What About Predators?

Alright, you've chosen a chicken house plan, and your about to start building. One of the things you need to be concerned about is predators. You may like fresh fired chicken and free range eggs, but so do some of your local critters. You may not see them, but they are out there waiting for an easy meal.

Hawks

One of the primary chicken predators is the hawk. They cruise around day and night looking for a tasty meal. And they love chicken! Their eye sight is incredible too. They can see a mouse from a mile away.

A hawk can strike quickly and without warning. They hit their prey with razor sharp talons and use their sharp hooked beak to rip into the animals flesh. They will typically eat their fill and abandon the rest. If they have young to feed they may take the carcass to them if not too large.

There are many different hawks. They can be found virtually in every state, in Canada and even in parts of Alaska. If at all possible, the chicken pen should be completely enclosed.

Fox

Another typical predator is the fox. Whether red or gray, they are a menace to farmers throughout the states. Foxes are skillful hunters and will feed on a wide variety of animal, including your beloved chickens. Foxes have an uncanny way of finding their way into enclosures. Hence the expression "clever as a fox"

Foxes are generally nocturnal and tend to prefer hunting a couple of hours after dusk and a couple of hours before dawn, although they sometimes are seen during the day. When they make a kill, they will take their prey quite a distance from the kill zone, sometimes even miles, before sitting down for a nice meal. (Alright, they don't really sit!) Should they have leftovers, so to speak, they will frequently bury the carcass and return at a later time to finish it off.

Foxes are a scourge to chicken owners. They are well known for raiding chicken coops time and again. This can occur most often in the spring, when they need extra food to feed their litter.

Raccoons

Still another common predator is the raccoon. They can be found thoughout North and south America. These cute little guys seem sweet and innocent, but they are actually skillful little bandits. In fact that is why God put that little bandit mask on their faces! OK, maybe that is not the reason, but it sounds good to little children.

Raccoons are also generally nocturnal. They are not as organized as other predators. They tend to be almost gluttons. They may kill one chicken and partially devour it, but move on to another bird, and maybe even another, eating only part of each one. This multiple kill zone and mutilation is one of the signatures of a raccoon hit.

Well, there are other predators and I will address them in another article. The ones above are some of the most expected predators to chickens.