Animal Science 234 - Predators of Poultry

What are predators?

An animal that hunts and kills other animals

How do predators affect poultry flocks?

1. Can cause damage and economic losses

2. The smaller the poultry species, the more susceptible they are to predation

3. Younger and smaller birds are at higher risk

Commercial flock housing

• concrete foundations

• reinforced and solid roof

• open areas have fine net-meshing or metal walls

Backyard flock housing

• free-range

• access to outdoor grazing

• coops can lack proper foundation

  • poor fencing can allow predators to dig in

In general, what kind of poultry housing has a much lower chance of being attacked by predators?

Commercial flock housing

What predators attack at night?

Most predators (raccoons, owls, etc.)

What predators attack at dawn/dusk?

coyotes, foxes, bobcats, skunks

What predators attack in the day?

dogs, red tail hawks, foxes and kits (spring), occasionally coyotes

What predators have a pattern of missing birds?

coyotes, bobcats, dogs, birds of prey, and foxes

Do dogs typically eat the birds that they attack?

No; their carcass usually found near the attack site

Coyote and foxes signs - missing birds

• hunt at night in urban areas

• sometimes feathers are left behind

bobcats signs - missing birds

usually hunt at dawn and dusk

can still attack at any time of the day

What kinds of predators have a sign of missing eggs or chicks?

skunks, snakes, rats, opossums, raccoons, coyotes, foxes, birds of prey, house cats, blue jays, and crows

Predators that have a sign of missing chicks

snakes, rats, racoons, house cats

Predators that have a sign of missing eggs

foxes, coyotes, skunks, snakes, rats, opossums, raccoons, blue jays, and crows

Species that have sign of missing chick(en) heads

raccoons, birds of prey

How do chickens lose their heads from predator attacks?

Occurs when chicken heads get stuck in wiring/mesh

How do birds of prey make chickens lose their heads?

Scare birds causing them to jump/fly then getting their heads stuck in the wiring

How do raccoons make chickens lose their heads?

• reach through any openings or wiring, grab the bird’s head, rips head off through that opening

  • eat head and leaves body behind

• Sometimes work in groups to scare chickens

Predators that have sign of chickens missing limbs

racoons

How do raccoons make chickens lose limbs?

Reach through wiring and pull legs off

What kinds of predators have a sign of lacerations near the cloaca

weasels and their relatives (i.e. fisher cats, badgers), oppossums

How do predators create lacerations near the cloaca?

• attack the vent and pull out the intestines

• Sometimes birds are found walking and dragging their intestines

  • These wounds can lead to cannibalism due to blood and bright red tissue being exposed

Suffocation injuries due to predators

Flock huddles together to stay away from predator, can trample and suffocate birds while doing so

Neck wounds due to predators

mustelids such as weasels

• bite the base of the skull, biting the jugular vein and the spinal cord

• eat neck organs, doesn’t eat the body

Organs missing due to predators

Fisher cats

• Birds are found bloody with internal organs missing or partially missing

Messy kills due to predators

skunks and opossum

• damaged bodies and bit in various areas like the abdomen, vent, legs

Various organs and tissue eaten due to predators

racoons

• attack head, breast, crop, and intestine or internal organs

Dog predator behavior

• prey on adult or chicks

• depends on temperament, breed, or presence of other dogs

  • dogs that like to play, chickens similar to squeak toys

  • hunting breeds, high prey drive

  • dogs can attack due to other dogs, back behavior

• Livestock guard dogs can be used for flock protection

Coyote predator behavior

• hunt in pairs

• dawn or dusk, sometimes nocturnal

Fox predator behavior

• nocturnal and crepuscular

• seen during the day during kit season (spring)

• attack birds at the throat, neck, and/or back

• leaves behind some blood and feathers

• takes birds to den

• eat eggs and leave the shells beside the nest

• live in wooded areas or open plains

  • dig dens in ground or hollow trees

• great diggers

• gray foxes are able to climb trees

• great chewers

bobcat predator behavior

• most common wildcat in the U.S.

• Twice the size of a house cat

• Hunting during dawn and dusk but can attack any time of day

  • eyesight is best in low light

• can carry off a chicken

• can eat an entire bird in one feeding

• prefer woodlands but go into backyards for prey

Domestic (and feral) cats predator behavior

• prey on chicks or bantam breeds

• carry off birds

• don’t prey on adult chicken unless it’s wounded

• messy eaters, leave parts of prey

• eat meaty portion

  • leave the skin and feathers

• can consume small birds whole

• teeth marks on bone

racoons predator behavior

• can take several birds in one night

• typically eat the breast, crop, and intestine or internal organs

• can take eggs out of nest and eat them near the cooop

• can get into chicken feed if not stored properly

• garbage cans and dumps attract racoons

• if they settle in urban areas, they will look for food sources

weasels predator behavior

• small and slender

  • can fit through small holes and chicken wire

  • can bite through chicken wire

• Rarely seen

• Active day and night

  • don’t hibernate

• Wraps its body around prey and bites the neck (jugular or spinal cord) to kill

• Eats food up to four times its body weight

• Great diggers

Skunks predator behavior

• Active at night

  • Active in the day during breeding season (February to April)

• Don’t kill many adult birds

  • kills only one or two birds while injuring others

• They love eating eggs

  • opens an egg at one end and lick out the contents

  • Eggs eaten by skunks can look hatched but the edges are crushed

  • Take eggs away from coop

• Musk gets left behind

Opossums predator behavior

• nocturnal

• only marsupial in North America

• can get into chicken feed if not stored properly

• kill one bird at a time, messy aftermath

• eat young poultry whole

  • leave behind few feathers

• chews eggshells and leaves the shell pieces behind

Snakes predator behavior

• hard to identify since they swallow prey/eggs whole

• most species hunt at night

• rat snakes tend to eat chicks (less than a month old)

• risk of snake predation via a whole depends on snake species and their size

  • size of whole equates to relative size of snake

  • snake needs to be able to exit after swallowing prey

Hawks predator behavior

• red-tailed, red-shouldered, and Cooper’s hawks

• hunt during the day

• scan prey from elevated perches

• upon finding prey, it swoops down and lands with its talons

  • usually kill prey on impact

• can carry off bird of any age

  • no sign of predation other than a missing bird and sometimes feathers

• can eat the bird in place

  • eats the breast and pluck the feathers

• feathers with flesh on their ends mean hawk scavenged on the bird but didn’t kill it

Owls predator behavior

• great horned owl

  • barn owls and screech owls don’t bother poultry

• nocturnal

• don’t normally intrude coops, usually attack poultry that are out

Besides being a predator, how else are birds of prey a risk to poultry?

They could be infectious with HPAI

Free range flock protection (items)

• clip on wing on birds to prevent flying out of coop at night, especially ones that like to roost

• electric fences

• moveable pens

Pros/cons to electric fences

good for terrestrial predators, but not good for snakes, birds of prey, or small mammals

Preventing predation from birds of prey for free range flocks

• avoid areas with any perch sites within 9 meters of flock

• covered run

• place shiny objects nearby to distract predators

  • i.e. hang old CDs on nearby trees or wire

General flock protection from predators

• Fencing needs to be at least 1 foot deep

• Use hardwire cloth with holes <1” wide for windows, doors, and any openings

• Locking coop at night

• Biosecurity & management

• yard maintenance

• motion-sensor lighting/noise machines

• CDs on a thin wire, pinwheels, flags

• Dummy predators or scarecrows that move

• Livestock guardian animals

General flock protection fencing

Fencing needs to be at least 1 ft deep

• make an “L” shape at the end, sticking out another 8-10 inches

• Coop skirt on the surface

Biosecurity and management that can help with general flock protection

• properly secure food

• remove food and garbage

• clean out coop often

• remove sick or dead birds

• removing eggs frequently

Types of yard maintenance that help with general flock protection

Clear any debris or vegetation for predators to hide in such as:

• wood and scrap piles

• bushes

• tall grass

Guardian dogs

• 24/7 protection

• good for large predators: canids, felines, racoons, skunks, sometimes raptors

• Not good for snakes and rodents

• Make sure chickens stay close by

• Must choose a guardian breed

• Needs training, care, and room to roam

Should you attempt to tramp or kill predators yourself?

No

What are some reasons why you should not attempt to trap or kill predators yourself

• Rabies - the 4 major rabies reservoirs are bats, raccoons, skunks, and foxes

• Moving wildlife is illegal in Massachusetts

What should you do if you need to trap or relocate wildlife?

Contact your local animal control