Examples of animals that eat chickens
On farms, not only food and cleanliness are required, but preventive measures against predators must also be taken , even more so when domestic birds are being raised. Therefore, today we will mention which are the animals that eat chickens . This way you will know what type of protection you will need for the hen house.
Examples of animals that eat chickens
These are some animals that eat chickens , the details will help you identify and verify which of them is the predator.
- Dogs
They are carnivorous animals and some are great hunters by instinct. So if the dog interacts with the chickens, it can be harmful. It is important to be present when you want to introduce a dog, to monitor its behavior with the chickens. If it is not harmful, it is still important to protect the chickens from a dog near the farm .
How to know that it is a dog that eats chickens? One of the signs is that the hen has completely disappeared, this happens because their custom is to kill and hide their prey.
- Coyotes
These carnivorous mammals are one of the animals that attack chickens and when there are around the farm, it is recommended to install a fence strong enough so that they do not break it, since these canines have a strong jaw with sharp teeth and legs. powerful.
Another peculiarity in coyotes are their incredible jumps, since they can reach two meters in height, so it is necessary that the fence be very high and ensure total protection.
If you don’t know which animal is eating your chickens, but you have noticed that they disappear daily, it may be a coyote.
- Wildcat and domestic cat
The domestic cat does not have the strength to hunt chickens, although it can attack small chickens and miniature chickens within its reach.
It is important to keep chickens in closed spaces and thus prevent cats from interacting with them, especially when there are wild cats around the farm as they are a real danger for chickens. They attack towards the jugular and kill them.
If you do not know which animal is attacking your poultry, you can determine that it is a bobcat, since they usually scratch to cover their prey. These scratches are what will show you that a cat is stalking the chicken coop.
- Foxes
Known for attacking poultry. They are resourceful and strong animals. They have great cunning and plan attack strategies. They dig, climb fences, and discover all the places they can escape.
They are also identified by chewing on thin metal wires, so the pen should be very well crafted against them. To prevent this animal from attacking chickens, it is important to have a fence at least 2.5 meters high and a cemented bottom.
You can identify that it is a fox that kills the chickens, when they have killed several at the same time and there are no traces of them. This occurs because their habit is to kill and then bury to eat later.
- Raccoons
This type of monkey is very skilled with his hands. So if the birds are inside a mesh pen, this animal can take the closest ones when they are unprepared, ripping off their legs or their head. For this reason they are identified as animals that eat chicken heads.
So if you find the chickens without heads or without legs, it was probably a raccoon that ate them and left, because being inside mesh, it is the only thing they can reach and in some cases they can take the chicks and take them out. complete through the mesh.
- Weasels
If you want to know which animal kills chickens and does not eat them , the weasel is your answer. This mammal is only interested in the internal organs of the hen. Sometimes they only eat part of it. His strategy is to bite the base of the chicken’s skull, until the spinal cord is cut .
The hens remain intact, but with the organs consumed. When this happens, a weasel may be prowling the pen.
- Skunks
They are also called skunks or mapurites. It is an omnivorous mammal that is capable of feeding on small mammals. Birds are also part of the diet, so if a skunk is around, it may attack chickens. However, they are normally difficult to hunt, but they can leave them wounded and eat their eggs, leaving the shells behind.
- Opossums
These marsupials are well known as nest thieves and great climbers. However, although they include birds in their diet, this animal prefers to savor chicken eggs . But they do eat small chickens.
- Snakes
Usually the attacks on chicken coops are due to snakes, since they have the ability to enter through small openings, they know how to hide very well and they attack by surprise.
To prevent these reptiles from eating chickens, it is important to build a sturdy chicken coop , with door openings less than 1/4 inch, and to keep the pen clean, avoiding places where they can hide.
Snakes swallow whole, they eat chickens and eggs, leaving no shells or traces.
- Hawks
These birds easily hunt chickens from above. They are birds that attack during the day, so it is important that the chickens have a place to take refuge from the attack of the hawks. Wooden shelters are a good option and also places with roof screens that can protect them.
- Owls
These birds of prey hunt at night without leaving any trace, as their size gives them the strength to attack chickens and transport them. In some cases, although the hen house is protected, the strength of these birds allows them to enter the hen house and take the hen or chicken.
- Bears
This large mammal has no difficulty getting into the chicken coop. They walk through the door, ripping it off with their incredible strength . They are identified by the disorder after eating, since they leave the corpses and intestines lying everywhere. Another mark they leave is their large manure, since their rapid digestion causes this animal to defecate immediately after feeding.
The chicken coop is protected by placing bells around it, since if there are dogs on the farm, they will alert the owner that there is a bear attack.