It happens to every homesteader or backyard chicken keeper sooner or later – the dreaded predator attack. You will make your daily morning trip to the coop and will discover that a trespassing predator had snuck into your coop overnight, or worse, sometimes it will happen right before your eyes in broad daylight. No matter what the scenario, it is horrifying every time. Hopefully some of the predator information I outline below will aid in predator identification and possibly prevent a future attack.
Dogs
If I had to name one predator that has caused me the most grief it is a dog. Our own dog, actually. When we first adopted our redbone coonhound, Annabelle, she had broken out of the house one day while we were at work and killed more than half of our flock. We now live in a newer home with much more secure locks and door handles. But it is a lesson I will not soon forget. Always introduce your dogs to your flock slowly and make sure they understand that chickens are not chew toys or play objects.
In my experience dogs will not kill to eat a meal. Rather, they were looking to play with the bird and were too rough, accidentally killing their new found chew toy – typically leaving bodies near the scene of the crime. Domestic dogs are not often afraid of humans and will usually still be present when you discover the carnage that has occurred.
Coyotes and Wolves
Unlike domestic dogs, coyotes and wolves hunt for food. They are large enough to carry their victims away, leaving nothing but some feathers at the scene – making it very difficult to identify the chicken thief. I urge you to look for tracks or scat in the surrounding area. These predators typically hunt at night so ensure your flock is secured in a coop overnight to prevent a coyote or wolf attack.
Foxes
There is a reason that there is a famous saying about being as sly as a fox. They will easily climb over or dig under fencing and will stalk their prey until the right time arises to attack. Foxes are very similar to their other canine counterparts and will carry off their victims. However, fox tend to kill multiple victims and hide the extra carcasses for future meals. Search your property for any hiding spots if you are missing a few chickens. Fox tend to hunt at night but have been sighted stealing free range chickens during the daytime if given the opportunity.
Raccoons
Raccoons are infamous chicken killers. These creatures are very smart and can undo simple locks, open coop doors, and reach through most chicken wire and fencing. Raccoons are notoriously wasteful and will normally leave most of the body behind but will tear off limbs and behead the bird. Like most hunters, raccoons are most active at night so be sure to secure your flock at dusk. We have padlocks on both of our coops to ensure that these sneaky critters cannot open the coop doors.
Birds of Prey
Namely Hawks and Owls, but some regions could have trouble with eagles as well. Hawks are daytime hunters and will carry away an entire chicken without a trace. A missing chicken in broad daylight is a good indication that you have a hawk problem. I have watched a hawk dive down and attempt to grab a hen with us standing right there in our yard. Luckily, our rooster chased it off that day. We have installed plastic bird netting over our run to prevent hawks from getting in from above.
Owls pose the same problem as hawks, but these birds of prey hunt at night. I have seen videos from other chicken keepers where an owl will fly right into a coop window at night and haul off one of their birds. Always place chicken wire over any windows or openings to prevent an owl from flying in.
Weasels, Mink, and Fisher Cats
I loathe all members of the weasel family. Not only do they hunt for food, but they also hunt for sport – usually leaving a massacre of bodies to clean up. They will wipe out an entire flock at one time and will violently behead the birds or pull out their entrails. Most weasels can fit through an opening that is 1 inch in diameter, making it very difficult to keep them out of your coop. Always inspect your coops for holes that may have been caused by rats or other rodents. Weasels will take advantage of any small opening.
Bobcats and Cougars
Large felines are typically very fearful of humans and are not a very common predator in urban and suburban areas (Of course there are always some exceptions). These predators are large enough to carry off their victim so it may be difficult to determine if the predator was a large feline or canine. You may have to search for tracks or claw marks nearby. If they do leave a body behind you may be able to identify claw marks on the remains.
Bears
Signs of a bear attack will be quite obvious as they are the largest and strongest predators out there. They will tear through your coop, causing immense damage to chicken wire, fencing, and wooden structures. They will eat anything in sight – chicken feed, eggs, and live birds. Bears are attracted to the smell of chicken feed so always ensure your feed bins are covered.
Skunks
You will always know when a skunk has been lingering around your chickens. Their stench lingers for hours, or even days. Skunks are excellent diggers and will dig under fencing. Skunks are usually after your eggs or baby chicks, but can injure or kill your adult chickens if given the chance. When it comes to predators that love digging the best method of prevention is burying welded wire 12 inches deep around your chicken run or coop. Ensure your coop has some sort of floor and does not just sit on the ground.
Opossums
Opossums are scavengers and would prefer to steal your eggs and possibly consume small prey – baby chicks or bantam chickens. They rarely prey on standard size chickens but can injure them. You may discover bite marks on your chickens along with missing eggs and chicks. Opossums also love rummaging through garbage. If you have ever noticed your garbage cans knocked over or rooted through then you probably have opossums on your property. Opossums are nocturnal so keep your flock secured at night. A motion-sensor light near your coop is also not a bad idea to deter nocturnal predators.
Snakes
Most snakes are too small to harm adult chickens (unless you live in the rainforest). Some snakes are even small enough to become the prey. I have watched my hens fight over small garter snakes as they seem to think bite sized snakes and frogs are delectable treats. However, some larger species of snakes can steal eggs and consume baby chicks. Keep the area around your coop free of debris and tall grass as this is where they love to hide.
