Official BYH Poll: Worst Backyard Herd Predator?

[Ridgetop]

No poultry so our Red Tail hawks are not much of a predator issue.

Major predator is coyotes. Used to be loose neighborhood dogs, but don't see so any of them anymore. But the coyotes are now hunting boldly in packs of 5 to 20. They are not afraid of people so dangerous to drive off. Thank goodness for our 3 Anatolians. Ridiculous to think that the coyotes are so numerous in the San Fernando Valley suburbs that we need 3 working Anatolian LGDs to protect 6 acres! But these California liberals don't recognize danger from animal predators or human ones. Burbank residents have been warned not to walk their dogs in the early mornings or late afternoons/dusk!

Occasional cougar - one took a dog last month across the boulevard. But again our LGDs notify everything in the area that the cougar is on the hunt so they tend to avoid us.

We live on a private road surrounded by nothing but steep hills and draws so human predators are not as much of a problem here as they are in locations with street access.

Definitely coyotes.

 

[Goat Shaman]

I did lose a baby once, but I can't point a finger to any particular predator. There are raccoons, opossums, and the occasional coyote on the property.

 

[Honeybee Hill]

Raccoons. Hands down the worst predator in my area. I've lost full coops of chickens, who were killed in the most awful way. They are relentless, and can squeeze themselves into the smallest areas. We cannot relocate them in my area either because they are considered "destructive wildlife". If we call animal control, we are told to kill them.

I strap my beehives closed because I've seen them trying to get into the hives, which are 20 feet from my house! It's frustrating, and I am now hyper alert to any sounds of alarm from my chickens.