Panther-proof chicken house?

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Read a few posts about varmint-proofing your chicken houses... Anyone had any dealings with big cats? Any particular design/information on keeping your birds safe? Thanks.

-- Lynne David (lynnedavid@msn.com), May 15, 2001

Answers

I'm not to sure this will help but here is my two cents worth.

Large intimidating dogs (notice the plural), is one pretty good bet. My cousin had a poodle swiped in California some time back in her back yard. All she heard was a yelp and saw the rear end of a cat walking away with her poodle in her jaws Her neighbor had a pair of German Shepards(sp?) and had never seen tracks in their yard.

Big cats are highly developed predators but do have some weaknesses. For one, they are highly curious. When I have done some predator calling, coyotes would come in loping. Cats take their time coming in. Light does not seem to faze them one bit.

Strong hardware cloth surrounding the pen(s) might do some good (cats will climb onto the cage looking for a way in I would think).

Do you really have a big problems with cats? A call to the animal control office probably has much more solutions than what I have offered. Good luck

-- J. R. GUERRA (JRGUERRA@BOULTINGHOUSESIMPSON.COM), May 15, 2001.


Yeeks! Think I would want them a heck of alot further away than the chicken house! A very well known goat breeder on the west coast has tried just about everything to protect her and her livestock from mountain lions, to no avail. I would think shear number of dogs running your property peeing everywhere would deter them, unless, like the goatgal, yours was the only place to eat! We have had local folks say that our luck in keeping coyotes at bay is only because our dogs have access to all of our property. That it has nothing to do with our dogs engaging them. Whichever is true its working.

And I have said this before but, how cool to be trying to outwit a Panther! Our troubles are always neighbors pet dogs! Pet cemetary (what we call this one section of our place that is easy to dig in) is getting might full! Vicki

-- Vicki McGaugh TX (vickilonesomedoe@hotmail.com), May 15, 2001.


Hello Lynne, You will have to kill the panther. They require many many miles of territory, probably by killing the one that is raiding your chicken coup you will not have a problem anymore. Big cats like that do not fear dogs, light, or man. You will have to destroy it as it considers you the outsider on his territory. Sincerly, Ernest

-- http://communities.msn.com/livingoffthelandintheozarks (espresso42@hotmail.com), May 15, 2001.

In Montana, mountain lions have killed children. I think the dogs approach sounds best.

-- Paul Wheaton (paul@javaranch.com), May 16, 2001.

We have cougar around here, and we have have four very large dogs, the cougar are smart, and keep their distance! We have plenty of more appropriate prey for them, like deer, rabbits, mice, squirrel, chipmunk, etc., etc. in the woods, so they stay there.

-- Annie Miller in SE OH (annie@1st.net), May 16, 2001.


We lived in Colorado for 5 years down around the front range. My girlfiend raised goats for show and milk, and also had many birds (chickens, geese, duck, turkeys) She got two "Great Perianese" (spelling is wrond, I know!!) And they kept this rouge mountain lion from her birds and other live stock!!! These Sherif finally killed the cat after a year!! They won't mess with large dogs too much, unless they are starving!!!

-- Kristin (mwiggins1@kscable.com), May 13, 2002.

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