It can be difficult to protect your chickens from everything, but when it comes to predators there are a few options out there!
The easiest and most effective way is to keep your birds housed in a secure run and coop. If predators can’t get in then they can’t kill your birds.
However, if you free range your birds you may struggle to find ways to reduce losses. As more people get into homesteading and raising poultry, livestock guardian animals are becoming more popular.
Many people keep dogs on their farms for protection, but you will also see other larger poultry species used to protect a chicken flock.
You may even see other species of livestock or animal used to deter predators!
Livestock Guardian Dogs
Livestock guardian dogs are probably the most popular and well-known animal used to protect chickens.
Dogs are intelligent, trainable, good companions, and quite frightening to a lot of different kinds of wildlife. There are many different breeds out there and they’re becoming easier to find.
The Great Pyrenees is a great option for anyone that is looking for a guardian for their chickens. They are smart and can effectively patrol a large yard.
They are friendlier toward humans than many other guardian breeds, which can be great if you need something that isn’t going to attempt to run off friends, family, delivery people, or clients!
Another breed that is more common in the United States is the Anatolian Shepherd.
These imposing dogs are a good choice for people that live in hotter climates, but they are considerably more standoffish than the Great Pyrenees.
The Komondor is a unique-looking livestock guardian dog that’s known for its thick, dreadlocked coat!
They are not very friendly and are quite territorial, so a lot of training and socialization is important.
The Polish Tatra Sheepdog is one of the sweeter guardian breeds and is considered to be very gentle.
They are also known for “alert barking” and placing themselves between a predator and the flock they’re protecting.
There are also many other breeds of livestock guardian dogs out there, so your best bet is to see what does well in your area and talk to breeders.
Contrary to popular belief, these dogs will not automatically guard your chickens! Once you pick the breed your real work begins.
If you’re looking for a dog that will be a true chicken guardian your best bet is to find a breeder that has dogs with a history of poultry protection.
Not all dogs will protect birds and many were actually bred to protect other livestock like sheep.
Puppies are also notorious for playing with things, and sometimes chickens can find themselves being played with to death.
Proper supervision and training as the dog develops are vital for success! Livestock guardian dogs are large and grow slowly, so expect to be training them for 2-3 years!
Roosters Are a Good Flock Guardian
The classic chicken defender is a rooster and many people that free-range keep one for this purpose!
Part of their natural job is to protect hens from predators, and many will protect their ladies with their lives. It might be wiser to pick a large breed rooster, like a Brahma, or even something extra feisty like a game cock.
On the other hand, roosters can be aggressive toward people and other animals, including pet cats, dogs, or even other livestock.
They can also run the hens a little ragged if their desires exceed the hens’ desires, so it’s important to pick one that is gentle and polite with your flock.
You will also need to replace the rooster if he gets killed and some roosters ultimately choose to save themselves. Even if a rooster is killed a predator could still go after the hens.
While it’s easy to find roosters for cheap or even free, you may struggle to find a good one or a particular breed.
Other Poultry Can Protect Chickens
Since dogs are not always effective at protecting chickens and not everyone wants to keep a rooster, some people opt for another type of bird!
The most common one to use to protect chickens is the goose.
Geese are very territorial and can be quite aggressive. You don’t need to train them to protect poultry like a dog, either.
Even if the predator is too big for your goose to fight off, they can make enough racket to get your attention!
They are skilled at spotting sky predators, like hawks, and can give the chickens enough advance warning to take cover.
Usually, people choose to raise one goose with a flock of chickens so that the goose accepts the them as “their” flock. Geese will often group together and protect each other instead of the chickens.
Even if you decide to get a whole flock of geese, they can still be super intimidating to predators! Despite not actively defending the chickens, they can be more than what any predator wants to confront.
Turkeys are sometimes used to protect chickens, but there can be some complications. Chickens can carry blackhead which turkeys are susceptible to and some turkeys have been known to kill chickens.
Guinea fowl are sometimes considered as a guard animal, but they really are more of an alarm animal. They are exceptionally loud normally and are even louder when there’s a predator!
Another fun, but loud, bird that you can use for chicken protection is the peafowl! Not only are these birds beautiful, but they eat a lot of pests – including snakes!
They tend to roam and are pretty good at flying, so there is a chance your peafowl will wander off leaving your chickens exposed.
Protect Chickens With Other Livestock
None of the following animals will actively protect your chickens, but if you own a small farm or a homestead, they may help deter some of the larger predators!
Donkeys are commonly used to scare away dogs or coyotes, provided that you have a standard-sized donkey or larger!
If you own dogs you may need to be extra careful, because many donkeys hate them!
They are best to protect animals like goats, sheep, or calves from predators like foxes, dogs, or coyotes.
They usually do not go after animals like raccoons or hawks and are no match against wolves, bears, or mountain lions. Some can get along with chickens, but others may not care for them.
Llamas and sometimes alpacas are kept as guardian animals and have some of the same pros and cons.
Pigs, cows, and goats can also deter certain predators from coming around but won’t protect your chickens outright either.
Protecting Your Chickens by Attracting Crows and Blue Jays
Crows and blue jays are both known to chase and harass hawks and other birds of prey, so attracting them to your property can sometimes help protect your hens!
Part of the reason for this is that hawks will often raid crow nests and eat their eggs and babies.
Hawks will also kill and eat adult crows if they are alone and not paying attention! Understandably, crows will get together and mob a hawk when they see it.
Blue jays are also known to sometimes mob birds of prey or even crows, but they’re not alone! Lots of smaller bird will gang up on bigger birds they see as a threat!
Mockingbirds, chickadees, and blackbirds are also known for mobbing.
While these birds can’t kill hawks or other birds of prey, they DO make them very uncomfortable and draw a lot of attention to their presence.
Since they’re unable to use stealth to attack prey they generally leave to find easier hunting grounds.
Use caution when attracting crows, because they will eat chicks given the opportunity! Wild birds can also carry diseases like fowl pox, which can then be introduced into your flock.
Protecting Chickens From Predators Conclusion
Once you decide which type of guardian animal works for your predator problem and your situation, you’ll gain some peace of mind that your chickens will be safer!
Never rush into an animal purchase, though, so use this article as more of a “starting point” in the thought process. There is no perfect guardian animal for chickens, but some are definitely more effective than others. Good luck!
Read Next: 21 Tips: Keeping Your Chickens Healthy And Safe From Predators
I am in dire need of some advice. We currently have a pair of foxes that have decimated my chicken flock. We have lost 104 birds to date. I have secluded the birds and put up an 8 foot fence and still they get in. We are in the process of adding 6 more feet to the top of the fence but if someone has any suggestions I would be moost grateful. This has been going on for five months now and the state refuses to let me shoot them even though the male has come after me as well as my neighbor more than once. They have NO fear of humans.