Dealing With Predators
Every keeper of poultry discovers sooner or later that there are neighbors out there who like our delicious fowl as much as we do. My own strong feeling is that our response to wild predators (and those not so wild—the local dog could be your worst predation threat) should not be to launch a war on them, but to find ways to coexist peacefully.
We share the stories of our own close encounters with various predators in “In the Shadow of the Hawk”. To put one’s own predation issues into perspective, I asked my friend Oogie McGuire to share her own challenges in the mountains of Colorado.
A good overview of predator issues is “Getting along with Predators”, which starts with the important roles of predators in the local ecology. “The Usual Suspects” discusses the more common predators we flocksters may have to protect our poultry from, with hints about “reading a kill” if we have had a hit. Finally, while predator deterrence is not primarily about purchased solutions, I discuss three accessories you might find useful in “Purchased Aids for Predator Defense”.
If you have your own stories and solutions to share, please be in touch. And good luck keeping the flock intact.