Tuesday, June 5, 2012

How to Identify a Predator?

Homeowners in rural areas often have vegetable gardens and livestock apart from farms. This obviously means that they need to also think about providing adequate protection to their plants and domestic animals from predators that lurk in the neighborhood and attack when the farmers are not nearby or at night. Sometimes, small livestock go missing and there is no way to know what happened to them.

Here is some help on how to identify what predators come near your garden and livestock

Raccoons – If you happen to find a chicken or any other bird from your livestock dead inside the enclosure and you can see that its head and crop are missing, you can be sure that it was a raccoon that attacked your birds.

Cats – Generally when cats attack birds with the intention of eating them, you will find the place strewn with feathers. Most cats that kill chicks and ducklings gobble up the meatier parts and leave the feathers and wings scattered.

Dogs – Dogs are not known to eat birds. They mostly attack birds for sport and then leave them dead on the ground. If you find dead birds in the coop or enclosure and you find no missing parts, they have most probably been killed by large dogs.

Weasels and minks – If you find dead birds in the enclosure with the head as well as the back of the neck missing, it is most probably the work of a weasel or a mink that came from the water area nearby.

Great horned owls – These birds of prey kill smaller birds. You will find a missing head and neck in your birds if they happen to be attacked by an owl.

Foxes, coyotes and hawks – Foxes, hawks and coyotes tend to carry off the animal or bird they are hunting without leaving any trace behind. So, if you find missing chickens or ducks in your poultry, it was probably the handiwork of one of the above animals or bird.

Rats, skunks, crows, raccoons and snakes – Most of these animals are interested in eggs laid by hens and ducks. If it is a case of rats or snakes and skunks coming near your enclosure, they will probably take entire eggs away. Crows and raccoons tend to leave empty or broken shells behind whereas you can easily get to know that a skunk attacked your poultry because of the skunk odor it leaves behind.

You can keep your poultry and animals safe from predators by constructing a strong enclosure or coop for them. This will prevent your domestic animals and birds from straying out and also keep predators from entering into the enclosed area. Using wire mesh to stop predators is another good idea. Moving your poultry every few days within the enclosed area can also confuse predators to an extent. Guarding dogs can be useful too. Another modern method of deterring predators is the use of predator deterrent devices to help keep wild animals away from your farm and property.


Is the security and safety of your livestock and farm of concern to you? Then you must consider installing the Predator Preventer system. The Predator Preventer acts as a defense system to help protect pets, livestock, gardens etc from wild animals. Use our deer deterrent innovative technology. Visit our website at http://www.thepredatorpreventer.com  or call us at 1-800-595-7490.