Bear Attack

[taylacline]

Unfortunately we had a bear brake into our coop last night. He got 2 of our 6 hens. He's already tried to come back tonight, but this time we were able to scare it away.
I've always heard once a bear knows where your chickens are it'll keep coming back until it gets them all.
What can we do to prevent this??
We are going to have to redo the run and fix the side to the coop, and we also want to be able to get more hens.
But I'd hate to do all this again just to lose more birds..
Any advice?

 

[nuthatched]

Hot wire. Hog panels. Sorry about your birds

 

[PrettyCoolChicks]

Sorry you had to go through this and lost some hens.

I agree electric fencing. Hot wire near the ground and at bear's head level increases odds it'll get zapped in the nose, which is possibly the only place they would feel it.

Plan for a backup generator to keep the e-fence on if you are likely to have power outages where you live. Neighbours had a grizzly that was kept out by a e-fence, but it figured out that when the lights are out (power outage!), the fence was off... The only thing that saved the birds that time was having two doors into the coop at opposite ends, so most birds could be taken out through the back and into the main house while the bear was trying to chew/claw its way in at the front of the coop.

Keeping the coop clean and locking up feed, storing it elsewhere in airtight containers to reduce smells, and generally keeping attractants to a minimum may help.

Flood lights with motion detectors can scare off bears, bear dogs can be a good option too, and I keep bear spray at hand just in case. A determined grizzly can get through pretty much any "defenses" though, so if you live in bear country, it is going to be an ongoing risk.

 

[gila_dog]

We had a bear in our neighborhood for a while. He would tear into sheds and chicken houses, rip fences apart, etc. looking for food. We called the game and fish dept and 2 game wardens showed up with a bear trap. It's a big metal cylinder on a trailer, with a sliding door at one end. They tossed some cantaloupe rinds and chicken bones into it and left it there. The next day the bear was in the trap and they took him some place far away and turned him loose. No more bear trouble.

 

[PrettyCoolChicks]

If anyone is curious, different bear traps stored at a parks ranger office.

 

[addctd2plnts]

Get a Marine Airhorn! We use them when I foster giant breed dogs in case there is a pack fight and somebody is alone. It will stop anything! This what I'm talking about: https://www.amazon.com/SeaSense-500...5&sprefix=marine+air+horn+8+oz,aps,209&sr=8-4 There are also great to have with you if you walk your dog. They will turn back a charging pit bull easily.

 

[TrialandError]

I have black bears where I live. One night I had a momma bear and her babies break into my original coop years ago. The next night they tried again and couldn't get in. Never had another problem with them. They want easy meals and if it takes to much effort they give up.

 

[SandyRiverChick]

Hot wire and barking dogs. Sorry you took a hit! But you're probably dealing with a black bear, not Griz and that's a little bit easier. Hot wire and barking dogs.