Two black bears found the chicken coop

[Sunshine Flock]

We've got a situation.

When the Carr Fire burned through Redding, it destroyed a lot of wildlife and their habitat. But some survived, and those and others are now moving back into the area and are suffering from starvation.

A lot of people are seeing bears, more than we usually do here. They're here but usually not this visible. This last week our trashcans were knocked over three times. It only ever has happened once or twice a year.

Two nights ago I put out a trail camera and caught the bear knocking the cans over in the middle of the night. The cans are behind a shed across the driveway from the chicken coop, a decent distance but still a concern considering these bears keep coming back. We relocated the cans closer to the road and a good distance from the shed and coop.

Last night I found two bears on camera together, and one of them walked by the chicken coop really close as if he was pacing, and he bent down some fencing.

The chicken coop doesn't have electricity, and we don't have much money to spare. Someone told us they use solar powered electric netting for their goats. I'm not sure what my options are and would welcome some suggestions. I've done plenty of reading here on predators over the last year. But I'm short on time and patience and can't get my thoughts in order.

We're going to park the truck in front of the coop tonight, not so close the bears can use it as a ladder. If we hear them out there, we'll push the panic button on the keychain and see if that scares them off. But if they know chickens are in there, it's just a matter of time before they devastate the flock.

Give me your best ideas because we're totally stumped. Ammonia maybe? Does that even work?

Thanks.

 

[llombardo]

I think for bears, electric is the option and it has to be pretty strong voltage. You can get one that plugs in and run it with an electic cord. They run cheaper then the solar. Some sites have a clearance section on them.

Can you add another layer of wood on the coop to make it stronger?

 

[Sunshine Flock]

In Alaska people make nail boards and secure them to their doors and windows whenever they leave their homes. These are large sheets of plywood with huge nails pounded through and sticking out the other side.

I could makeshift something like that maybe. But can you believe I'm actually concerned about harming these hungry bears? I don't want them hurt.

 

[llombardo]

In Alaska people make nail boards and secure them to their doors and windows whenever they leave their homes. These are large sheets of plywood with huge nails pounded through and sticking out the other side.

I could makeshift something like that maybe. But can you believe I'm actually concerned about harming these hungry bears? I don't want them hurt.

I can believe it. It's hard when you have to protect what's yours without causing damage.

Do Bears move on or do they stick around permanently? With the boards, would you have to remove them to kerp the chickens from hurting themselves? If you have to buy the plywood, how many sheets? You might be able to get an electric fence going for slightly more. Bears are just really strong animals. If they are really hungry, they might show up during the day too. Do you have an enclosed run?

 

[Sunshine Flock]

The run is six feet tall but the overhead isn't enclosed with hardware cloth. That's the plan but it hasn't happened yet.

Amazingly, the dogs seem to have a secret arrangement with the bears. They never ever bark when the bears knock over the trashcans. And I'm sure they've seen them outside but nothing but silence.

I'm going to dump all of our aluminum cans in front of the chicken coop and barricade the front with leftover fencing and boards, anything to make sounds. I'll spray ammonia on all of it but not on the coop so the chickens aren't at risk.

No other options for tonight, aside from the garden hose which is prepped and ready to go with a powerful nozzle. Rocks aren't effective but would make me feel better than just standing there watching them pull apart the coop.

And yes, at least one bear was here during the day and pulled over a trashcan.

 

[lissalischicks]

Just a suggestion but do you think a motion sensor sprinkler would scare them off?

 

[pennyJo1960]

take cheesecloth wrap peanut butter soak that in ammonia and lay the nail sheets if you can

 

[snow5164]

Wow that’s scary!!
What do you mean the bear bent some fencing? What’s your run made of?

Are the hens secure in the coop?

It’s only a matter of time ,
Don’t you need protection for you and your family ? Bear spray ? A B.B. gun?

A friend told me to buy fire crackers for protection from the wolves around me .....just light it and throw

 

[IamRainey]

How about petitioning your local officials to pick an appropriate spot and set up a feeding station for them? There's no question that they have to eat so it seems like ensuring that they eat something appropriate in an appropriate spot could prevent all manner of awful alternatives for the general human population.

 

[snow5164]

That’s a great idea!!
As a kid we used to go to the dump to watch the black bears , the rm poured corn (I think ) for them so they’d leave us all alone