Answer. Make Sure You Keep Chickens Safe from Predators. This will keep most nocturnal predators away from the coop. Get a Guard; Employ a livestock guardian dog or a rooster, or both, to watch over your flock. Let’s look at the top 7 winter predators and tips on how to keep your flock safe. Sprinkle Cayenne Pepper Flakes This explains why you’ll see feathers lying around as well because they are harder to … Now that you know that you have at least 13 types of chicken predators to be aware of when keeping chickens, it is also important to cover how to protect your flock. This introduced nasty has no native predators and is now pervasive across all of mainland Australia. When building a coop, elevation can help protect your chicken from potential predators. The coop itself is the strongest source of protection for your chickens, and if it’s strong enough, … Electric Net Fencing . If you cover the wire with the hardware cloth, this will provide an effective snake barrier. Keep the coverage at the height of at … Raise the floor of the chicken coop off the ground . This is essential especially during night time. Visiting vixens will think that humans are nearby and steer clear. Don't forget to use my discount code (BOKBOK50) to get 50% off! But, Make sure your dog likes chickens or has been trained not to harm them. Use Electric Fences. Speaking of temporary coops, if you don’t have a permanent run one great solution to keep predators away is to build or buy a chicken tractor. Yes talk radio helps, but I think if you leave it on all night, predators will get used to it. If that's not enough to deter predators, a few other steps may … Just like with snakes, cutting off their supply of eggs and vermin will keep these tricky reptiles away. All Rights Reserved. A worn (um, smelly) men's shirt hung near the chicken run is thought to deter predators. This will help prevent predators from attacking your chooks in their coop and snakes or vermin from gaining entry to your chicken run. But when the birds get free-range time to pasture outside of the run, one of the following forms of fencing is recommended. Make sure that you have provided them somewhere safe to go to get away from predators and bad weather. Fence pricing varies … a lot. Hawks, falcons and other birds of prey Hawks, falcons and other birds of prey are expert aerial hunters and most species are protected in Australia. Many animals have an aversion to humans, so playing a radio all night by … This is something that should be taken seriously by poultry farmers. Also, invest in materials to be used in the chicken coop. If you keep your garbage cans in the backyard, consider moving them to the front – or at least away from the chicken coop. That way it can help deter predators and provide automatic lighting for you for late night checkups. Time to peek inside those poultry nesting boxes and gather all the egg-ceptionally fresh eggs! Snakes will rarely eat a chicken but a hungry predator should not be underestimated. Predator proof the chicken house and run by burying poultry netting or other material around the outside. How can I make my chicken coop and their run smell better. 4-Use Welding Wires or Wire Fencing. Step #2 Inspect everything. So to keep chickens safe, a need is to cover the coop with the help of a wire mesh. Several nocturnal predators are just waiting for darkness and take advantage of the situation. Offer the chicken run with some covering and also make use of cross wiring in order to turn down the … Collect eggs frequently, put all pet food away, and secure your trash can with a lid. Use a 1-inch by 2-inch wire mesh or smaller gauge to keep predators out. Need to know something but short of time? Invest in a treadle feeder to keep your feed secure. You can use old coffee cans, metal baking trays, or anything else that prevents the ammonia from seeping through to the ground. It scares them and makes them stay away from your yard. How to Keep Predators Away From My Chicken Coop? Keep feeders in the coop or run even if your chickens free range during the day. 7 Secure chicken feed Secure feed means no vermin and no vermin means no nasty so-and-so's hanging about your chicken coop for an easy rat or mouse meal. However, foxes also eat their food whole. But the reality is they are not the greatest threat to a flock. Clean up any food scraps that the chickens do not eat before nightfall. I really recommend you replace any chicken wire with 1/4 inch hardware cloth because it really works to keep predators out (my favorite hardware cloth is the Gilbert & Bennett YARDGARD on Amazon). Perfect for serious free rangers and those with highly active foxes, dogs and feral cats in their area, electric poultry fencing is easy to set up and offsets its cost by allowing your hens to forage safely - reducing costs in feed and flock replacement. Store feed away from the coop. A determined, hungry animal can and will break through chicken wire. So, while a predator proof coop is still necessary, the number 1 way to keep bears from messing with your chickens is to not attract them in the first place! The ground assault from raccoons, foxes, and other … I have had quite a bit of experience keeping skunks away from my chickens and I want to share these with you. They are pretty bold. The effectiveness of these ways to keep predators away from your chicken coop depends on the implementation. Lorem Ipsum has been the industry’s standard dummy text ever since the 1500s. For foxes - try leaving a battery operated radio tuned to a talk-back station near your coop overnight. It’s so simple and cheap to make! Answer Save. This will deter most predators and keep your chickens safe. Tag: how to keep predators away from my chicken coop Keeping Silkie Chickens Safe From Raccoons. … Build your coop off the ground. It is advisable to have 3 to 4 feet distance from the coop base to the ground. Add More Defense to Your Chicken Coop. Got a problem? Learn how to keep owls away from chickens and how to appreciate the benefits owls have on the farm. It should be in high quality and chicken-friendly. The vulnerability of chickens to predators can lead to the profit loss. You have to use more than one tactic to keep predators away. Adding a mesh flooring or a perimeter foundation of concrete, bricks, pavers or timber … If the gauge is larger than an inch or so, then wrapping the chain link in chicken wire is a good idea to keep smaller predators such as weasels or snakes out also. Have a well-constructed chicken coop.. And if … Even if your chickens are free-range, train them to return to the hen house each night so you can keep them safe. No one wants to spend their time guarding a coop from intruders. If you have already had a snake invasion, if you don’t take measures to snake-proof your coop, the offenders will return. This post contains affiliate links. Use eggs, dog or cat food, or sardines for bait and change the bait up after you catch one or two skunks. I highly recommend their beginner-friendly, well-structured courses to all my readers! Whether you live in an urban, suburban or rural area, predators like foxes and snakes pose a threat to your chicken coop, day and night. how do i protect my chickens? How to keep bears away from your chickens So, how do you not attract bears to your chicken coop then? Your request is being sent. 3. Electric Poultry Fencing Keeps the Predators Out Using an electric fence to protect chickens while they forage and roost is your best defence against chook... As hard as it is to believe, there are some animals out there who don’t see your precious flock as cute little feathered friends like... Chicken keeping does not have to be difficult or stressful, and you shouldn’t have to spend your time worrying about the pending threat that rats... What are they? Cover the Coop. 5 Sensor lights and fox lights Nocturnal predators hunt after dark to avoid humans and competition for prey. Rats also love to feast on your girls beloved eggs. You have to take time in preparing the... Elevate the chicken coop off the ground.. Raise a certain level of height from … Whether it’s Fluffy the neighbourhood moggy or a feral feline on the prowl, cats who have not made your flock their family pose a serious threat to your chicken coop. First, prepare your coop and run with a regular check for any holes over a half inch and cover them... Make some noise. Raccoons are one of silkie chicken’s biggest predators. Every night around 9:30 to 10:30 I would smell the faint odor of a skunk near my chicken coop. Snakes Most species of snakes, from carpet pythons to king browns, are attracted to your chicken coop by two things - vermin and eggs. This is not optional but compulsory. “I’ll do it tomorrow” very quickly turns into three years down the road, and you’re inviting a lot of predators to enjoy a tasty snack in your coop if you delay. One of the primary concerns in poultry raising is how to keep predators away from the chicken coop. Skunks-Chicken Predator-How to Keep Them Away From your chickens. Scare tape is a holographic tape that confuses birds of prey by reflecting light haphazardly. This may be due to the chicken wire being quite flimsy and easy to tear into, especially for bigger predators like foxes. 2 Burrowing prevention Make sure your coop is burrow proof with a mesh floor that juts out at least 30cm from the coop perimeter or is attached at the base of the chicken coop or run. I have put these first as from my experience, they are the smartest, most persistent predator around. Secure it with a tight fence, high enough (about 4 feet) and deep enough (1.5 feet) underground to keep jumping and digging predators at bay. 2-Train the Birds Offer some sort of training to the birds and animals to return to the houses every evening. This method of course will not work for light fingered neighbours. Keep all of these in mind when you are designing your chicken coop to keep chickens safe. 5. The same rule applies to bird feeders. Many predators such as hawks or owls dive right in from the sky and will take your chickens away. If a fox is hungry enough, it will find a way through the chicken wire so if the problem continues, then you will need to upgrade. They’re not known to do this, so you don’t need to worry about the fence gaps. They will associate the sound with food, and come running when they hear the noise. In order to keep these slithering threats at bay you need to cut off their supply of tasty eggs and vermin treats. Keep them safe through the night with a well-built coop that's set up the right way. Prepare yourself to take swift action when you discover predation. They will often be found circling above any potential meal waiting for the right opportunity to swoop in. Placing deterrent lights around the chicken coop is one of the best ways to create a raccoon-free property. When building your run, make sure you bury hardware mesh at least 2 feet deep around the compound- 4 feet deep would be ideal. If you intend to go higher, you may have a portable ramp for use in your poultry routine. Raise a certain level of height from the ground to the base of your chicken coop. Raccoons love a good trash-dive every now and then, so this will keep them away from the chickens. Not only is this, but some predators like possums and snakes are excellent climbers.