annafauna
Strolling the yard
- Joined
- 12/16/20
- Messages
- 103
- Real Name
- Anna
We live in the countryside and used to hear coyotes a lot -- but they were very skittish about people and never bothered us or the animals. Then we got a neighbor who apparently took up coyote hunting as a hobby, which seems to have opened a niche for much more destructive predators. Foxes are a bad one; we've had foxes try to grab chickens while we were right outside with them! I lost a hen to a mink and had to chase it off another time. And new last year was the bobcat. My older daughter saw the bobcat once and swore up and down that that's what she'd seen, but I didn't *quite* believe her until I saw it for myself. Sadly, I saw it only after it managed to kill three hens in a matter of minutes. I know we lost our first rooster to a hawk, but I don't know that any of our other losses have been to hawks/eagles. The chickens seem to keep a much closer eye on the sky than they do on their immediate surroundings. Usually if I notice a hawk circling, I'll check to see where the chickens are, and they've already taken cover.I have the same problem... not sure what predators you have but in my yard there are foxes and hawks. Also the occasional eagle. I’ve lost one chicken to a fox.