I am using laying hens to scarify the soil in my woods while I thin from below. This is part of my silvopasture development plan. The chickens are doing a great job (pictures and video soon) and I haven't had any problems all summer until a couple days ago. We use electrified poultry net running about 3000 volts and check the fence daily for limbs and branches.
We had one rooster who did a good job of positioning himself between the hens and us at feeding time. He was attentive and protective. We found him in the brush pile without a head. I am trying to identify the predator so I can increase protection for the flock. Two options seem possible, one a raccoon who climbed a tree beside the fence and jumped in, or a bird of prey, hawk, that flew in. The chickens are in an enclosed chicken tractor at night.
The hens have been unsettled since, and mostly crowd in the brush pile or the chicken tractor.
Ideas?
Tags:
Pete-
I've had hawks and owls take heads off chickens. After the 'attack from above' the chickens did stay put inside for awhile and wouldn't come out.
A bigger problem I had was a weasel that got into the coop and took heads off at night. The weasel got 17 hens in 3 nights before I got him.
Jeff
Jeff:
How did you know it was a weasel vs. hawk? How did you trap the weasel or deal with hawks?
thanks,
Pete
Pete-
Determining weasel vs avian predator was easy. The birds where in the coop when the weasel struck, at times it was a blood bath. Chicken livers on 110 conibear finally got the weasel. Hawks vs owl is harder to tell. I've seen the owl with a chicken in the early morning, had one get stuck in the fenced pen [you want to see chickens get worked up, but an owl in their pen], and have the hawks dive bomb chickens. I've had birds taken with just a feather left and birds left with the heads gone. We have hawks around all year but pressure in the spring and Septemberish is generally higher due to the number of hawks migrating through.
Jeff
Peter Smallidge said:
Jeff:
How did you know it was a weasel vs. hawk? How did you trap the weasel or deal with hawks?
thanks,
Pete
Great, thanks.
Started by Brett Chedzoy Nov 15. 0 Replies 2 Likes
Hopefully some of you have found the time to attend either the "SilvoPro" training this week in PA or maybe even the International Agroforestry Conference in Ireland. Look forward to some updates…Continue
Started by jackie milne. Last reply by Shana Hanson Oct 31. 10 Replies 0 Likes
Hello everyone!We live in northern Canada, we have Aspen, birch, popular, willows and various wild roses and berry shrubs as well as white and black spruce mainly some pine. What I have been trying…Continue
Started by Gabe Smith Oct 26. 0 Replies 0 Likes
I thought of posting this in the discussion about tree fodder feed value as it has a lot of influence on this.I am working on a silvopasture that is about 6-7 acres, with the ability to set up any…Continue
Tags: animal, unit, silvopasture, forage, value
Started by Maureen Kilgore Oct 6. 0 Replies 0 Likes
The Irish Agroforestry Forum are delighted to be hosting an International Agroforestry Conference on Farmer-led Climate Adaptation and Mitigation on Thursday, November 16th and Friday 17th, 2023 in…Continue
© 2023 Created by Peter Smallidge.
Powered by