HAWK | Aerial Predator

often gets blamed for chicken deaths

The harrier hawk (kahu) is the graceful glider we see most days soaring slowly over our paddocks forever looking for something to eat. They soar seamlessly in wide circles with slow steady flight, remaining on the wing for hours without apparent fatigue. It is good to know that a hawk’s diet consists mainly of  'road kills': squashed possum, rabbits and pukekos and young and ailing (sick) prey. With this in mind, if hawks favour ‘road kill’, it is possible that your hen could have been the victim of another predator and the hawk is simply getting his share?
Hawks are usually the first on the prime suspect list and often take the blame for something they have not done. We hear stories about hawks taking Chinese Silkies and bantams. Light breeds like silkies make easy pickings for a quick hawk meal due to their smaller size and inability to see danger (too much fluff!). It is usually the young progeny in the flock (chicks and young pullets) that becomes easy prey for these predators. 

OBSERVATION
When our block was just a bare paddock, we witnessed a hawk brazenly swoop down and grab a very young chicken, flying off with it. The chicken screamed for dear life as it soared away. That was 20 years ago!

Since then, we’ve put up windbreaks, planted numerous trees offering good cover and we provide secure hen houses with fully enclosed runs for our hens. Our chickens also have access to free-range, however, mostly now under the cover of foliage. Our trees have grown big and beautiful over the last two decades. The hens love the dense shade and the protection from aerial predators. We have also invested in guinea fowl, peafowl, and geese, which has significantly reduced the hawk’s options for easy pickings.
Thankfully, we have not lost anything to Mr. Hawk that we know of - our guineas always raise a good alarm! 
We also trained our kids to 'hawk clap', this is when they run outside and clap loudly whenever a hawk soared past. It worked, and both the kids (now grown up) and us still do it!

ADVICE
Deterring aerial predators is always the best option. We recommend keeping all chickens in fully enclosed secure runs to keep them safe.
It is important to be aware that both the endemic NZ falcon and the native harrier hawk are classified as endangered and are now both protected species here in New Zealand.

FALCON | Aerial Predator

fast and fearless killer

 The harrier hawk might be the first bird that comes to mind as your number one chook thief, but have you considered the NZ falcon; a ruthless, fearless and a lethal killer. The New Zealand falcon is a supreme aerial hunter and almost always takes live prey on the wing. Mainly by watching from a vantage point and making a fast direct flying attack and either striking or grasping the prey with their feet which are equipped with sharp talons. After it catches a bird, it takes it to a plucking post, and kills its prey with a quick powerful bite to the neck. It then plucks the feathers and eats the entire bird. This fearless bird will attack and kill animals larger than itself including birds such as white-faced herons, kereru (wood pigeons), ducks and pheasants. Falcons are known to create havoc in the farmyard amongst ducks, poultry, pigeons and turkeys, they are fearless of man and seek out both open and settled areas.

FALCON ATTACK
Mr. Falcon fortunately had not shown too much interest in our chicken area until we got some lovely, white fantail doves and then he suddenly appeared. Up close he is an awesome bird.
Very early one morning we witnessed him attack mid-air, the dove just survived only because it tumbled some 30 meters into a water trough below. The falcon swooped down to retrieve the dove but could not see it so he raced back to where we were standing in the chicken area and tried again for another dove literally right in front of us. He was determined, ruthless and seemed to have no fear of humans.
After another couple of close calls we put the doves in a large aviary for some rest & recuperation. Some months later we let them out again and  Mr. Falcon was back literally within hours. The doves now have their own large, permanent aviary and thank us daily!

DETERRENTS
1) When setting up your chicken area pay special attention to making it as predator-proof as possible from the get-go. Ensure runs are fully enclosed (netted over the top).
2) Plants trees. Trees & shrubs offer good foliage cover which provides shelter, shade and protection for your flock.
3) Soft bird netting similar to that used by the vineyards placed over the top of the chook run works well and also helps to keep sparrows out.
4) Fishing line suspended over the top of a chicken run with flags, bags, spinners or compact discs dangling from it may work as a deterrent for a while. Try a scarecrow! 
5) Another option if you live rural is to give your hens the companionship of a big, beautiful rooster. He will not only strut his stuff and look after his ladies by calling them over when he finds a tasty tit-bit but he will also do his best to keep a watchful eye and act as their guardian and protector.

DOG | Ground Predator

no.1 killer of adult chickens

It is surprising how many chickens are purchased to replace those lost to ‘death by dog’. The culprit is usually always someone else’s canine pet; the neighbour’s dog, a visiting dog or a stray dog. The scene is usually devastating; chickens or ducks found dead in the yard or coop, bodies scattered everywhere, usually maimed, wounded and without any missing parts.
Dogs mostly kill for sport. When the bird stops moving, the dog loses interest, which is why you often find the victim of a canine attack near where it was killed. A dog attack can wipe out a whole laying flock. Any birds that are left are often traumatised, stressed and as a result stop laying.  To avoid this horrid experience make sure your hens are secure at all times.
We have heard all sorts of horror stories. One was about a visiting terrier biting off the wings of some young guinea fowl keets as they huddled to get away in the lowest part of an A-frame chicken coop. The dog tore off the wings as they stuck through the hexagonal chicken wire.
The Omlet Chicken Coops and Walk-in Chicken Enclosures have secure runs with anti-tunnel skirts that will keep chickens safe from dogs.

TIPS
 Correct housing of poultry is worth the investment. A hen house with a dedicated FULLY ENCLOSED run (1.8m high predator proof netting and top mesh panels) will give peace of mind when you are not at home that your chooks are safe.
The Omlet Chicken Coops with their secure mesh runs and anti-tunnel skirts are also perfect for keeping your hens safe and secure from dogs.

CAT | Ground Predator

killer of young chicks and smaller birds

Cats, both feral and domestic, are killers on a phenomenal scale.
They are natural borne hunters not only stalking prey by day but also specialising in nocturnal hunting. Cats will eat entire chicks and ducklings, but leave the wings and feathers of growing birds. If on a rare occasion a cat kills a mature chicken or duck, it will eat the meatier parts and leave the skin and feathers scattered around. Where we live our experience is more with dumped, unwanted cats and kittens. They breed rapidly and raise kittens and turn feral. They set up home in our sheds, shrubbery, under our hen houses and down rabbit holes. They prowl round our chook areas at night looking for easy prey.
We know when we have a cat prowling: other than the obvious hungry kittens looking in the sliding doors on the deck (no kidding!) or half chewed rabbit carcasses on the lawn when they should be untouched. We can hear when our birds are restless and disturbed at night. Our biggest loss is usually with the partridge and pheasant that we loose due to them being startled at night by stalking cats.  Cats are nocturnal and enjoy hunting at night climbing on, up and over our pheasant flights. We have lost a good few birds this way.

OBSERVATION
The cat population has definitely exploded over the years. When we first moved to our block in Mt. Heslington Road the mallard ducks were very successful in raising their young to the flapper stage. One year we had nearly 100+ on our front lawn. Sadly over the years the cat numbers have hugely increased to a point that if we get a handful of mallards to the flapper stage it is a miracle. Our mallards mothers have no trouble hatching ducklings (we see plenty of them) however within a few days all are predated.

MUSTELIDS | Ground Predator

kill for sport

Mustelid is the name for the family to which stoats, ferrets and weasels belong. They were introduced to New Zealand in the 1880s in an attempt to control the rabbit population which was threatening to get out of control. However their own numbers have increased dramatically and created a separate problem because they also prey on native birds, eggs and chicks. Mustelids also rob the nests of flighted birds and frequently cause havoc and death in our chook runs.
Like dogs; stoats/weasels and ferrets also kill for sport. If you find bloodied bodies surrounded by scattered feathers, you were likely visited by one of them. Stoats, and their cousins, the ferrets can attack larger chooks out free ranging – look for bite marks on the face of the bird, back of the neck or the rear end where the bird has tried to turn and escape from its predator. Birds bitten around the rear end, and have their intestines pulled out, have been attacked by a stoat or ferret.

STOAT ATTACK
My first and only direct encounter with a stoat was many years ago. I spotted it running past the window with a limp guinea fowl keet in it's mouth. I gave rapid chase with a short piece of alkathene pipe in hand. I managed to corner it, the stoat refused to drop the keet, so I hit it repeatedly with the pipe. I then returned to the coop. It was devastating: dead and dying keets everywhere. The stoat had tunneled under the chicken coop and had killed, maimed and dragged out  the guinea fowl keets. He killed 13 that day only a few managed to escaped and hide in the grass. I had only just hung the washing out half an hour earlier and the keets had been enjoying a dust bath in the morning sun.
In the last 20 years this has been my only encounter. We have had no trouble since. I see stoats sometimes in the paddocks. They live on small rabbits and we sure have plenty of them. After my initial encounter I became paranoid and put weld mesh under all my coops. This resulted in more work for me and imprisonment for my birds. Slowly a happy balance materialised of less mustelid paranoia and hens that could scratch and free range.

Stoats, Ferrets & Weasels

all lethal killers

The Ferret is the largest of the three mustelids, adults measuring around 60cm from nose to tail. It has a creamy-coloured coat, with black tips to the fur. The stoat is smaller 34-40cm nose to tail. It is very thin, and about half the size of a rabbit. It has a chestnut-brown coat, which turns white in winter, a light-coloured belly, and a bushy, black-tipped tail. It is an extremely fierce fighter, killing its prey with a sharp bite behind the ear. To catch birds, it will first mesmerise them by circling around and around them and then it will pounce.
Stoats will kill more than they need for food if they have the opportunity. They will also attack prey much larger than themselves. Both the ferret and stoat hunt mainly at night, and are a very good climbers, which means they can steal eggs and chicks and even kill sitting hens on nests.
The weasel is much smaller, no more than 20 cm from nose to tail with a thin, muscular body and small head. Weasels, although small, will attack prey much larger than themselves. They kill most of their prey underground, and are usually found where there are plenty of mice, in gardens and near buildings, rather than in open paddocks.
All three have very elongated bodies and long tails allowing them to climb well and to hunt down burrows and warrens.
All have very good hearing and a strong sense of smell.
In our opinion all three need to be trapped – not only for the sake of our chooks but all the native wildlife out there.

TIPS TO TRAP
Set live capture traps baited with dead rabbit/rat/mouse or an egg. It is important to position traps along pathways where the animals tend to run. For example alongside the outside wall of a hen house or side  of a shed. Keep trapping because if you catch one the rest of the family will surely be about too.

RODENTS | Ground Nuisance

carry disease, kill chicks, contaminate feed

Rats and mice are a particularly insidious type of predator. They’re everywhere…and …well…breed like mice!! They invade any time of year, but get worse during autumn and winter when they move indoors seeking warmth, food and shelter. Rats eat eggs and chicks, and both rats and mice eat copious quantities of feed and spread disease. To add insult to injury, rodents also gnaw holes in housing, and burrow underneath, providing entry for other predators. Rats will carry off chicks and ducklings and leave older ones chewed up. They will bite or gnaw on the hocks of older birds. Ground and flighted birds in aviaries can make easy pickings for rats too. Rats tunnel in from the outside and often their presence goes unnoticed till bird numbers start to decline. Their tunnels are usually well hidden under the ground cover, flax plants or tussock. They kill their prey on the ground and drag it back into their tunnels to be stored or eaten. Whether or not you find evidence, you can safely assume you have a rodent problem.

 TIPS
Discourage rodents by eliminating their hide-outs: raise hen houses off the ground on blocks or posts, move mobile coops daily, build hen houses to be simple structures (avoiding roofing papers and walls with cavities where rodents can hide and live.)
Reduce the amount of scraps you feed out and be sensible about where you position and what you put in your composting bins especially if near the chook area.
When building aviaries or flights dig wire mesh about a foot into the ground and curving away from the aviary as this will act as a deterrent for digging predators. Think smart about how you feed out to your birds by using vermin proof automatic feeders.
Store feed in containers with tight lids and avoid or sweep up spills. Avoid throwing feed on the ground and using open top feeders as this will only increase rodent populations.
 Setting bait stations all year round is a good way to keep on top of rats and mice. Use bait stations that minimize the risk to both humans and the environment. Check regularly and reload when required.

EGG THIEVES | Annoying!

Hedgehogs, Wekas & Pukekos

Lots of predators love eggs: remember an egg is a highly nutritious, portable meal!
Dogs, cats, rats, hedgehogs, wekas, pukekos, possums, stoats, ferrets and weasels are all suspect when it comes to eggs disappearing. Rats and hedgehogs make off with the whole egg carefully rolling it away.
Hedgehogs are also known to kill chooks sitting on nests. Hedgehogs carry disease and we recommend humanely dispatching them if found in your chook area. Best time to catch hedgehogs is when they are on the move at night. They are usually the ones sneaking about rolling duck eggs out from under the houses and leaving them half eaten for us to tread on the next morning. The rat will roll the egg to its larder the hedgehog will roll it a distance to eat it. We once discovered a rat’s treasure trove of duck eggs rolled very skillfully through a tiny gap and under a drum for later consumption.
The weka and the pukeko are typical egg thieves returning daily to steal eggs from nest boxes usually making a hole in the egg and consuming its contents or making off with it.
Pukeko and weka are also lethal when it comes to killing ducklings and young chickens. Hedgehogs will also steal young chicks from under sitting hens.

TIPS
Collect eggs daily(or twice daily) from nesting boxes or use rollaway nest boxes.
Collecting eggs regularly with also help prevent dirty, soiled eggs and avoid any egg eating habits from starting.
Leave fake wooden eggs in nest boxes to confuse predators.
Rubber eggs have often been taken by rats as they have more grip.
Keeping grass, weeds, and brush mowed and short around your hen house/s  and in the chook area go a long way to deterring predators. Many four-legged creatures don't like to expose themselves to cross an open field.
For free-range poultry, moving the housing every couple of days confuses predators, or at least makes them suspicious. A house with a solid plywood floor (and no gaps) is superior to housing with no floor and lots of gaps for predators to squeeze inside.