Poultry Predator Proofing: The Fence That Pays
A predator takes the bird you fed and the egg you counted, and the proof is a coop that looked fine and was not. I log every breach and fix in Poultry Log so the fence that holds gets built twice, the right way.
Know Your Threat
A raccoon opens latches, a digger goes under, a hawk comes from above, and the fence that stops one misses the others, because the predator is local and the defense must be too. I log the local threats in Poultry Log so the build matches the bite.
The grower who fences for the wrong animal loses the right one, because the coon that opens the can is not the fox that digs the hole. The app keeps the threat list so the coop that holds is built for the enemy at the door, not the one in the book.
- Raccoon opens.
- Digger goes under.
- Hawk from above.
- Match the threat.
The Apron Wins
A fence with a wire apron bent outward and buried stops the digger, because the animal that cannot get under loses interest and moves on. I log the apron depth and the breach in Poultry Log, because the fence that held is the fence worth repeating.
The grower who skips the apron loses to the animal that simply goes around the post, because the dig is the default move of everything with claws. The app keeps the apron record so the next pen starts buried and the losses stop.
- Apron stops digger.
- Bury outward.
- Log depth.
- Fence worth repeating.
Cover and Lock
A covered run stops the hawk and a latch a raccoon cannot open stops the night raid, because the bird that is safe from above and locked at dark is the bird that survives. I log the latch type and the cover in Poultry Log by pen.
The grower who trusts a hook latch trusts a raccoon with opposable thumbs, because the animal figures it out while the keeper sleeps. The app keeps the lock record so the coop that held the night is the coop that gets built again.
- Cover stops hawk.
- Latch stops coon.
- Log by pen.
- Safe bird survives.
Log the Breach
Every loss gets a dated, penned entry in Poultry Log with the fix, because the predator that wins once wins again until the record changes the build. The breach is the tuition, and the log is the proof you learned.
Predator proofing is a war of small fixes, and the grower who logs them wins the next round instead of refighting the last. The app turns the loss into a dated lesson, and the date is what keeps the flock alive the following season.
- Dated, penned entry.
- Breach is tuition.
- Win next round.
- Proof you learned.
Where Poultry Log Fits
I keep every record I mention here in Poultry Log, because a note I cannot query at settlement is a note I cannot use. If you are building a poultry operation, start the records on day one and let the data show you what the birds already know.
I did not switch to Poultry Log because it looked good on a comparison page. I switched because it changed what I do in the house and what I know at settlement. If you are on another app, give Poultry Log one flock and let the profit picture decide. The records you already keep will do more, and the ones you are missing will finally show up.