I set out early in my homesteading adventure, determined to raise poultry out on open pasture. I have lost a couple of hundred birds over two decades, perfecting effective strategies to control and eliminate predator loss. You need to know that there isn't a silver bullet that will stop all predators on your farm, and keeping poultry in crowded pens that create unhealthy environments isn't the answer either. Predators come in many shapes and sizes, so you need to have a multi-pronged defense and understand the cunning ways of sly predators.
If you want your birds to roam free on pasture in the sun, pick bugs, take dust baths in the dirt, and eat grass (poultry are tremendous grass feeders if given the opportunity when feeders aren't overflowing with bag feed), this is what I do that works on our farm in Kansas. You can apply all of these tactics no matter where you live and bend many principles to work for you.
Starting With Your Flock
Poultry have somewhat of an instinctive sense of danger. Wave a towel or a broom over a flock, and they will all scatter in fear. This deeply embedded ancient memory is passed down through generations of danger and death from aerial predators or ground attacks. Unfortunately, in modern times, most hatchery birds are raised in pens decade after decade and are losing their natural survival instincts to watch, run, and hide from predators.
Suppose you have a flock that has suffered loss from predators; hatching your own eggs will start to return the survival instincts and can be very beneficial. Birds are not as stupid as some people might think. They do learn from watching others or seeing things that happen to fellow flock mates. They all understand the pecking order and that the ultimate pecking order comes in the form of death. Never, ever catch your poultry and slaughter them where they can see. They will have an innate fear of you forever, even if you still bring food.
Geese and turkeys are excellent additions to chicken flocks as geese can sometimes run off aerial predators or make enough noise to detour them. Turkeys always watch the sky and sound out a high-pitched pipping alarm to alert flock members to send them running for shelter.
A mixed flock needs to be raised together as chicks. Adding adult birds into an established community is no different from a new guy at work who dresses differently from everyone else and has new ideas about how the place will run. It is human and animal nature to want to stick with the same and comfortable group, so a judgment process occurs until the new guy finds or fights for his place in the group. Young poultry, like children, never seem to mind a new kid in the group up to a certain age. Starting your mixed flock of poultry together from hatch is essential. It also prevents foot-pecking and leg-pulling between chickens and waterfowl.
Coop Design
Millenia of poultry's ancestors hiding under trees and brush for survival is why they will try to hide in darker or shady places instead of a coop first. After all, chickens can't see in the dark, so they assume the predators can't see them, and they feel safe if they can't see what is scaring them. This instinct is why you find predator-killed birds under shade trees, brush or log piles, and near standing structures where there is shade. Unfortunately, most predators see better in the shade or at night.
Poultry needs a well-lit coop but shady enough to be cool in the summertime that is easy to enter and exit during the day. A cute pop-hole design seems somewhat functional to detour some predators, but it has its problems. When a predator is in the yard, chickens start screaming and scatter to distract the predator as they try to escape. The problem with pop-hole doors is that multiple birds can not reach safety all at once. Poultry wants to run and hide in the easiest place to go to first because they don't think ahead in a panic, so they tend to run to corners and shady areas. Figuring out a ramp and pop-hole with other birds trying to do the same is basically setting a buffet table for a predator. I use a coop design that allows birds to reach a shady place and roost up high where predators can't reach, which has worked for years. This chicken tractor is moved every few months in winter or every few weeks in the summer, and it never requires cleaning, no more back-breaking shoveling, and no more bumble foot problems.
Frightened birds often try to jump into the pop-hole door knocking themselves and flock-mates away from safety. A poorly lit coop also doesn't give a bird's eyes time to adjust to get away from a pop-hole door fast enough for other birds to enter. They enter the coop and stand there, blocking the door for others. It's the same as taking off sunglasses on a bright day. You can't see for a few moments until your eyes adjust. Bird's eyes work the same way.
In Kansas, owls and hawks aren't a significant threat in winter. Most of our species migrate a little more south or live on rabbits, mice, moles, songbirds, doves, and voles, which are easier targets. We position the coop to spill the north wind with one side, and tarp the side closest to the north to stop the wind from moving through. I leave access at the tarped corners and flip the wind block sides down. Draft or light breeze through a coop is important because it removes moisture. Moisture build-up is what kills birds in the cold. It dampens the down, and it can't hold heat, which chills the bird to death. A chilled bird will not perch to rest or to sleep. They remain on the floor, often the coldest, dampest, and most dangerous area for predator attacks. As long as our electric fence works in winter, I don't worry about predator attacks.
I do not supply heat or bedding. It encourages the birds to roost up. This makes them rest on their toes to keep their feet warm. I keep a good number of birds on hand to produce enough warmth while roosting in the coop to keep it above freezing if they sit close together. The deep bedding system underneath supplies minimal heat and ground insulation in the winter months. I never lost a bird during the last two polar vortexes with wind chills twenty below zero. However, I do supplement our feeding plan to keep the poultry running hot. That is another article. Check out my blog for more helpful poultry tips.
Fencing
Chicken wire is a false sense of security. When we moved into our first homestead, I found the previous owner's rabbit cages had the woven wire floors ripped open in the corners by raccoons to snag their rabbits. I knew then that the much thinner chicken wire wouldn't be a match for determined raccoons, ravenous coyotes, hungry foxes, or neighboring dogs looking for a good time.
I have tried every heavy-gauge woven-wire fence known to man only to find sly foxes can climb the corner posts, possums can bend and squeeze through the woven wire, and raccoons and badgers can dig under nearly any fence. However, hot wire running at the bottom of the fence about five inches off the ground works in conjunction with a middle and top wire on a grounded fence (a ground rod securely connected to the woven wire). Still, the fence needs to be tended bi-weekly in the rainy seasons to keep the grass from grounding it out. I raise all of my poultry to be glyphosate free, so spraying fence lines with round-up wasn't an option for me.
The only thing that holds true for me is electric poultry netting. It is the most predator-proof fencing available. I sleep well at night, worry-free of coyote packs, raccoons, foxes, possums, armadillos that destroy pasture, squirrels that chew structures, rats that steal whole chicks and eggs, and even some large snakes. Beekeepers use this electric netting to keep bears, including grizzlies, out of apiaries where hives are, and there is no reason it wouldn't work for mountain lions, wolverines, or wolves. Once you get it erected and working properly, the only thing to still combat is aerial predators.
Poultry netting's only downfall is super dry weather, which makes the fence hard to set. Heavy ice and snow can down the fence, ground it out, or prevent it from moving. Still, when used year after year, predators stop testing it, and poultry won't cross it even if it is down because they are afraid to walk on it. I have had my poultry fence uncharged for weeks when in the cloudy, rainy, or snowy seasons to protect the battery, without poultry escaping or predators getting in.
I use this same netting around my garden to keep out bean-chugging deer, lettuce-chowing rabbits, corn-eating raccoons, melon-eating possums, and tomato-stealing squirrels. Additionally, I do not worry about escaping neighboring goats or cows in my garden. I haven't lost a single tomato or young seedling in years!
Electric fence isn't that hard to figure out and is worth the investment that pays for itself in the things you stop losing. It is good for years and promotes pasture rotation which is good for the livestock and the environment.
I use a 30-mile solar charger on our fairly small poultry pasture. A high-power charger is necessary because each strand, except the bottom one, is hot. The bottom strand is not energized to keep the fence from grounding out. Nothing can dig under the fence because it will eventually hit its head or back on the fence and repel the predator.
Corners of a fenced field or pen are easy grabs for something as slow as a possum as chickens pile up, looking for an easy escape route to safety. Hot-wire fence will electrify birds and a potential predator simultaneously if they hit the hot-wire together. It shocks the bird but also changes a predator's mind. A poultry fence should be erected without corners to encourage poultry to run back to the coop for safety. If you keep poultry in a pen with corners, build a funnel system that herds your birds into the coop door with fence pieces or boards. This will also help you if you need to round up birds into the coop or do it nightly. An entry in the middle of a wall is a complex concept for birds to grasp. So is a ramp; most birds will choose to fly up to the door.
Understanding Aerial Predators
Aerial predators are smart enough to know humans are a danger, and they are usually sure they are never seen. Some hawks knew the sound of my UTV and would fly away when they heard it coming. They will often only focus on eating the chicken's head to get in and out of a pasture ninja-style. Bird brains consist of nothing but calcium and cholesterol, a gold mine of nutrition for a starving predator. Chicken heads are fast to eat due to excessive blood vessels and thin skull bones. They will eat the brain as the bird bleeds out, making the fast meal easy to swallow, leaving only a clean, mostly bloodless, decapitated bird behind. If a predator has a little longer, the thigh is next, as the skin near the anus is easiest to tear. Once the predator is full, it flies away, leaving the carcass to be devoured by curious flockmates that show up to investigate later. This can lead to flock cannibalism in crowded pens as they start to identify each other as a tasty protein source.
Inflatable Snakes
Inflatable snakes hanging on fishing twine work better than rubber snakes. They move in the slightest breeze in erratic directions. Rubber snakes don't work because they don't move enough. Snakes hunt by sitting perfectly still so their prey can't see it, just like a rubber snake does when put out. It is the moving snake they fear. All birds naturally fear large snakes because they feed on eggs and baby chicks.
Inflatable snakes hung on low test fishing lines keep hawks, barn owls, sparrows, and barn swallows out of outbuildings. They only need to be replaced every other year and dusted off occasionally.
Snakes hanging in or near coop doors will keep crows, ravens, and hawks away. They will also repel squirrels and some rats due to the movement. Snakes can be used on a pole out in the pasture, but they need to be moved occasionally. Step-in hot-wire posts are cheap and easy to move around. I use these snakes in the garden to keep crows from stealing my beans and corn after it sprouts, and it works without fail.
Teddy Bears or Stuffed Animals
Teddy bears and stuffed animals that look realistic work short-term if moved daily; you can find old stuffed animals at thrift stores. I have used them in emergencies many times. Small stuffed rocking ponies will work if you buy a wig and replace the yarn mane with realistic hair. You can also swap out eyes for more realistic ones available on Amazon. It's not cheap, but the better the decoy, the better your protection. Large realistic eyes are essential, along with longer fur. Short plushie animals don't have hair that moves in the wind and will only work for a short period. I also used an old Sherpa wool rug thrown over a 55-gallon drum laid on its side. Aerial predators don't know what it is and didn't feel safe around it. They don't know if it is a sheep, goat, or possibly a big round sleeping dog.
Coyote Decoys
I had poor luck with livestock guard dogs; even with the due diligence of eight months of training under constant supervision, we still had a pure-bred Anatolian working dog kill 28 chickens in fifteen minutes. The breeder's response was to chain the dog to a tire to slow it down. I found the idea abusive and the breeding of the animal to be a poor choice for my homestead.
I know they work for many farms, but it didn't work for me, and I tried a few times with different breeds, some supposedly trained, costing over the 1,000 dollar mark. I run a tight farm, and livestock dogs like to wander off, eat when they want, and have a mind of their own. I also didn't like the look of a dog covered in burrs sweating in the summer heat, and getting sores under its coat. It's also an extra chore to provide for them in the winter when they need more food and shelter. I also like to sleep at night in peace. Barking dogs that disturb your sleep disrupt workflow productivity the next day. Without proper sleep, the head of the farm loses compassion, feels frustrated, and doesn't have the energy to do what needs to be done for the day.
Very few pups are raised in real working farm environments. Most are raised with a flock of people instead of animals. They wind up killing poultry, disturbing birthing animals looking for afterbirth to eat, eggs to steal, or goat horns to chew on. They also require a large monthly feed bill, and additional vet bills, and they make LARGE dog poop that poultry love to dig through, looking for corn bits, worms, and bugs. I don't mind chickens digging through goat or cow dung, but I can't deal with eating chicken that I know has been eating bits of dog poop looking for snacks.
I use a coyote decoy with a deer hide thrown over it for a more realistic look for a micro-fraction of LGD cost, and it has its own unique aroma after the uncured deer hide has aged six months that predators can smell. Decoys don't eat, poop, or require vet visits. I have to move it daily, and I do it without fail when I gather eggs. While hunting deer, I have seen this decoy repel owls that have come in and made a swoop around the corner of the coop only to eye the coyote decoy, turn tail, and leave my flock alone. This, by far, has been my best line of defense. If you can't get a deer hide, drape, tie, glue, or clip some faux fur available at Walmart by the yard over parts of the decoy.
Blow Up Dolls
Well... sometimes you gotta do what you can afford. Novelty blow-up dolls are cheap and very realistic scarecrows that really do work. In the past, I have made multiple scarecrows out of stuffed old clothes, milk-jug heads, and straw hair to have them all fail miserably because they just don't look real enough or have enough movement. Inflatable dolls need to have a natural-colored wig added, or they don't work. Predators easily identify hair and fur as a natural threat.
The inflatable doll moves in the wind while hanging from a tree from some thick fencing wire. The year I started doing this, we had a family of falcons coming in and carrying off the chicks on our lunch breaks. I was losing four of these full-size chicks a day until I put the doll out. Not everyone can use these that live in places where neighbors might be offended, or curious children play. These dolls deflate easily in the cold and get puncture holes from wind movement, so they aren't a permanent tool that works unless you buy them by the case. If you get one, be sure to order a patch kit. Again, don't forget the wig and clothes, or it won't work!
Mannequins
Mannequins used to be priced in the several hundred dollar range, but after COVID shut down retail stores and retail marketing started pinching pennies, mannequin prices fell drastically. I paid the same price for the coyote decoy as I did for the mannequin. Again, I had to purchase a wig, but it didn't cost me a thing to dress her. I just use all the incorrect-sized clothing I have ordered over the years. She is convincing enough to fool me at times.
She is bulky to move daily, but with a few holes drilled or a few bricks in the plate that she stands on and some bent rebar stepped into the soil, she is Kansas windproof, although the wind has blown her arms off a few times. She used to fall apart on me, but she holds up for a full day's work after a bit of gorilla glue and gorilla tape. I deal with the arms falling off occasionally because I like to adjust them and put different objects in her hands. A plastic shopping bag is about the scariest thing in the world to most critters, and it moves in the slightest breeze.
It takes time and effort to move her and change her stance or clothes, but the effort is small compared to the frustration of a predator taking the food right out of your mouth. Mannequins can also keep crows and ravens from pulling up your corn and bean sprouts in the garden. If you are using mannequins for coyotes and deer, they need to stink like humans; they are more scent-oriented than sight. Coyotes and deer don't understand fashion, so gym clothes, work shirts, and day-old socks can simply be clipped to the mannequin's clothes using a hair clip or a chip clip instead of dressing them. Human scent articles must be changed every other day as the sun's UV rays disinfect. Songbirds and wild turkeys are not disturbed by mannequins; both visit our brooder house pasture daily to see the chicks and pick leftover feed out of the grass.
Owls and Owl Decoys
Owls can and will hunt during the day. I lost eighteen heritage turkey poults in one week to an owl that would come in and kill several chicks a day. The owl would stuff the dead chicks underneath the small shelters I had provided for them to hide in so it could come back and eat them at night or use them to feed its young. This would happen in a short period of twenty-five minutes while I was inside having lunch.
Owl decoys will only work on young, immature owls that don't want to invade established adult owl hunting grounds, fearing a fight. The year I lost so many baby turkey chicks, I had my decoy owl sitting on the pole in the same corner where the owl killed several times a day. It didn't care and wasn't detoured in any way. Rats, mice, and squirrels aren't frightened of the owl decoy if it doesn't move to a new perch daily. Mine has the ear tips chewed off and a hole in the feet area from when I attempted to use it to keep pack rats from chewing the pull-start handle off my water pump down by the pond. I still keep it around to ward off juvenile birds of prey that may be developing bad ideas.
Owls are very cunning and will do unexpected things. After mastering all of these techniques, I hadn't lost a bird in five years until a single Great Horned Owl took over 85 birds from me. I assumed a fox, coyote, or mountain lion was jumping into the pasture throughout the season. Hence, I tripled the electric poultry netting after full-size chickens, geese, and ducks had vanished without a single feather being left behind.
I purchased a beefy coyote trap and would set it after dark to keep the chickens out of the trap. Still, a duck, goose, or chicken was missing each morning.
You can't set a defense unless you know what you are up against. I bought a high-end game camera with cell service and set out to sort through a thousand photos over 24 hours that busy birds make by setting off the camera to finally find my culprit.
I saw the owl come in when I got the picture sent to my phone. I ran out to the pasture to scare it off to see the goose-sized owl fly away in the solar light taking my next to last full-size Peking duck with it. Once I knew what I was dealing with I knew what to do.
Bells
Predator birds are sound-sensitive. They do everything they can to remain silent. This is why they perch on poles to keep their wings from making noise by brushing up against sticks or leaves in trees, alerting prey of their presence. A squawking goose or a calling duck is a familiar noise, but they have never encountered bells in the wild. They have never hunted in a place with excessive noise. Archaeologists have found that bells have been used to protect livestock dating back 5,000 years. Everyone is familiar with dairy cows wearing bells. Why not for poultry? Well, I thought I would try it, and... it worked!
I bought a few "loud" pet bells on Amazon and gently fit several chickens (including Dirty Steve - a goofy, small, but fearless rooster) and a noisy goose that I felt would be active if the owl returned.
Ducks can easily remove the bells even with their splayed feet, but geese and chickens can not. The metal ring must be cut or replaced in the winter by high-quality zip-ties that are cut to the perfect size so they can not be picked tight to prevent heat loss of the leg in freezing temperatures.
The bells take a short time for the poultry to get used to, and it does slow them down just a bit, but it is a small price to pay to detour a horrible death from a predator. Several birds need to adorn bells to scare off predators.
I also discovered that it is very easy to make "poultry necklaces" that the birds don't seem to mind wearing. Hard plastic or wooden rings with a bell attached has worked as a safe method for me. I got the plastic rings at the dollar store at four for a dollar and bought bulk pet bells on Amazon to attach the rings with a thin disposable keychain wire that easily pulls off if the bell gets stuck somewhere. They do need to be placed low on the bird's neck, next to the breast, and the neck feathers need to be lifted over the ring to prevent the bird from lifting the necklace off. Always monitor your poultry when applying bells. Some birds can be overstressed by the bell. One rooster got the plastic ring stuck in his mouth, and I had to wait until after dark to remove it, as chasing him would have stressed him out even more. Other birds love their dollar store bell necklaces and wear them with pride.
*Bells and bears are different than this. Wildlife and game departments recommend humans wearing bells when hiking to prevent startling a bear that may want to protect cubs, food, or territory. These poultry bells are supposed to work like the banging on pots and pans method to drive away persistent predators with a noise they don't understand. There will be a flurry of bells if a coyote, fox, possum, skunk, hawk, owl, etc., try to make a kill, and it will abandon the situation. I have not lost a single bird since implementing bells and I see hawks come in often to evaluate a possible meal in the trees at the edges of my pasture. (Keep in mind I use several other tactics along with the bells.)
Hot-Wire Perch
Aerial predators want to come in and assess the situation for their safety before dive-bombing into a fenced-in area to stay long enough to have an entire meal. They will seek a high location to perch and study the layout, dive zones, poultry movement, human visits, and nighttime habits for days before making a move on their prey.
Once your electric fence is established, you can make a perch for your wanna-be dining guests with shocking results. Aerial predators like to perch in areas where they can take flight without their wingtips touching anything. They can damage their flight feathers or make noise, alerting prey that they are coming. Poles are their favorite perches as they can hop off and silently glide in for a kill.
It is illegal to shoot, trap or harm predator birds. The government protects them, and killing them comes with huge fines unless you get a special permit from your local wildlife department after a farm assessment. They will come out and investigate the situation to see if you have done all things possible in your power before issuing a permit. This is a safe and effective method, no different from a hawk or owl trying to fly through your electric poultry netting. Just as the electric fence is used for all kinds of predators to shock them out of your pastures, you can do the same with an elevated perch at your pasture's edge. This method is safer than bird netting over poultry pastures because there is nothing to get caught or tangled in, that could injure a bird.
Perches have to be tall enough that the aerial predator can easily perch and make a single swooping glide down into your pasture. Two-inch PVC pipes with a thin board zip-tied to the top and slid over a T-post work very well. Flag poles with a plastic platform attached to the top and small trimmed trees affixed to T-posts work too. Short poles with any obstructions in the "swoop-in zone" will not work.
Using cable holders, make a stretch of two bare wires at least 4 inches apart. Cable holders keep the wire from grounding out on moisture in the wood, which weakens the zap. The space between the bare wires protects small songbirds from getting shocked. I used electrician tape to cover the screws in the cable holders and also to prevent grounding to the wood. Attach an insulated wire to each bare wire on the cable holders and run the two insulated wires down the pole. Attach one insulated wire to the electric fence and ground the other wire. Again, one copper wire at the top of the perch is hot-connected to the electric fence. The other copper wire is connected to the ground - as in the dirt. This completes the electrical circuit that creates the shock. I used the T-post as my electrical ground. A rebar ground rod will work if you aren't using a T-post. This completes the circuit at the top of the pole when both bare wires are touched by large bird feet. Your pole must be solid and not wiggle in the wind.
An aerial predator only comes in with one goal: hunt your pasture and eat. As soon as the bird perches, it gets zapped for just thinking about dining in your field. It instantly knows this isn't a safe place to hunt or eat and will not return for a second attempt due to the extremely negative response. The shock will not harm the bird as my fence is shock-safe for baby chicks and ducklings only a week old. I use several of these PVC poles, especially near wooded areas. They work on hawks, falcons, owls, crows, and ravens. Eagles would require a larger post and prefer a taller perch, but we have never had an eagle hunt in our pasture. They view the electric poultry netting as a possible trap and will not enter.
Thoughts on Trapping
I am an educated and licensed fur harvester in the state of Kansas. You must obtain a fur-harvesters license to trap animals in Kansas legally (except for live trapping). This is a privilege that was essential when I first started homesteading. Raccoons and possums would constantly defecate human-size feces on our porch, play in it looking for undigested grasshopper parts, and smear poo all over our back windows while catching bugs at night. Once dried, the excrements were nearly impossible to wash off with the hose or power washer. They required a scrub brush. This was about the most disgusting thing I ever had to deal with. After a few months of that, and when I started losing dozens of chicks, I was done with vermin.
Trapping may not be needed in your area if you are running a good defense strategy. This choice is up to you. I chose to trap to return the wild turkey, quail, frogs, and box turtle population on our property and to quell excess pressure on my garden and poultry pasture.
I don't believe in leg traps, as I find them cruel. However, sometimes they are necessary for coyotes and foxes that will not enter a cage. Typically, I live-trap and dispatch the animal in the morning. I do not relocate because animals are territorial. In many states, it is also illegal. Raccoons live in packs, usually of family members. When you dump a raccoon or possum, they will have to fight to the death for food, water, and shelter in unknown territory. The chances you are relocating them to an area free of established predators is likely zero. Without a den or knowing safe places for shelter, they become easy prey for coyotes, dogs, and in some cases, hawks or eagles. Releasing them to be ripped to shreds in a strange place isn't worth the chance that they get to "make it" because they have the same chance, or more, of a horrible death. By relocating them, you are also potentially making that predator someone else's problem. Would you want someone dumping hungry predators on or near your farm or home?
Don't Make them Suffer
While buying traps one afternoon at the local farm supply store, the man helping me pick out traps asked me if I was letting them go at the local lake. He said quite a few people in town had been in to buy live traps, and the raccoons at his lake property showed signs of severe injury and disease from overpopulation. I shared my photo of one of the raccoons I trapped with its face ripped off, likely from overpopulation, at our new home in the woods, and explained that I knew better. This raccoon had suffered an injury, and it had healed enough to grow back around the nasal cavity some - but without the moisture protection of a nose, each breath had to burn. It couldn't dig for food in the ground without the nasal cavity filtering out dust and dirt particles. I felt horrible for it.
Very few people trap fur anymore, and the population boom is ruining the wild populations of duck, turkey, quail, turtles, and frogs that I feel have led to the tick boom in our area that carries Alpha-Gal and Spotted Mountain Fever. Overpopulation also pushes them to look for food in your poultry pastures. I have 178 acres here, and I homestead on two acres. We enjoy wildlife and supplement wild areas with feeders and grub-laden food plots, as we don't use chemical herbicides or pesticides. If predators still come looking for food into our busy homestead pastures or hunt my back deck where my dogs work daily, the problem is overpopulation. There is plenty of sustainability on the other 176 acres.
The man helping me with my trap selection also shared how when he started trapping raccoons, he used to use yellow spray paint on their backs (which is clever but illegal) and found out they would return to his lake property even if he drove them ten miles away. So he, too, had to start eliminating them to avoid them from trying to make the tortured trek back to their home through other predators' territory. Notably, he was also upset the same vermin would return even after being trapped, harassed, and spray-painted to feed again.
Don't forget predators should have a natural fear of humans and human scent, fenced-in areas that might be a trap, areas with lights or noise, dog scent from household pets, and constant human activity from a farmer running a chore route. Animals that choose to hunt for food in these areas are usually not well, old, compromised somehow, or losing their once-ingrained fear of populated areas. Once they feed, they will always return, looking for more.
I have tried a hundred different live trap baits, sardines, bacon, chicken breasts, ham bones, canned cat food, old leftovers, peanut butter, marshmallows, gummy bears, catfish bait, and more. The bait that I have found that works consistently is Walmart's cheapest kitty kibble. One two-dollar bag lasts me all season. Ants won't even eat it. Bait must be sprinkled out in front of the trap and into the trap leading to a small pile of kibble. They will not enter just for a dish full of bait in the trap. Eating out in front of the trap establishes the area as safe, and they will continue to munch their way into stepping on the trip plate. As with all traps and bait - always wear latex gloves. Human scent will detour some crafty predators, other predators simply don't care.
Live traps must be placed on a solid surface and not wobble when an animal steps inside. I place a large rock on top of the trap to stabilize it. Vermin will defecate in the trap so don't set it on a deck or porch. It will leave a nasty stain and can pose possible pathogenic threats to you, your family, and your pets.
Foxes are often too cunning for leg traps but can be fooled by using a funnel system of boards or paneling leaning against outside coop walls. They will sneak behind the boards looking for hiding chickens and won't be able to navigate over a few leg traps. Foxes will rarely if ever, walk on a wire floor of a live trap. Traps with the wire floor buried under a quarter-inch of freshly packed dirt have a better chance of success. For the slyest of foxes, traps need to be set up to feed a fox. The door must be tied open, and bait must be added each time it is eaten for a few feedings. Foxes are smart and skittish and often won't trip the pan plate as they reach over it because they aren't comfortable in the cage yet. Once comfortable with the surroundings and food, they ease up and step on the plate. You can also tie bait, such as a cheap chicken drumstick in the trap using spider wire or other extremely high test fishing lines to make bait removal a bit more difficult.
Coyotes can be caught with full-body snares. I use a 330 snare. These traps are dangerous to operate, can break human bones, and are not foolproof. I have had these traps go off with all of the safety mechanisms in place, from the springs or clasps sliding off with a bump or a nudge while setting the trap. I set snares over armadillo dens and placed raw pork bones inside. Educate yourself before using any snare, or trap in accordance with your local wildlife department licensing and permit requirements. Trapping any animal out of season is illegal. Live trapping is legal if you don't dispatch or relocate the animal. Live traps are supposed to be used to scare a potential predator away.
Other Tips
Blinking red lights have never done a thing for me. I have used several different kinds, including twinkle lights with several blacked-out with nail polish tucked into trees to look like predators waiting in the wings.
Metallic pinwheels work for a while on less aggressive birds, and I have used them in the garden from time to time to keep birds from pecking holes in tomatoes for a drink. Supplying a birdbath eliminates this.
Motion detectors hooked to a garden hose would work if your coop is near a hydrant, but you risk mice chewing through a hose and running up your water bill.
Mirrors and shiny things only work in the day, when the sun is shining, but they provide little to no nighttime protection. CDs on stings also only work for a very short time.
Keeping a solar light on at night will repel coyotes, raccoons, possums, and foxes to an extent, but owls will still hunt in the light. I use a brilliant solar light to lure in supplemental bugs to feed the poultry all summer. I turn it off in the winter to allow them to rest well at night and conserve energy to keep warm.
GET PREPARED FOR THE CHANGE *UPDATE* 2/16/23
The pandemic and the egg shortage of 2022 has caused a surge in backyard poultry owners. Most of these people are first timers that aren't aware of the onslaught of predators. I will be cutting back to only laying hens this year and adding affordable bean trellis netting sewn together with zip ties to keep hawks and owls out of my poultry pasture around my coop.
As hatcheries have sold out in many states, there will be an extreme influx of aerial predators as new poultry owners will inevitably inadvertently feed aerial predators unprotected chicks all over the country. The population increase will create more aggressive feeding tactics as these birds learn to feel comfortable entering back yards and open pens. Until this population surge dies down, I will be netting a smaller pasture and focusing on raising rabbits for meat.
Lastly
If you feel you can't win, consider changing your poultry practices. If you are raising dual-purpose birds for food, think about housing a few layers with a long movable hotwire day run that is "swoop-in" proof, and raising cornish-cross meat birds to cut down the time needed on an open pasture. Predators willing to enter enclosed areas are often old or compromised in some way and dependent on an easy, yet risky, food source. A single season without your grudgingly-generous help could be enough to starve them out or move them down the line off of your property. Just don't give up. Get smart. People have been raising poultry since the dawn of time to feed themselves independently; it takes time for us, as a modern society, to return to the natural memories of how it was done back then.
It Never Ends
Keep in mind that when you successfully run off one predator, another is anticipating its turn to test your defense strategies. Use as many of these approaches as you can implement before predators feed, and never assume the threat is gone. Once the predator dinner table has been set, and your birds are identified as a food source, they will always return looking for more. Predator control is a regular chore on my farm, and that is why I don't lose birds on open pastures.
If you found this article helpful, please share it with family, and friends, and on social media to help others retain the safety of their hard work for flocks. We are all in this together for the health of our flocks while in pursuit of healthy food. I believe poultry should be raised out in green grass pastures where they thrive and are happy, it helps regenerate the soil while eliminating so many coop cleanings.
Homesteading is a transformative and empowering journey that can bring healing and vitality to one's life. After a difficult battle with depression and cancer, I found solace in growing my own food and ensuring its proper care from the field to the table. In my journey, I discovered the true meaning of self-sufficiency, and the profound connection to nature that comes with living a country life.
My book, 'Growing Back to the Land,' shares my personal narrative of growth and discovery and the wonderful experience of living in "God's Country". It is available HERE on Amazon in Kindle and Paperback. The first few chapters are available for free with the "look inside" button on the book cover on Amazon. My website shares my personal real-life photos for every chapter. growingbacktotheland.com
Check out my ad-free, pop-up-free website HERE for information on how I use regenerative farming practices and raise animals out on open pastures without bag feed. Sign up to get an email for new blog notifications.