I bet you were wondering what chicken would be on this card. I think that the illustrator’s solution was quite clever (albeit a tad realistic!)
Keep hens long enough and you’ll have an X, whether it is by a fox, a neighbor’s dog, a hawk, or a weasel, a raccoon or a bear. The list of animals that want a chicken dinner is long. I’ve written numerous times about predator protection. Here’s one blogpost, and I have more on this FAQ about coop design criteria. Although once in a long while, a predator needs to be removed from the premises (I had a serious problem with a fearless and aggressive raccoon) in most cases, good fencing and management is more effective than trying to eliminate the predators.
Dead on (pardon the pun) Terry.
Structures built to repel predators is the only way to go.
I’ve had numerous people ask me over the years about chickens in the backyard. I always start with if you are not willing to build the necessary structure and lock up every single night then don’t bother as you won’t have chickens very long.
Good point about trying to exclude (X!) predators instead of trying to eliminate them. They do their part by keeping down the number of rodents which could be even more troublesome for the chicken keeper!
(I suppose even a hawk in the area could reduce the number of birds which could be bearers of disease?)
Suzanne I just wish the red tails and cooper’s in my area would do something about the squirrel population. UGH!!!
Here in the suburbs of S.California, they aren’t good at catching squirrels either! It’s amazing to hear the sound of sparrows feeding below the bird feeder all flying for cover in unison. Actually yesterday I unwittingly flushed a bird out of a hedge as I walked by. A hawk made a swoop after it, missed, then perched in a tree watching me, maybe hoping I’d do it again. Meanwhile the squirrels are getting bigger and bigger…