There are ways to keep wildlife intruders at bay naturally, without cruelty or killing.
Posted4:44 AM
1 min readFont size +2Gift Article
The Oct. 19 article “Interest in trapping grows in Maine” was very concerning. Not only for all the wild animals, as well as pets, that unknowingly step into a cruel trap that causes immense suffering, injury and ultimate death, but also for the misinformation it spreads about how to successfully control predator populations that commonly prey on backyard chickens and small livestock.
If predators are killing people’s chickens, their coops, runs or yards are insecure. The neighborhood dog could just as easily kill their chickens. People must fortify their coops, not try to kill every fox or coyote — they’ll never win.
The key to reducing predators is all about layers of protection — coop in the middle, wire or electrified netting for the chickens yard, and then a simple perimeter fence beyond that to disrupt predator travel-ways and make them reroute for good, avoiding people’s yards altogether. Keep the most vulnerable livestock in the center, surrounded by larger livestock accessing the outermost pastures. Provide trees or shrubs for protection from sky predators.
This story is for subscribers. Choose a plan to keep reading.
Already a subscriber?Sign in here.
