How to keep your chicken safe from predators

Poultry farming is a wonderful hobby for anyone who has a small amount of space in his home. As you venture into it, it will become important to have your chickens protected from predators. How to keep your chicken safe from predators is the post you want to read right now.

It is pertinent to understand that predators are active both during the day and night, they are in various shapes and sizes and can attack from any angle, whether it from the sky, ground, or through digging the soil.

So you need to know which predator and from what angle will be attacking your precious chickens. They are predators who attack chickens and ones who attack both chickens and eggs, so pay attention to all of this.

The predators are common among chickens and their eggs include hawks, eagles, owls, raccoons, opossum, snakes, rats, skunk, fox, coyote, bear, weasels, minks, fisher cats, bobcats, badgers, etc.

How to Make Your Own Chicken Feed

If the chickens are free-ranging in the yard, they are the most vulnerable to certain attacks, allowing them to be under strict surveillance can help deter various attacks on their lives.

Below are some ideas that can help to protect your chickens from predators.

Do not use chicken wire

Chicken wires were designed specifically to keep chicken in, but it wasn’t done to keep predators out. So predators like snakes, raccoons, etc. can access the coop easily through the larger links in the wire. Instead of using chicken wire goes for half an inch hardware cloth.

Use diggers extensively

Foxes, Coyotes, etc. can access the chicken coop in minutes, just by digging underneath the enclosed portion outside the chicken run. In order to stop this surround the chicken’s run with a 2-foot wide apron of hardware cloth, by burying it few inches below the ground’s surface.

Place a roof on the coop

If the chicken coop is uncovered, predators that can fly or climb will be able to access the coop easily. So, farmers should place a roof over the coop to prevent predators from landing or climbing into it.

Try to batten down the hatches

Be sure that the chickens are safely locked into the coop from nightfall until morning. Inspect the coop and repair any small holes around the coop, because it can be sure access for predators such as rats, weasels, and snakes.

Use high-quality locks

Any easily open latches should be replaced with predator-proof ones because some animals such as raccoons can figure out how to unlock most of the locks.

POULTRY FARMING EQUIPMENT AND THEIR USES

Consider getting a rooster

The rooster does a wonderful job of keeping their girls safe from danger and can be used in the chicken coop for this purpose as well. They will guide the chickens to safety and return to ward off threat whenever the need arises.

Try to install motion-activated lights

It will keep nighttime predators out since they like to work under the cover of darkness.

Electrify the coop

If you are living in an area where large predators such as bears or bob-cats are around, you should consider electrifying the fencing area around the coop so that they can be kept out.

Most Important Factors for Formulating Chicken Feed

Conclusion

It is inevitable that you will run into conflict with wildlife and predators if you are starting a backyard poultry farm for your chickens. This is because almost every predator will eat chicken if they have the opportunity. Therefore, those birds that are safely locked away in their coops rarely gets eaten, but free-range chicken are more prone to get eaten. Taking appropriate measures to protect your chickens, then is a good step and will protect your chickens and minimize losses on your part.