Dogs are a very real predator threat to chickens based on their sheer numbers alone. In many cases, they are a family pet or living in the neighborhood. They have easy access to chickens from their familiarity, ability to scale a fence, and chances of finding a property or garden open. A sturdy perimeter fence goes a long way in keeping dogs out and away from your chickens.
I’m not much the sentimental type but when it came time to thin the herd I had little practical experience, and even less enthusiasm.
My wife told me to just knock it’s head against something, but to hold on to it after I did so. Made sense to me, the cook at the restaurant in China used to just give a quick whack with the knife handle to the back of the head of the rabbit he was cooking for dinner. Seemed quick and painless. Of course when I opened the coop the chickens all hid under the laying house where I couldn’t get them. Maybe it was the glint in my eye. Later that week a friend of my wife’s came by and together while the children were inside they did the deed, slitting the neck, saving the blood, and boiling the plucked chicken to share in their mid week mom feast. Our herd of five had been whittled down to a more manageable four. I have to admit a bit of squeamishness over killing domesticated livestock. Too much premeditation, too close to murder. I’m ok shooting deer or elk and even prairie dogs or coyotes which don’t get eaten but are traditionally shot in the rural west. Chickens seemed much more up close and personal. My daughter often feeds the chickens pieces of grass through the cage. She knows which one is which, and when she came in saying they were pecking each other I went out to take a look. Sure enough a spot of blood on one of the black one’s neck. My daughter reported that Rosie the red one had pecked Black Black when Blacky Black was passing by.
Thipalada and Rosy
If I’m squeamish about killing chickens I’m nuts over any animal experiencing pain. The fact that they were pecking each other too. Too many chickens too small a coop I figured. We had to be somewhat discreet as our town doesn’t allow chicken ranching. The next morning my wife cut up some pieces of yarn, told the kids to stay inside and told me to come help. Sometimes when things need doing she decides to do them. She got in the coop, then confirmed with Thipalada, who had followed us out anyway, which ones were the pecker and peckee. She would first pick them up by the foot tie a piece of yarn around both feet then around the tips of both wings. Trussed up they were in no pain but they just lay there. This is the condition you often see chickens in when being brought to market in Asia. Usually slung by the feet over the back of a motorcycle. Once when I was the guest of honor at a suk wan at my sister in laws house, I remember a chicken being trussed up similarly. Bien had gotten the chicken early so that when the time came she wouldn’t have to chase it around the yard to catch it. While helping to set up the chairs and tables, every once in a while I’d hear a plaintive falorn squawk from the doomed prisoner. Suk wan ceremonies are quasi religious affairs left over from the days before Buddhism. Something to do with making sure spirits and ghosts are all where they should be and ones who aren’t supposed to be around get gone. I remarked that I wasn’t so worried about my ghosts but about the chicken’s ghost and that maybe we should have a suk wan for it. My inlaws thought this was pretty funny. It’s well known how sensitive the foreigners are about animals, and there is no such thing as chickens having spirits. Recently when I asked why always chickens at suk wans and why always boiled I was told it’s because boiled chicken is a sign of luxury, all meat, no vegetables. After both chickens were secured Thipalada helped bring them to the back door and mum got a pot of water boiling at her outdoor stove. I freaked when I saw ST hold the chicken down and pluck the feathers from it’s neck, but watching closely the chicken showed no signs of pain. Seems like docility is bred into them. I held the legs and the wings with the head pointed downhill while ST carefully nicked the throat such that the blood ran down into a bowl of fish sauce. The blood is mixed with the fish sauce so that when it congeals it makes a tasty solid, kind of like the luet in kow piak. The only signs of discomfort on the part of the chicken came at the very end when it’s blood pressure was probably about zero. It thrashed a little but I’d been forewarned to hold tight. When I got back from work all was in the freezer already except a delicious ope made from the livers, intestines, unhatched eggs, etc. It was delicious, none of that factory taste. Clean like game but not elk. Later I noticed two hand lettered plaques by the hose. Rosie chicken pecker, and Blacky Black chicken pecker. We’d found peck marks on both. Don’t know what’s up with the markers, never did discuss death and dying with Thipalada, but then kids understand those kinds of things anyway. She eats the chickens with gusto unlike her brother who was slightly uneasy over the entire project. Domestic dogs
The subject of domestic dogs and chickens is a tricky topic. Not all dogs are predators of chickens. Some dogs share a garden and are totally comfortable with free-range chickens. They’re happy to guard their family’s chickens from any intruders.
Dogs usually chase and roughhouse chickens, either shaking them and breaking their necks or chasing them into danger. Dogs don’t really kill chickens for food, but more for the chase. Dogs as predators leave a big mess of feathers, sometimes blood, and deep puncture marks in a chicken’s body. Dogs can pick up a dead chicken and take it to another yard or spot, or discard it where it was killed.
Raccoons
Raccoons are a real threat to chickens. They’re found throughout the United States in urban and rural settings. Raccoons are active at night, and they don’t necessarily need to live near water. Raccoons eat chickens and eggs. Raccoons usually kill several chickens at once, and are ruthless in tearing chickens apart. They can carry diseases such as rabies and parasites.
Raccoons are cunning when accessing chickens. They have the ability to scale fences, open chicken coop doors, and tear through chicken wire. (Chicken wire is a chicken-resistant solution to protect plants, and not a viable material to protect chickens from predators.) Pga tour value guide.
Coyotes
Coyotes are the size of a small dog and can run in packs or as lone animals. They’re nocturnal mainly, but can be seen any time. The distinctive noise of coyotes killing at night is chilling. Coyotes used to be found in rural areas, but have adapted to more urban neighborhoods as urban development has eliminated their habitat.
They can feed on rabbits, domestic cats, small dogs, and chickens. Coyotes scale fences, and they’ve been known to violently break into a chicken coop. Coyotes try and break into secure outside pens and chicken coops as well as surprise attack free-ranging chickens. Coyotes eat chickens and can eat their eggs.
Foxes
Foxes are found throughout most of North America, mainly in rural areas. They hunt mainly late in the evening and during early morning hours. Foxes will enter a chicken coop if the door is open after dark, and can dig to access a coop. They can also prey on free-ranging chickens.
Foxes generally kill a single chicken, carrying it away to eat it. After a fox finds a vulnerable chicken coop or flock, it will repeatedly return and kill. If you have a fox problem, stop free-ranging your chickens entirely.
Birds of prey
Also called raptors, birds of prey can be a serious predator problem to chickens. They have the advantage of aerial assault, sky visibility, and keen eyesight to help them hunt. The best offense in protecting chickens from birds of prey is to avoid pure white chicken breeds, provide a layered garden structure and landscape for limited visibility, and to screen the tops of outside pens.
The red-tailed hawk is one of the common birds of prey known to attack and kill chickens.
Birds of prey, such as hawks, owls, and eagles are justly protected by federal law in the U.S. The Migratory Bird Treaty Act makes it illegal to harm or kill them. If you have these raptors in your neighborhood, they’re great rodent hunters and should be considered part of your delicate wildlife ecosystem.
Minks and weasels
Minks and weasels are usually rural predators that like a close water source. They’re active during the day as well as at night. They shun human activity, so it may be difficult to see or trap them. Their favorite food is rodents, and they can be effective in keeping rodent populations down. However, they will eat chickens and their eggs, too.
Minks and weasels prefer to bite off the heads of chickens, and kill more chickens than they can eat at one time. They’re sly creatures that can squeeze into mouse tunnels and holes to enter a chicken coop.
Snakes
Snakes can be a chicken predator, and prey on chicks and eggs, too. Chickens have been known to eat small snakes, similar to their ability to eat whole mice. Be cautious of larger exotic snakes and some species of rattlesnakes, like cottonmouth and copperheads. It’s wise to know the snakes that can potentially kill and eat chickens in your area.
Killing Chickens In Skyrim 2Domestic cats
Although domestic cats are generally not considered a predator and threat for your chickens, there is always the exception. Be very cautious when acclimating your domestic cat with your chickens. Usually a domestic cat in a garden is more interested in hunting mice or other rodents.
Killing Chickens In Skyrim 1
Domestic cats can be more tempted by chicks, so ensure chicks are raised in a safe and protected shelter away from your domestic cat. Be aware that feral cats can be considered a chicken predator, especially if there is a problem with feral cats close to where you live.
Skyrim is almost eight years old, yet people are still discovering weird stuff you can pull off in Bethesda’s high fantasy RPG. The latest did-I-read-that-right issue is that people on Reddit have figured out that you can use dead chickens as storage space in the game, meaning that you can – if you want to be given weird looks by everyone in its world – drag a dead chicken around behind you. Why not use your own inventory, I hear you ask? If you’re over encumbered in Skyrim and don’t want to ditch that glass battleaxe or your steel plate armor, you can manipulate the laws of physics and grossness to shove ’em in a chicken.
Don’t ask me how you’d actually fit more than some snowberries and butterfly wings in a chicken, though. Of course, if you did kill a chicken you’d have the entire town on your tail in a heartbeat, as murdering fowls in Tamriel is one of the most heinous of crimes.
Skyrim Chicken Mod
This is far from the weirdest thing in Skyrim, however: in the game you can find a necromancer who will fight you using a resurrected dead chicken, a skeletal arm holding a sword out of a lake, and a jacuzzi camp especially for hunters. Running into some of that on your own might have you wondering whether you’ve ingested one too many handfuls of namira’s rot, but Skyrim’s NPCs are likely to think exactly the same thing about you if you start carrying around a dead chicken. Just a warning.
There’s plenty more Elder Scrolls goodness where that came from, so here’s everything we know about Elder Scrolls 6, or look below to see 8 things to see in Skyrim before you die!
Comments are closed.
|
Details
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |