How to Protect Your Chickens from Predators and Pests

Know how to protect your chickens from predators and pests is a priority.  They are vulnerable and unable to defend themselves from most attacks.  There are the obvious threats, such as raccoons, coyotes and foxes, plus some less obvious and less visible ones like mites, lice and ticks.  Let’s take a look at each of these threats and discover what you can do to protect your flock against harm.

Pests

When you suffer an invasion from any kind of pest in your chicken coop, eliminating that pest can be difficult and time consuming. Whereas predators will usually leave behind evidence of their presence, lice, mites, ticks and flies are not so courteous so you may not realize that you even have a problem.

Common pests include:

• Mites
• Lice
• Ticks
• Rodents
• Flies
• Predators

Infestations

Infestations of any pest are difficult to get rid of therefore prevention is key to remaining as free from pests as possible. Both the chicken coop and the bedding should be cleaned and dusted regularly with mite and louse powder from the beginning of Spring onward as a preventative measure. The coop and everything in it should be thoroughly scrubbed and hosed down twice a year at least, and your birds should be regularly inspected to check for any lice, ticks or mites. The sooner you catch the presence of a pest the easier it is to get rid of it.

Mites  

Chickens can become infested with mites by various sources, such as wild birds, rodents or by coming into contact with another chicken already infested with them. Mites have eight legs and are so tiny that they are not always visible. There are several species of mite that will infest chicken coops,

• The Northern Fowl Mite (Ornithonyssus sylviarum),
• Red Mite (Dermanyssus gallinae), also known as Chicken Mites,
• Scaly Leg Mite (Knemidocoptes mutans),
• Depluming Mite (Knemidocoptes gallinae),

All of these will make your chickens lives a misery should your coop become infested with them. Chickens infested with mites will scratch and excessively preen themselves in vain to get relief from the constant irritation which can lead to feather loss. They can also suffer from anemia (have pale combs and wattles), lay fewer eggs or stop laying eggs altogether.  In really extreme and severe cases, chickens can become emaciated and die.

Nocturnal

Mites can infest a coop at any time.  They are nocturnal creatures that will hide in cracks and crevices during the day where they mate and lay their eggs, and then crawl out during the hours of darkness like tiny vampires to feed on the blood of your chickens while they roost.

Red Mites

Red Mites are white or grayish in color and gradually turn bright red as they feed. The more they feed the darker in color they become. Eradicating red mite from your coop is not an easy task. Although they are prevalent during summer months when it is warm, do not be fooled into thinking you have gotten rid of them when they disappear in the winter.

Red Mites will remain dormant in the coop over winter due to the drop in temperature. Once it is warm again, the red mites will awaken from their slumber and start feeding on your chickens again. Ideally, your chickens will need rehoming into a new coop while the infected one can be thoroughly scrubbed and cleaned. They should stay in their new coop for a period of six weeks.  During this time, the infested coop needs scrubbing and cleaning several times and any cracks and crevices need to be caulked.

Northern Fowl Mites

Northern fowl mites are more aggressive than red mites. This oval shaped mite is only 1mm in size and is host specific.  It will live on the bird its entire life feeding on its blood.  Like the red mite, it is pale grey in color, changing to a black/brown color as they feed. It lays its eggs at the base of the feathers around the chickens vent. Because the mite lives on the bird, it is the bird that needs to be treated rather than the coop. Infestations usually peak during winter months, unlike other mites who peak during the summer.

Scaly Leg Mites

Scaly leg mites appear on the scales of the chickens legs and feet damaging the tissue and making the legs and feet swollen and painful, and as the scales begin to lift away from the skin a white crust and discharge may form underneath them which can become infected. If it is not treated, it will not only lead to lameness, it will also lead to the eventual death of the bird.

Although this mite is fairly easy to eliminate in comparison to other mites, the chicken will have had the mite for several months prior to the scales lifting away from the skin.  Once treatment has begun, it can take up to a year for them to heal completely. Treatment involves gently washing the legs and feet and then covering the legs in petroleum jelly. Doing this will suffocate the mites and their eggs and should be repeated several times a week.

Depluming Mite

The Depluming mite is a burrowing mite like its close relative the scaly leg mite. The depluming mite burrows into the feather shafts on the chickens back, belly, neck, head and upper legs. It can only be transmitted through direct contact with a hen already infested.  The bird will suffer extreme itching and pain causing it to scratch itself and pull out its own feathers so it can rid itself of the irritation. In cases of severe infestations, chickens can lay fewer eggs and lose weight. Unlike other mites, the Depluming mite does not lay eggs, instead, it gives birth to live young.

To eliminate mites, both the coop and your hens will need treating. Your coop will need a thorough scrubbing and dusting with an approved poultry dust or powder. To treat the hens, a veterinarian may need to be consulted as some treatments can only be prescribed by a medical professional.

Lice

Chicken body lice (Menacanthus stramineus) and shaft lice (Menophon gallinae) are tiny, wingless ectoparasites that are extremely contagious between birds. They can transmitted in several ways:

• direct contact with an infested bird
• from equipment or clothing
• any contact with wild birds

Around 2mm in length, shaft lice lay their eggs individually either along the barbs of the feathers or to the bottom of the shaft where the birds cannot get to them, usually on the thighs and breast.  Body lice are 3.5mm and lay their eggs in clusters at the base of the feathers, particularly those around the vent. A single hen will never just be infested.  If one of your chickens has lice, then there is a good chance that the rest will have lice as well.

Lifecycle

There are numerous varieties of lice, all of which are host specific, which means they will spend their entire life on the bird and a single bird may be the host to up to as many as fifteen separate species.The lifecycle of the louse last only three weeks and in that time a female louse can lay anywhere between 50 to 300 eggs.

Lice do not suck blood like mites do, they bite causing the bird excessive irritation. An extreme louse infestation will cause your flock to go off their food, stop producing eggs and become restless, weak and ill.

Ticks

The fowl tick (Argas persicus), also known as the poultry tick, is a bloodsucking anthropod that likes to hide in cracks and crevices within the chicken coop during daylight hours and then ventures out at night to feed. Ticks are extremely difficult to see.  You may not notice them, but your chickens will make you aware of them.  They will not want to go into the coop at night and may be reluctant to roost.

The only way to eradicate ticks from the coop is to thoroughly clean the entire coop and, once it is completely dry, caulk every crack and crevice you can find.

Flies

Flies that are known to invade chicken coops are,

• Stable Flies (Stomoxys calcitrans)
• House Flies (Musca domestica)
• Blowflies

All of these are attracted to droppings and unsanitary conditions. They will also bother chickens that have wounds or open sores of any kind. Birds suffering from diarrhea are also susceptible to flies as they will lay their eggs around the chickens dirty and matted vent area. When the fly eggs hatch, the maggots will burrow into the flesh of the chicken, a condition known as Myiasis (more commonly known as flystrike.) This condition can kill an infected chicken.

Rodents

Both rats and mice like to live in close proximity to humans and can survive in almost any environment.

Although chickens themselves do not attract mice and rats to the coop, their food will. They will gain access to the coop by using their razor sharp teeth to bite through wire. Although they only usually go for the chicken’s food, rats will, occasionally, attack roosters and hens. However, they are more likely to go for the eggs or young chicks.

You will only have one of them pestering the coop. You will never have both rats and mice bothering the coop at the same time. If you have mice then you won’t have rats and vice versa.

Predators

Predators are the most lethal pest there is and have the capability to totally destroy a chicken coop leaving chickens either dead or maimed. Therefore it is important that your chicken coop is as sturdy a structure as possible with a solid floor to prevent predators from burrowing into it.

Foxes

Depending on where you live, foxes, especially the red fox (Vulpes vulpes), readily preys on chickens and will watch a coop for weeks before attacking it. Not only can they dig like their canine relatives, but they can also climb over fences. If they can get into a coop, they will kill as many chickens as possible.  

They will also consume the eggs by making a hole in the shell that is just big enough for them to get their tongue inside so they can lick out the contents. They do not eat the egg shells, they’ll leave them behind.

Raccoons

Although the raccoon (Procyon lotor), may look cute, this masked predator, like foxes, will take many birds in a single night. They also have the additional benefit of having opposable thumbs which means that they can easily open door latches. The more complicated the latch the less chance you have of a raccoon getting in. Putting a lock on any doors or windows will stop them from opening them altogether.

As well as eating the chickens they will also take the eggs, carrying them away from the coop to eat.

Weasels

Weasels, such as the least weasel (Mustela nivalis), are small animals of the family (Mustelidae). The least weasel weighs only a couple of ounces (55 grams) and their long, slender bodies are able to squeeze through the smallest of holes to gain access to the coop. Holes as small as a ¼ inch in diameter gives the least weasel ample access.  Chicken wire provides no protection in this case.

They are active all year round and have insatiable appetites due to the fact that they need to eat four times its body weight of food every day. It bites its prey at the back of the head and neck to kill it.

Dogs

Domestic and stray dogs can be found everywhere and can be a nuisance to poultry flocks.  It must be stressed that not all domestic dogs will kill poultry – some will only chase them, some will only bark at them, and some will ignore them altogether. Problems arise when it is not your own dog that is harassing and bothering your flock.

Dogs are pack animals, if there is more than one dog present, the inclination to chase a flock is intensified. A dog may kill a chicken, be it deliberately or accidentally by mauling it or breaking its neck.  Chickens are easily frightened the shock alone can cause it to die.  Just being chased by a dog can cause a hen to stop laying eggs for a period of months.

Coyote

Coyotes (Canis latrans) are also part of the canine family. Although coyotes travel in large packs they will typically only hunt in pairs.

Hawks

There are many hawk species that prey on your chickens. Three of them are also known as chicken hawks:

• Cooper’s Hawk (Accipiter cooperii)
• Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis)
• Red-shouldered Hawk (Buteo lineatus)

Hawks are daytime hunters and have a high kill rate as chickens never see the danger coming.  Hens are always looking down at the ground, not up in the air. Hawks, like other predators, will watch a coop for weeks, so that they can work out the best time to attack it.  

Opossums

When an opossum (Didelphis virginiana) plunders a chicken coop it will kill the chickens one at a time by mauling them. It will gain access to a coop through any small gap it can find.

Skunks

Skunks are more of a nuisance than a deadly threat to your birds. They will go into coops mainly to steal chicken eggs and young chicks. Skunks do not have very good eyesight so, if one does manage to get into your coop, it will go for the eggs before anything else.

Snakes

Snakes, unlike other predators, eat their prey whole. They have two methods of killing prey. They will either squeeze them to death before swallowing them whole or they inject them with venom by biting the victim.

Unlike with other predators, such as opossums, raccoons and skunks that leave bits of egg shell behind, a snake will leave nothing behind.  It will eat a chicken egg in one swallow, so the only evidence will be the missing egg.

Depending on the size and species of the snake, they can get through any gap that is at least ¼ in diameter or larger as not only do they have to get into the coop but they have to get out again once it has swallowed its prey.

Check your coop regularly

To protect your flock from pests and predators, both the coop and the chickens will need regular checking.  It is vital in detecting any problems early, whether it be a tiny pest or a larger predator.