We all want to know how to protect our cluckers. This is one of the most important steps to keeping chickens alive.
Chickens have many natural enemies: foxes, opossums, rats, hawks, eagles, snakes, raccoons, cats, dogs, etc. They are called "prey animals" because they get hunted a lot. To prevent your chickens from being eaten, you need to have protection for them. Every so often, you need to inspect their pen to make sure they can't get out or something can't get in. Chickens like to dig in the dirt, so you'll need to fill up any holes by the fence. Chickens dig by scratching the dirt with their feet. Sometimes, the babies will be able to get out through small holes. So, every so often, check for holes in the dirt. We like to fill ours with concrete because they can't dig through stone. If you live in an area with a lot of predators, you'll probably want an electric fence. This will provide extra protection from ground predators. Electric fences typically don't kill predators, but they give a hot shock that causes a predator to leave. Snakes probably won't be effected by an electric fence because they stay close to the ground and the electric fence wire is a few inches above the ground. The pen needs walls to protect the chickens from weather, like wind and rain. You'll also need a fence and, if you have flying predators, you'll want some sort of cover on top. The fence should not have large holes in it because chickens or babies can get out or stuck. The fence isn't just one giant piece, so when you put it up, you'll need to make sure you use some sort of zip ties or twine to tie the pieces together so there aren't gaps. Another important thing chickens need is a place for them to perch. They perch to stay safe from ground predators during the night. Chickens are blind in the dark so they can't see if a predator comes for them. By being on a perch, they're safe from the ground predators, like opossums, raccoons, and rats. Mice are a threat to chickens, not because they eat chickens, but because they eat the food and spread germs. You'll need to protect the food by not feeding the chickens at night and not storing the food in bags. If the food is kept in a bag, the mice will chew through the bag. Mice poop and pee is what spreads diseases, so you want to make sure none gets in the food. Roosters let out a roar when something startles them that they think might be a threat. But, that's not when you need to check on them! They have a different alarm for when predators are near. It's like "buck-buck-buck-BUCK-BUCK!" over and over. When you hear your roosters (or even dominant hens) make this sound, be sure to check on them. That alarm, if repeated over several times, means there's a threat near by--it could be at the fence or even inside the pen! Some hens like to "sing" when they lay eggs or just after laying an egg. This is not an alarm, but it is their way of bragging. Not all hens do this, though. To a new chicken owner, it may take a little time to tell the difference between this and an alarm. Keeping your chickens safe sounds complicated, but it's actually not. Just make sure their pen is secure and their food is protected.
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Just two brothers
Nanners & Mashers are brothers who just want to share their birds with the world. Archives
April 2016
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