Help!! We have predators that will not stop.

There are a pack of stray dogs and stray cats in the new neighborhood, and in time I'm soon we will have a visit from a fox or coyote, so we want to be prepared. We keep improving our fencing, but it still doesn't seem to be good enough.

HOW do you keep predators from DIGGING under your fence? And how to you predator proof without investing several hundred dollars in your birds? It's getting so expensive that I've considered buying eggs again after 4 years of raising hens. This morning, I saw evidence of digging under the fence. Something is after my girls again and I'm out of ideas to protect them.

Is there a temporary fix? The animal will be back tonight, I'm sure of it.

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    • We have adopted our new Great Pyrenees! Many thanks to Linda at AZ Great Pyrs Rescue. Auryn is a beautiful big girl and SUCH a lover!! She immediately stood watch over the farm and seems to love her new job. We haven't yet let the chickens free range with her, but we are happy to have a guardian all night! Barking so far has not been a problem. She seems to understand that the dogs next door are supposed to be there and does not join in the reindeer games, just looks at them and sits there. haha.

      Thank you, Debbie for the idea! And thank you everyone for your help.

    • Picture?

    • last weekd I went to Black mesa ranch for thier open house they have several LGD's in with thier herd of goats the dogs live and sleep with thier charges  even the pups were being raised with the goats. .    I would choose and LGD over the options as well.

    • We bought a Dexter bull calf from Black Mesa Ranch a number of years back. I remember their dogs... 

    • I've heard and read such great stories on them.  Deb did you ever consider llamas as guardians?  I know a lot of the goat farms and ranches have used them.  I understand in the valley they have to have a little more access to shade and even a wading pool.  Read an amazing story about a guardian llama fending off a mountain lion - Texas or Tennessee I think - Just curious if you had ever used them.

    • Catherine, I hope it's okay that I'm answering for Debbie here...but I've heard that llamas and donkeys can work well as livestock guardians when it comes to larger predators.  However, I've been told that smaller coyotes, smaller dogs, feral cats, sometimes bobcats don't seem to "set them off" the same way that others will.  For this reason, many LGD owners consider the dogs to be a better "comprehensive" approach.  Although...the one benefit to llamas and donkeys is that they likely don't bark throughout the night.  ;)  As for my nocturnal Great Pyrenes cross...good grief.  That dog just doesn't sleep. 

    • Thank you Bethany, I''m happy to read anyone's experience with the llamas.  Mostly curiosity. It makes sense that the smaller predators may not set them off as you say.  Much of what I read about the LGD is they are on the job 24/7 and they really don't like being away from their 'charges' :-)

    • Handsome baby and his human :-)

  • If you want an answer you can impliment in a single hour, there is this: http://www.predatorpee.com/Merchant2/merchant.mv?Screen=CTGY&Ca...

    Marking an area around the chicken coop as if a predator were near, will scare off stray cats and dogs. None of them are going to stick around and wait for the wolf to come back. That should give you enough time to implement other solutions.

    • Thank you!! Brilliant! I've got everyone on lock down, a dozen tires to pack with dirt over the weekend, an electric fence I found second hand and... we'll see about my plans for a pellet gun. Thank you so much everyone!

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