In Montgomery County, Texas we have a wide array of animals that we need to consider when building a coop and run. And, unfortunately, even if you have built fort knox an extremely determined predator will still find a way in. Maybe you forgot a door or gate one night, or a board rotted away. All you can do is your best and 99% of the time it's going to be fine.
Let's talk about what we need to consider when building that coop. A coop with 4 walls, a roof, and a base is the most secure place for your flock at night. For ventilation you will need hardware cloth. Raccoons, Possums, dogs, coyotes, etc will shred poultry wire in 2 seconds. Just take a pair of child's scissors and see how easy it is to cut. Okay, I'm turning into one of those bloggers and getting off subject!
Predators - ARIEL (High Threat)
Hawks - Opportunistic, but they will find a hole in the roof of your run and shred those babies. They will leave behind the carcass because hawks in our area tend to be small.
Eagles - Yep, that beautiful bald eagle, they are carnivores. Also opportunistic, and we do have several nests in our area. Low probability of attack since they primarily eat fish.
Owls - the great horned owl is a particular threat, because of its size, to chickens that have missed their bedtime call and are roosting out in the open at night.
Non Predators - ARIEL (low to nonexistent threat)
Vultures or Turkey Vultures - These huge birds are the garbage men of the air. They love all things dead, and luckily, post no real threat to chickens.
Ospreys - Like the Eagle, they will typically feed on fish, but if food is scarce and the opportunity strikes... Just remember, it's never 100% when it comes to wild animals.
Crows - Crows are friends. They, and their cousin the blue jay, will help keep your yard predator free. Of course, it comes at a price. Peanuts. And lots of them!
To keep your flock safe from ariel attacks, provide your flock with trees, shrubs, weeds, anything they can hide in when the alert is sounded. Roosters, guineas, and even turkeys will spend much of their time watching the skies and if they spot a predator, or helicopter, they will sound off and the hens will run. For chickens with large crests and little line of sight, an aviary or covered run is the best option to keep them alive.
Treating survivors of hawk attacks can be tricky. I once had a girl that had been torn up from her crop to her vent. My favorite hen, of course. The hardest part was finding all the punctures hiding beneath her feathers. All wounds were cleaned out, including removing any feathers that had been pushed into the wounds, and she was sprayed with Vetericyn. We kept her in a basket in a quiet, barely lit room for several days. During that time she was dosed with B vitamins to help with the stress and sprayed twice daily with Vetericyn. She was a real trooper and never quit laying eggs throughout her entire recovery, which lasted about two weeks. Chickens are incredibly quick healers. Red was then reintroduced to the flock and lived happily for another year till she was snatched by a fox. It was not her year!
There are other things you can do to help protect for flock like fake owls, trained livestock guardian dogs, those crazy air blower things, and more. Maybe a scarecrow, or two? But at the end of the day, if an attack is going to happen, it's going to happen just as soon as you've left the yard and all your defenses are down. Let's be honest, it is, what it is! Luckily, these attacks are typically swift and over in seconds. Feel free to share your stories in hopes that we can learn from our mistakes or, at the least, figure out what we can do better.
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