Predators will take advantage of small, inadequately protected poultry operations and backyard coops. With a modest input of time and money, you can protect your investment from damage.

• Keep poultry contained within predator-proof fencing and sturdy coops
• The use of barrier fencing, whether it’s an overhang design that prevents climbing or incorporating an electric fence around a night pen, has been proven to be an effective barrier against predators. Chicken wire is designed to keep chickens in, not predators out. Use a sturdy fence that is at least five feet tall.
• When the season allows, if you plan on moving birds from one location to another, choose a portable electric fence designed for poultry. Your night shelter can also be portable.
• Raising coop enclosures off the ground can discourage predators from sneaking in beneath it to steal eggs or young.
• For predators that dig beneath fencing, dig a trench that is approximately 12-inches deep and 12-inches wide around the perimeter of the pen. Bend and lay galvanized hardware cloth into the trench and attach enough hardware cloth securely to the outer fence or the building. Backfill the trench with dirt or rip-rap gravel.
• Provide overhead cover within the livestock area to provide protection from federally-protected aerial predators like hawks and owls. Bushes, branches, a discarded Christmas tree, and boxes can all provide cover. . Additionally, crisscrossing overhead wires in the pen can help to disrupt the flight patterns of these opportunistic raptors. Covering poultry runs with plastic netting or well-supported welded-wire fencing will ultimately take care of attacks from above.
• Provide overhead cover within the livestock area. Bushes, branches, a discarded Christmas tree, and boxes can provide protection from federally protected aerial predators like hawks and owls. Additionally, crisscrossing overhead wires in the pen can help to disrupt the flight patterns of these opportunistic raptors.
• If possible, remove trees that would allow perching raptors from overlooking the pen or locate your pen in open an area.
• Train your animals to return to a barn or coop every evening and close them in. If your pen door is outside your fencing, make sure the door can be securely closed. A loose door is no match for a powerful bear paw.
• Store your livestock feed in a lockable and secure area. Use tight-fitting galvanized trash containers that will cut down on attractive odors for predators like bears. Wipe down the outside of the containers with a bleach or ammonia-based cleaner as the strong smell will discourage animals from investigating. Clean up or reduce spilled or leftover food that may attract pests and predators.
• Provide adequate lighting and remove brush and large bushes from around the livestock area perimeter. Some noise making devices like the battery-operated Critter-Gitter can scare off predators or alert you that something is out near the protected area.
• If you do have a predation problem, you can buy yourself some time before correcting your husbandry practices by putting out a radio playing a loud talk radio program and hanging some clothing with a strong human odor.