You need a solid bottom rail on your fence right next to the ground. The fence material must be fastened to this rail. The bobact will get under anything else.
Have yhou checked out the Egyptian Fayoumi,,,Red Jungle Fowl...if you are not intent about layers ..these chickens are almost predator proof in free range ...also modern game bantams...(almost like a dam road runner)...available through McMurray and others...bottom line is they just do better free ranging..
Where's your dog??..A bobcat won't go near a dog!...farm dogs...border collies, austrailians, queenslands, McNabbs..are all OK with poultry..you need a good dog
Storm was a "once in 5 years", high winds, lotsa good hard rain, pwr line down in the pasture and phone out, but fun to be outside in...in the right gear, lol.
Sure, I heard about the storm but had no idea, really, where you were. And the story about the chickens was quite allegorical. Guarding against the wrong predator...
It is fun to be out in weather in the right gear, that's for sure.
Sorry to hear of your troubles. A dog will help but it should be trained around livestock. I have heard that any dog with a sheperding instinct would be good--English Sheep dogs. I afraid my lab mix and heeler-mix would eat the chickens. Can you make a little walk/run way for the birds to be able to walk about protected?
You are so right about a dog. Heard they must be raised with the chickens. Am considering how to make an enclosure *quickly*, and have figured out how to include food and water inside the small coop for those times when the wind/rain is too awful. Thanks
Gosh, so sorry to hear about this. It is a common thing to have happen though. If it wasn't a bobcat, then the next likely culprit would be a fox, raccoons, or even cats. Aside from tightening up your defense system against outside predators, keep an eye out for possible cannibalism of the injured bird by other members of the flock. Chicken cannibalism isn't common in well-fed free range birds like yours, but it can still happen when a weakened member is housed with the others!
Wow, I had no idea. Thanks for warning me, so far the other chickens are being nice, and the injured chicken is just hanging out in a nest. Saw the bobcat, but it could be more than one predator I'm sure. Thanks
use chicken wire in 2 layers, and elevate the second layer from the ground. Hook it up to a fairly heavy duty electric fence transformer. the inner player won't shock the chickens but the outer layer will really freak the bob cat out. i use something simliar to keep critters like deerOUT of my grape vines. You can get effective units that are solar powered for about a $100.
Brilliant! Thank you for that idea. We have electric fences for all the horse pastures, to keep them from pushing on the fences. The deer go right thru them...But the double chickwire makes great sense.
sad...everyone i know who keeps chickens loses some to predators, even with tight security. some people give offerings to the predators and ask them to leave the chickens alone. i trust your chicky friend made it through the night.
(funny that when you said the word 'lynx' your cat meowed)
is the storm a snowstorm? if so the tracks might give you some helpful information about how he gets in
Storm is a wind and rain storm. Predicting flash flooding friday with the storm swell coming off the pacific and gusts up to 60mph.
Sad is right. Thanks for advice, like the thought of offerings. Don't know if the poor chickie will make it, she was so so this morning but went on the nest this aft and just hasn't moved since. so...
That is a good idea! I did talk to someone in the area and bobcats getting the chickens is pretty common. I guess I have to build a chicken yard and only let them out when I'm working in the garden. Thanks, I'm not giving up, but getting creative I hope.
I wish you the best figuring that out! I don't have any suggestions. Terrible to lose your chickens like that. I would have thought hawk too! I lost a yorkie that way...a hawk swooped down and got her.
Yikes, poor yorkie. Poor you for having seen it. Chickens are one thing, pets are another. We take pets indoors and into our hearts. Loss is significant. I feel bad about the chicks, but when my cat died...devastated. Thanks.
Oh, and I have a suggestion as to what you could do to deter the Lynx. Maybe if you erected some kind of scarecrow near the chicken coup the lynx would think it was a human and stay away???
Maybe, but it has got to move to scare. I was thinking that a dog would be the way to go. Trouble is, you have to raise the dog with the chickens for it to be protective instead of trying to catch them for fun.
That is such a shame. When my family used to own chickens, a fox always used to get at them and kill them. No matter how much wire mesh my dad would put up, the fox could always seem to get through it. Thats once of the pitfalls of owning chickens, they are domestic animals and do not really have the instincts to survice attacks from wild predators. Don't let this put you off from owning chickens though!!! CHICKEN POWER!! lol
thank you! Chicken power indeed! Thought the big fence would keep out the foxes, but lynx can climb and jump better than a fox (which is saying something). Hasn't put me off yet, but yikes anyway.
You need a solid bottom rail on your fence right next to the ground. The fence material must be fastened to this rail. The bobact will get under anything else.
AugustusLarch 1 year ago
I love your chickens. I always kept chickens when I had a farm.
Glad you solved the problem!
MysterEy1 4 years ago
Thank you. I never knew chickens could be such fun. Kids should be exposed to more natural farmlike stuff, imho.
crazymml 4 years ago
Have yhou checked out the Egyptian Fayoumi,,,Red Jungle Fowl...if you are not intent about layers ..these chickens are almost predator proof in free range ...also modern game bantams...(almost like a dam road runner)...available through McMurray and others...bottom line is they just do better free ranging..
dhimes3 4 years ago
Where's your dog??..A bobcat won't go near a dog!...farm dogs...border collies, austrailians, queenslands, McNabbs..are all OK with poultry..you need a good dog
dhimes3 4 years ago
You are so right. But doesn't the dog have to be raised with the chickens in order for it to protect and not chase for fun or eating?
crazymml 4 years ago
@dhimes3
My Chihuahua didn't stop a bobcat from getting my chickens. The Bobcat just waits for a dog to nap.
AugustusLarch 1 year ago
So, I'm two weeks late to the story: what happened in the storm? Such an engaging story; so different from the day-to-day life I lead. Thanks.
tlg847 4 years ago
Storm was a "once in 5 years", high winds, lotsa good hard rain, pwr line down in the pasture and phone out, but fun to be outside in...in the right gear, lol.
crazymml 4 years ago
Sure, I heard about the storm but had no idea, really, where you were. And the story about the chickens was quite allegorical. Guarding against the wrong predator...
It is fun to be out in weather in the right gear, that's for sure.
tlg847 4 years ago
Sorry to hear of your troubles. A dog will help but it should be trained around livestock. I have heard that any dog with a sheperding instinct would be good--English Sheep dogs. I afraid my lab mix and heeler-mix would eat the chickens. Can you make a little walk/run way for the birds to be able to walk about protected?
doricebaty 4 years ago
You are so right about a dog. Heard they must be raised with the chickens. Am considering how to make an enclosure *quickly*, and have figured out how to include food and water inside the small coop for those times when the wind/rain is too awful. Thanks
crazymml 4 years ago
Gosh, so sorry to hear about this. It is a common thing to have happen though. If it wasn't a bobcat, then the next likely culprit would be a fox, raccoons, or even cats. Aside from tightening up your defense system against outside predators, keep an eye out for possible cannibalism of the injured bird by other members of the flock. Chicken cannibalism isn't common in well-fed free range birds like yours, but it can still happen when a weakened member is housed with the others!
woosteria 4 years ago
Wow, I had no idea. Thanks for warning me, so far the other chickens are being nice, and the injured chicken is just hanging out in a nest. Saw the bobcat, but it could be more than one predator I'm sure. Thanks
crazymml 4 years ago
use chicken wire in 2 layers, and elevate the second layer from the ground. Hook it up to a fairly heavy duty electric fence transformer. the inner player won't shock the chickens but the outer layer will really freak the bob cat out. i use something simliar to keep critters like deerOUT of my grape vines. You can get effective units that are solar powered for about a $100.
fnordly 4 years ago
Brilliant! Thank you for that idea. We have electric fences for all the horse pastures, to keep them from pushing on the fences. The deer go right thru them...But the double chickwire makes great sense.
crazymml 4 years ago
sad...everyone i know who keeps chickens loses some to predators, even with tight security. some people give offerings to the predators and ask them to leave the chickens alone. i trust your chicky friend made it through the night.
(funny that when you said the word 'lynx' your cat meowed)
is the storm a snowstorm? if so the tracks might give you some helpful information about how he gets in
pennilesscripple 4 years ago
Storm is a wind and rain storm. Predicting flash flooding friday with the storm swell coming off the pacific and gusts up to 60mph.
Sad is right. Thanks for advice, like the thought of offerings. Don't know if the poor chickie will make it, she was so so this morning but went on the nest this aft and just hasn't moved since. so...
crazymml 4 years ago
One thing you could do is play a radio out in the coop. Or maybe call the game wardens and see what they can tell ya. Don't give up:):)
BNDS9 4 years ago
That is a good idea! I did talk to someone in the area and bobcats getting the chickens is pretty common. I guess I have to build a chicken yard and only let them out when I'm working in the garden. Thanks, I'm not giving up, but getting creative I hope.
crazymml 4 years ago
I wish you the best figuring that out! I don't have any suggestions. Terrible to lose your chickens like that. I would have thought hawk too! I lost a yorkie that way...a hawk swooped down and got her.
Happy New Year to you!
GreatGig1 4 years ago
Yikes, poor yorkie. Poor you for having seen it. Chickens are one thing, pets are another. We take pets indoors and into our hearts. Loss is significant. I feel bad about the chicks, but when my cat died...devastated. Thanks.
crazymml 4 years ago
Oh, and I have a suggestion as to what you could do to deter the Lynx. Maybe if you erected some kind of scarecrow near the chicken coup the lynx would think it was a human and stay away???
noonninny 4 years ago
Maybe, but it has got to move to scare. I was thinking that a dog would be the way to go. Trouble is, you have to raise the dog with the chickens for it to be protective instead of trying to catch them for fun.
crazymml 4 years ago
That is such a shame. When my family used to own chickens, a fox always used to get at them and kill them. No matter how much wire mesh my dad would put up, the fox could always seem to get through it. Thats once of the pitfalls of owning chickens, they are domestic animals and do not really have the instincts to survice attacks from wild predators. Don't let this put you off from owning chickens though!!! CHICKEN POWER!! lol
noonninny 4 years ago
thank you! Chicken power indeed! Thought the big fence would keep out the foxes, but lynx can climb and jump better than a fox (which is saying something). Hasn't put me off yet, but yikes anyway.
crazymml 4 years ago