How to Protect Poultry from Chicken Coop Predators

Where there is chicken, there are chicken coop predators. This is a normal part of nature because chickens are food and predators are drawn to places where there is an easy target. People raising chickens might get surprised one day that apparently, their chickens are reduced in number. Here, we will show you the most common predators and also provide you advice how to protect your chickens from these predators.

PART I: the Predators

Dogs and Cats

Dogs generally do not eat live chicken; they just love playing with them. Domesticated dogs are not obligate omnivores. This means they will eat meat but it is not their nature to do so, especially now that for many years, dogs have been fed dog food. Different dogs react differently with chickens around but it is best to leash the dogs when you have chickens on the loose. Better yet, get your dog used to the chickens so it wouldn’t chase the birds. Cats, on the other hand, are natural carnivores in the wild. They eat birds and rats.  Like dogs, cats may have been domesticated and may only play with the chickens. Nevertheless, this play can result to death. A cat bite can result severe bleeding that will eventually kill the chicken.

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Foxes and Coyotes

Foxes are always linked with chicken coops and they maybe considered as the number one of all chicken coop predators. Foxes have learned to be smart and it is generally known that foxes will watch over a chicken coop before finally making its move. Most of the time, foxes are successful and the owner is left baffled at how the fox could have outsmarted him. A fox can dig and can jump over the fence so these are the key areas you need to protect.  The coyote operates like a fox. The only difference is that coyotes cannot really jump and climb fences as good as a fox. What a coyote is most likely going to do is to dig a hole and create a tunnel to the fence.

There are so many types of chicken predators and their presence largely depends on your area. In some states, bears also wreak havoc to poultry farms. Some states have owls and eagles that swoop at night and take the chickens out of the cages. Others have raccoons and skunks. No matter what type of chicken coop predators lurk in the shadows there will be always be a solution so do not worry.

PART II: The Solution

Even if you have a homemade chicken coop that is not made of metal, you can still protect your chickens from predators. One important thing to consider is the material that you use. As much as possible, use metal wire mesh instead of plastic. Metal wires are sturdier than plastic and even strong predators cannot pry these wires open.

When buying chicken coop kits, make sure that the design is fool-proof. You must make sure that the kit you are buying has a roof. This prevents owls and eagles to swoop on your chickens. In fact, roofs also discourage land predators that can climb such as foxes and cats. Lastly, the flooring should not be made of soil. This is precisely because rodents dig under the ground and create tunnels that will lead inside the coop. What you can do to resolve this is to bury a metal or wooden floor beneath the ground. The wooden or metal plank should exceed at least twelve inches around the entire chicken coop.

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