Chickens have a lot of attributes but unlike most animals in the food chain, except for their typical if not initial distrust, they have none for defense. Aside from that, chickens do not move fast, are noisy, meaty, and tasty, that makes them the ideal bird to prey upon. To protect chickens from predators and other animals, observe try the following.
Introduce human smell.
The scent of humans is very repulsive to animals. It has often been claimed that the reason that man is the least to be preyed upon is due to human smell. There is not much study to support this but the fact is man will only be preyed upon when a predator is starving and there is nothing else available, when a predator is sick and is unable to hunt or is very old that their movement and ability has been limited, when the animal is threatened with its back to the wall and escape routes are closed and sometimes when a man is mistaken for another identity. To do this, hang bags of hair and used clothing inside the chicken coop and the fence preferably near entrances.
Discourage predators from your premises.
This will depend much on the predators that are in your area. Different predators use different methods. Consult with the animal control or the local authorities in your area. Aside from that you could use chemical deterrents. An electric chicken fence may also be ideal. Outside of these, remove places and clear spaces where predators could hide. Having dogs around will discourage most predators from getting near the place.
Build sturdy chicken coops.
Build the chickens living spaces free from gaps and holes. If the flooring of the chicken house is made from slats, install wires underneath to prevent predators from digging from underneath. Cover weak posts with wires to prevent them from biting through and lock up the chicken hutch without fail when the chickens are roosting in their coops.
Prevent access.
Predators will dig underneath a fence if they could not jump over it. When building the fence, ensure that it goes at least 10" or more below the ground to discourage digging. See to it that there are no weak points either in the fence or in the chicken house itself.
Provide barriers.
When the fence is made from chicken wire, bury planks that are at least 8" deep into the ground, also put footplates near the fence. Make the height of the fence at least five feet to prevent foxes from jumping over. Leave the top of the fence rough for added measure. Generally foxes could jump as high as their length. There are foxes though that could jump more than that. Leaving the top of the fence rough could catch if not scrape their underbellies on it.
Other methods of protecting your chicken from other animals could be provided by other farmer/residents in your area who have been raising animals longer than you do.
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