newbie here with three chicks and a duckling. two Comets, a Delaware and a runner duck. I am petrified of predators and am researching everything. :( I am so sorry for all of your losses. I cannot stand the thought and before they go out I am going to focus on the most secure barriers I can come up with. We live on 32 acres in Western NY and have it all out here. we have 5 dogs, horses, cats and a 5 year old son. I am a SAHM so will be around a lot. We have approximately 1/4 of an acre with a falling down 6 ft. stockade fence around it that we are going to gradually replace. There is a large area within that fence next to the house where we will put the coop ( the rambler from www.chickensaloon.com and then secure a pen area. Part will be the house, two sides the re-enforced fence and a new part will have to be put up to make the rectangle. We want to put the black plastic shrubbery barrier down ( 6") and then pour cement around the fence. I will get the night time predator lights to move around and do whatever else I can do. If anyone is still reading this thread I am open to suggestions. we also will put bird netting along the top of the run. The problem is that there are no trees in the back. I need to get some put in and also find some things for them to hide under for when they spend time free ranging. In the winter I plan on letting them have a stall with a dutch door and making an enclosure for them but that is a ways away.

Hmm, well I just don't know. I've heard crows could do it. They could be ravens I don't know how to tell the difference. I haven't caught anyone in the act so I can't say for sure. I know the neighbor two houses down has rats in the attic (according to my other neighbor) and we have seen one outside. Ugh, I'd hate for rats to be the case. The squirrles do eat my avocadoes (but they leave plenty for me-I just cut off the eaten bits) but you see teeth marks so I assumed that I would see similar marks in the tomatoes instead with the large tomatoes I see round holes about the size of a nickel as the first signs and then more and more of the tomato up to half is eaten with the rest left on the vine. Cyrus_gardener I'd be willing to share, I garden organically and don't expect perfect yeilds. But there is not one red cherry tomato left on the vine and as soon as any get a blush of color they are eaten. I should be getting reasonable yields this time of year... now I have no more tomatoes on the vines. I'll post pictures if I get any more of the large ones ripening. Thanks for all the help. Kristi

Whoa there! Why the prejudice of crows and ravens?! Is it because they are black? Is it because they get starring roles in horror movies and poems...quoth the raven -- nevermore... Other birds eat meat. Other birds are FAR worse predators of songbirds -- bluejays are about the worst. Crows and ravens are intelligent, because unlike most birds we see, they have to work hard for a living. They rarely kill anything and as you said you see them being driven off frequently. They clean up what is left behind. Without crows and ravens roadkill would stay there breeding disease. They are scavangers and help keep our world clean. They have a purpose and a right to be here. I was fortunate enough to move into a neighborhood with ravens and put out dog food for them. Watching their social activity was fascinating. I love to see them striding around shimmering in the sun. They did not bother my bird feeders and I never saw any sign that they bothered my nesting birds. In fact, unlike song birds, they treat each other very well and have been known to care for a wounded member of the flock.

We live in an area with similar wild animals and it's only the squirrels and a few birds that ever bother with the compost. We have a 4 sided pallet bin. Twice in 12 years it's been thrown apart by a bear. The palllets were not damaged, DH just tied them together again. It was interesting to see the big bear paw print in the finished compost! I've never seen a crow or raven or any other animal near it. I've recently put a pile of fine wood shavings beside the bin to scatter over each layer but that's because I hope to get faster decomposition. It will I expect also change the odor of the bin so you might think about using sawdust, shredded paper or shredded leaves to do the same.