TARA DODRILL: Protecting Your Homestead: Tips for Keeping Predators at Bay

 

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Protecting Your Homestead: Tips for Keeping Predators at Bay

By Tara Dodrill

If you’ve ever walked out to your chicken coop and found feathers instead of hens, you’re not alone. Welcome to homesteading, where the joys of fresh eggs, bleating goats, and crowing roosters come hand-in-hand with the realities of homestead predators. I’ve cried over stolen eggs, chased coyotes in pajamas, and once camped out in the barn trying to outwit a raccoon. Trust me—I've been there. And now? I’ve got a system, scars, and stories to help you protect your homestead livestock from all manner of thieves, hunters, and sneaky bandits.

So let’s talk predators on the homestead—who they are, how they operate, and how to keep them OUT of your pens, coops, and barns.

Common Homestead Predators (a.k.a. The Rogues’ Gallery)

Here are the most notorious offenders I’ve personally battled over the years:

Mink—Small but vicious. These little devils can slither through tiny cracks and will kill for sport.

Fox—Cunning (yes, really) and fast. Foxes are egg snatchers and will decimate your chicken flock in minutes.

Coyotes—Persistent pack hunters. They’ll go after goats, sheep, and anything they think they can drag away.

Raccoons—Smart as a whip, great with their hands, and partial to midnight egg buffets.

Snakes—Especially black snakes and rat snakes. They love eggs and chicks.

Skunks—Stink and steal. They'll eat eggs and even bite young animals.

Opossums—Slow-moving scavengers, but they’ll raid nests and occasionally kill poultry.

Owls—Beautiful from afar. Deadly for free-ranging chickens at dusk.

Hawks—Daytime snipers. One moment your hen is there, the next it’s feathers.

Weasels—Like mink, but meaner. They’ll kill more than they eat.

Brown Bears—Yes, they’re not just in the movies. Bears will tear open a feed bin, destroy beehives, and carry off a goat if they’re hungry enough.

Homestead Protection: Tips, Tricks & What Actually Works

Here’s how I’ve finally managed to outsmart (most of) the wildlife in my area:

1. Fortify Your Fencing

Use hardware cloth instead of chicken wire (chicken wire keeps chickens in—not predators out).

Bury fencing at least 12 inches underground to stop diggers like foxes and coyotes.

Install electric fencing around goat pastures and poultry runs if you have larger predators like coyotes or bears.

Tie aluminum pie pans and other noise makers to non-electric fencing to both startle the predator and alert you that danger is near. You can even make a simple and cheap “homestead alarm” using a glow stick and a few common household items to light up the darkness and startle nocturnal predators.

https://youtu.be/90AzZWoX0pU?si=_Aam9OE6ignCN5le

2. Close the Gaps

Do a nightly check on your coop and barn. Even a hole the size of a quarter can let in a weasel or mink.

Add locks or carabiners to doors and latches—raccoons are clever enough to open simple latches.

3. Lights, Cameras, Action

Use motion sensor lights around coops and barns. Predators hate sudden light.

Set up game cameras to monitor activity. I once found out it was a hawk and not a fox picking off my hens during the day!

4. Guard Animals Are Gold

Livestock guardian dogs (LGDs) like Great Pyrenees or Anatolian Shepherds are worth their weight in gold.

Donkeys and even llamas are known to stomp coyotes flat . . . and LOVE doing it!

Just make sure they’re properly bonded to your livestock.

https://youtu.be/3lFG1ps3wak?si=Y8atPzh-6A8V-2X0

5. Elevate and Enclose

Keep your chicken coop raised at least a foot off the ground. It deters skunks, snakes, and weasels.

Use netting or roofing on all runs—hawks and owls are expert dive-bombers.

6. Scent and Sound Deterrents

Hang wind chimes or use predator eyes (reflective deterrents) to spook birds of prey. Hawks have incredible eyesight and will dive bomb your free-range chickens before you even know they are around. If you paint large eyes on top of your coop, they will think an animal larger than themselves is already around and fly off in search of their lunch elsewhere.

Scatter hair clippings, blood meal, or used cat litter (gross, but effective) near entry points to deter coyotes and foxes.

7. Don’t Leave Buffet Snacks

Store all feed in metal bins with tight lids—bears and raccoons love a free meal. Stretching a bungee cord with hook ends around the bin handles will make this setup even more secure.

Collect eggs frequently, especially during snake season.

Don’t leave dead animals unburied or compost out in the open.

8. Traps and Removal

If you’ve got a recurring raccoon, opossum, or mink problem, use a live trap (check local regulations) and relocate.

For more aggressive issues (like bear or coyote attacks), call in wildlife control or your local extension office.

Real Talk from a Woman Who’s Lost Her Fair Share

Let me tell you—nothing breaks your homesteading heart faster than finding a coop full of headless chickens or a goat pen gate bent wide open. I've made the mistake of trusting cheap fencing. I’ve underestimated raccoons. I even once argued with a skunk. (He won.)

But each failure taught me something. And now, after years of trial and error (and maybe a few choice words whispered into the wind), my homestead is safer than it has ever been.

Final Thoughts

Homesteading isn’t just about fresh milk and sunrises—it’s about protecting your investment, your animals, and your peace of mind. Whether you’ve got a flock of hens, a trio of goats, or a pasture full of dreams, remember: the predators are out there. But with a little grit, good fencing, and a lot of wisdom passed down from one stubborn homesteader to another—you can win the fight.

Happy homesteading, y’all. And may your mornings be predator-free.

About Tara Dodrill

Tara is a homesteading expert with over 15 years of journalism experience, author of Survival Apothecary Handbook of Gypsy Remedies and the Ultimate Handbook of Gypsy Natural Livestock Remedies. She is also the creator of The Homestead Homeschool curriculum and Heritage Explorers Homeschool co-op. Along with her husband Bobby, she also host the Heritage Explorers Fest for kids and the Lady 'Steaders hands-on learning events. Tara also organizes the Ohio Homeschool Science Fair and the Heritage Fair for homeschooling families. Visit Tara at Homestead Skills USA.