Forum:

chickens

Would scarecrows protect chickens?

Timothy Norton

master gardener

Posts: 4235

Location: Upstate NY, Zone 5, 43 inch Avg. Rainfall

1715

I like...

posted 2 months ago

6
Number of slices to send:

Optional 'thank-you' note:

Send

As I sit on my bench watching over my flock, I was musing about things that might protect the chickens in my stead.

What am I honestly going to do if a coyote or hawk came after my girls? I'm not particularly nimble nor do I have sharp... anything! It is my presence that is the deterrent from these threats. The predators view me as THEIR predator, or at least something that is not worth their time testing at the slight chance they might get a hen for their trouble. How would I replicate that deterrent?

Maybe a scarecrow? It has worked to varying degrees for gardens of folks in the past enough to become a commonly known thing.

Has anyone done something like this? Is it just a silly decoration?

I have to see if I got some old blue jeans laying around somewhere and get to work mocking up a prototype.

- Tim's Homestead Journal - Purchase a copy of Building a Better World in Your Backyard - Purchase 6 Decks of Permaculture Cards -
- Purchase 12x Decks of Permaculture Cards - Purchase a copy of the SKIP Book - Purchase 12x copies of Building a Better World in your Backyard

PEP - BB60 Badge (verified skill)
Skill verified by gir bot

Jay Angler

steward

Posts: 12418

Location: Pacific Wet Coast

6989

I like...

posted 2 months ago

7
Number of slices to send:

Optional 'thank-you' note:

Send

Been there, done that: https://permies.com/t/139611/permaculture-upcycling/Scarecrow-case-Scareeagle

I made mine on a tube, so I could hammer a stake into the ground and drop the Scarecrow over it. But it's really too tall and too awkward and without moving them often, they predators are smart enough to learn that they can ignore them.

The "UV stable" markers I used for the faces didn't last at all. Wind tended to give the hats major grief. I used buckets to try and keep it light - particularly because in our "big wet" absorbant things get heavy. Mother Nature still took her toll on them, and poor Sammy is awaiting me having enough time to deconstruct him for an honorable recycle. Sally's had a mini-refit, but she's close to done also.

So I would keep whatever you make super light, super movable, and super changeable, in an effort to keep the predators guessing. But mostly, I'd look for another option. Our geese help... a dog would help more!

Visit Redhawk's soil series: https://permies.com/wiki/redhawk-soil
How permies.com works: https://permies.com/wiki/34193/permies-works-links-threads

oddball - sand badge (verified skill)
Skill verified by Mike Haasl

textiles - air badge (verified skill)
Skill verified by Mike Haasl

dimensional lumber woodworking - air badge (verified skill)
Skill verified by jordan barton

Food Prep and Preservation - air badge (verified skill)
Skill verified by Leigh Tate

greywater and willow feeders - air badge (verified skill)
Skill verified by Leigh Tate

Matt McSpadden

gardener

Posts: 2187

Location: Central Maine (Zone 5a)

894

I like...

posted 2 months ago

6
Number of slices to send:

Optional 'thank-you' note:

Send

For their garden, our neighbors used to use one of the Christmas reindeer. The lights changed and the head moved. They would turn it on at night, and it seemed to help keep things away. Might be an easy thing to try?

Screenshot_25.png

"The future is something which everyone reaches at the rate of sixty minutes an hour, whatever he does, whoever he is." C.S. Lewis
"When the whole world is running towards a cliff, he who is running in the opposite direction appears to have lost his mind." C.S. Lewis

Anne Miller

steward

Posts: 16058

Location: USDA Zone 8a

4272

I like...

posted 2 months ago

4
Number of slices to send:

Optional 'thank-you' note:

Send

Funny, I have read a way to discourage eagles is to feed crows and raven so they might discourage eagles from hanging around.

I feel those shiny computer disc hug around the yard might be more effective.

Or try this:

Invasive plants are Earth's way of insisting we notice her medicines. Stephen Herrod Buhner
Everyone learns what works by learning what doesn't work. Stephen Herrod Buhner

Jay Angler

steward

Posts: 12418

Location: Pacific Wet Coast

6989

I like...

posted 2 months ago

7
Number of slices to send:

Optional 'thank-you' note:

Send

I've had Ravens tag team and kill chickens and ducks. They do harass and chase off larger aerial predators.

The Christmas Reindeer would be light and easy to move around, but the lights themselves may not show up all that well during the day. It might work better if you keep putting different dangling things/shiny things on the head that moves.

Aerial Predators are fairly smart - Ravens are *very* smart - and highly motivated. It's important that things keep changing so that they don't learn things like "it's the middle of the afternoon, so safe to hunt chicken dinner."

Visit Redhawk's soil series: https://permies.com/wiki/redhawk-soil
How permies.com works: https://permies.com/wiki/34193/permies-works-links-threads

Matt McSpadden

gardener

Posts: 2187

Location: Central Maine (Zone 5a)

894

I like...

posted 2 months ago

5
Number of slices to send:

Optional 'thank-you' note:

Send

I agree with Jay. Mix it up is important with any sort of animal prevention.

I wasn't thinking about the fact that the christmas lights would be useless during the day... and at night the chickens are probably in the coop and safe. So at that point it's just the motion of the reindeer head going up and down. And there are probably better options if all you want is something to move. I have heard of people stringing fishing line across the top of the pen to protect from areal predators anyway. Is your pen small enough to try something like that?

Jay Angler

steward

Posts: 12418

Location: Pacific Wet Coast

6989

I like...

posted 2 months ago

6
Number of slices to send:

Optional 'thank-you' note:

Send

Matt McSpadden wrote: I wasn't thinking about the fact that the Christmas lights would be useless during the day...

Maybe not useless if you can get them to reflect off things like mirror chunks or old DVD discs. But that again relates to the moving head, unless you can dangle the whole deer such that the wind will move it.

The biggest issue for me always comes down to: it only works if there's frequent change and frequent change usually translates into time and effort on my part which I don't have. This is why I've stressed "keep it light and easy". I've met more 'portable' chicken tractors that only work if you're a 6ft weight lifter with a helper. They end up too small or too heavy, or both and end up grounded.

Check out Ms Pearl Sutton's thread about Koi Nobori - Carp Kites. Essentially a wind sock. Make them really long.... or put streamers on the ends and they should help. They might be one more tool in the tool-box.

Visit Redhawk's soil series: https://permies.com/wiki/redhawk-soil
How permies.com works: https://permies.com/wiki/34193/permies-works-links-threads

Staff note (Pearl Sutton) :

Carp Kites for Spring! https://permies.com/t/211072

Carla Burke

Rusticator

Posts: 8567

Location: Missouri Ozarks

4541

I like...

posted 2 months ago

1
Number of slices to send:

Optional 'thank-you' note:

Send

A riff on the deer... Halloween is looming, fast, which means the after- Halloween sales, are also looming fast. Something motion-activated, like this guy might help - noise, lights and movement, all in one - and not consistent - only when they get within range: https://www.amazon.com/Activated-Animatronics-Halloween-Decorations-Outdoor/dp/B0D489Z81Q/ref=sxin_25_sbv_search_btf

The only thing...more expensive than education is ignorance.~Ben Franklin

catch it before it slithers away! Oh wait, it's a tiny ad:

Learn Permaculture through a little hard work

https://wheaton-labs.com/bootcamp