A predator I can't fight

[Kathie]

I rounded a corner on my way to the barn Thursday, and 10 feet ahead of me, was a Bald Eagle. And yes, they are everything they say, Majestic, beautiful and HUGE! At first I just stood there in awe, then realized he was standing on top of the carcass of one of my ducks! I raised my arms and ran at him, screaming like an idiot. He just looked at me and calmly went back to tearing at the carcass. So I started herding the rest of the ducks into their pen, with a lot of looking-over-my-shoulder. He finally flew off, and I examined what remained...Lots of feathers and the body was completely plucked, and eviserated. So I set up my tripod sprinkler near it and went inside to grab my trail-cam to mount on it. Came back in maybe 2 minutes and the carcass was gone.

The victim was one of my Rouens, and there is also a Blue Swedish missing, just gone, not a feather to be found. I had seen them all maybe 20 minutes before. This just makes me sick. We've been fighting with coyotes for over a year, with traps and have shot 2. But there's nothing you can do about an eagle. Can't trap, can't shoot, and I have no idea on deterrents. My nephew is here for the week, and he insists I keep the ducks in their pen unless someone is outside. That can't last, it's a small pen, meant for night time only. They're miserable, I'm miserable, and they can't do their job.

Did I mention I've got four Runners coming this afternoon, and 4 ducklings in the house, almost ready to go out? The idea that I'm just raising Eagle fodder is really making me mad. We have known we had eagles for years, see them at a distance, and have even witnessed their "mating twirl" and hawks, Ravens, etc. First time we have lost anything to an Avian predator...that I know of. But the BS is just gone, and if I hadn't caught him in the act, I would've just assumed coyote. Damnit.

[finallyfarming]

A livestock guardian dog will keep them away. I watched my sleeping LDG explode awake to chase off a raven once. It was amazing! He won't let any predator land in his pasture, but the ducks, chickens and turkeys all fly in and out.

[Dianne Ader]

I would have took a gun & fired it in that direction to scare it off. If you were lucky maybe your site would be off.

I am sorry.

Dianne

[treatlisa]

I wish I had something helpful for you... Moral support is the best I can do. How frustrating that is.

[simplynaturalfarm]

Dogs. Mine are not LGD (I have not replaced my last one as our property is too small) and they will chase off every bird.

[eljay]

I call them winged rats. The make my blood boil. Bald eagles (and foxes) are the reasons we got our LGD. He did his first shooing of an eagle this week, and my DD and I were in the pasture to witness it. The eagle clearly was interested in coming closer, and Chesterton followed under him as he flew around. I have hope that we won't lose any more chickens to them. Our chickens did become somewhat eagle savvy over time. A shadow overhead would send them scurrying for cover. Unfortunately our ducks never had a clue and we lost all of them quite quickly.

[farmerkate]

We, too, have lost ducks to some sort of bird predator since we lost our dog Jake. So I totally understand how you're feeling...It just sucks. The search continues for a dog (for us).

[Mitra]

Here is what I learned/did when a bald eagle decided we were the best fast food joint around. First, Bald Eagles prefer fish to chicken and ducks. They usually have a pond/lake where they live and dine. Of course ducks are also easy prey on lakes and they do eat them but they prefer fish. The eagle we were dealing with was a juvenile eagle that was, according to the eagle experts consulted, searching for his own territory after being driven away by the parental units from their territory. For several weeks he hung around killing and eating my best hens, never roosters, and usually hens with chicks. These hens always died defending their babies. My dog would run the eagle off but she was always in the house when the attacks occurred so each time she burst from the house to the alarm sounds of the chickens, there was a fatal (to the chicken) delay.

As you have correctly stated, you can't shoot a Bald Eagle. I don't even think you can shoot in their general direction. The experts told me that all I could do was to "restrict the eagle's food supply" and he/she would move on to a new territory. This restriction had to last approximately three weeks to be effective. WHAT!!!!?? My 100 free range chickens and ducks who are only shut into their coops (three of them)at night had to be "restricted". This meant we had to build a huge pen that included all three coops AND it had to be covered to thwart the aerial attacks. The pen dimensions: 60ft by 20ft made with sapling posts and 6ft tall chicken wire, covered by bird netting. For three weeks the chickens and ducks were miserable in spite of how much room they had inside this humongous pen. But after three weeks, just like they said, the eagle moved on to a new territory and never bothered us again.

[Lannie]

Another vote for an LGD. An eagle wouldn't get as far as the ground with a good LGD around. Of course, you'd have to find an adult that was working already, but that's about the only thing I can think of. Our two keep ALL large birds (bigger than blackbirds or grackles) away, including small planes, and just to be safe they also keep us protected from the evil postal delivery monsters.

On a more serious note, however, if I were in your shoes, with no dog to keep an eagle at bay, I'd call the fish and game department in your area and tell them that you're losing food animals. They might have an idea of something to do. In the meantime, get looking for an LGD that needs a new working home.

~Lannie

[barefootfarmer]

We have Bald Eagles that nest in trees across from our farm. Don't want to hammer the LGD thing to death, but yes. Livestock dog(s) that stay outside 24/7. That might not be feasible right now, but maybe if you do confine them like Mitra suggested, long enough for the eagle to move on- and in the meantime search for a dog.

We had hawks coming inside our barns and taking chickens, some kind of bird (owl, hawk, eagle) taking ducks etc. Once we put the dogs on the property they might fly over, but they never get anything to eat.

I'm sorry for you troubles- very frustrating and heart breaking.

[christybell]

Fish and wildlife is just going to tell you to restrict food access. It won't matter if they are food animals or not. There are a lot of sheep farmers where I live and the bald eagles are here every year at lambing time. While afterbirth is an easy snack new lambs are also easy and, apparently, delicious! They will grab lambs and fly up with them and then drop them. It's horrific and amazing at the same time. The only fields they leave alone are the ones with llamas or LGDs. It's also right around the time of year for fledgling birds to start learning the ropes so whatever you do, start soon!

[Kathie]

OH, If only I could find a dog! I've been searching for one since I lost my 19 year old Border Collie in January 2013. Have been waiting to hear back from a Kangal breeder for over a month. Found an Australian Cattle Dog on CL, but he turned out to be a 6 month pup, with absolutely no training, and a tendency to run away-for miles. Why do people get dogs, ignore them, and when they don't work out, think they would make "great farm dogs."

Last fall I got a GSD, trained to a Schutzhund III. She was impeccable on leash, absolutely wonderful. Off leash she would panic and run to the house and scratch violently on the door to get in. Turned out she wasn't even housebroken. She went back to the breeder. So the search goes on...

[Lannie]

I would like to recommend that if you're unfamiliar with LGD breeds, you stick to Pyrenees or Maremma, and go no further than that. Other breeds make very good (even better) livestock guardians, but they're not as easygoing and people-friendly, and take a lot of skill to raise and handle properly. I don't mean to impugn your dog-handling skills, because I don't know what they are, but I wouldn't recommend a Kangal for a first time LGD owner. A Pyr will bark more than some of the other breeds, but they're also less likely to do bodily harm to a visitor to your place.

Other people might have different opinions, this is just something I've "absorbed" in all the research and reading (and LGD forums) I've done over the last few years. I myself have only ever had Pyrs, but they do a great job for us, and we have had ZERO losses since getting them. We have bald eagles and golden eagles here, too, although not as numerous as some places. Mostly our airborne predators are hawks. My two have their own specific specialties. The female takes care of all the dangers from the air, and the male takes care of all the four legged predators.

~Lannie

[haecklers]

My heeler chases away all large birds. He's done an excellent job of protecting our poultry. And unlike most LGD's, heelers stay close to home and typically don't roam (tho there are exceptions).

ETA: he also has recently learned to keep the piglets in the pen so they can't come out and tear up our lawn any more. He's really pretty awesome!

[Kathie]

Well, a Blue Heeler/Border Collie just came up on CL. He's 3 years old, and the gal who is re-homing him has to move. She says no young children, cuz he heel nips (no kids here) and gets along with other dogs and is very loveable, but doesn't know how he is with livestock. I responded, and suggested a trial period. She wants him to go to a farm home, so we shall see.

Lannie, I have trained many dogs over the years, but with my back problems I really can't "do" a puppy anymore. My best all-around farm dogs have been Morgana, my BC, and my Rottweiler. He was GREAT, even as a puppy. The only losses we had was the night he spent at the vets' for getting neutered...lost 67 ducks in that one night. Our insurance company made us get rid of him, and a good friend took him, but it broke my heart. My insurance company has a whole list of dog breeds I can't have, which I find pretty ignorant.

I have not really considered an LGD before, because I only have 10 acres, and while I don't have any neighbors I can see, there are some within earshot. The Kangal is the only LGD I have been able to find, and I have some very real misgivings about it, but between the coyotes and now eagles I am getting desperate. If she ever calls back, I will have lots of questions for the breeder, because I really am not sure it would work. I also have to have a dog that DOESN'T guard against people, I have a constant flow of customers, and because of my sons' business, I get USPS and UPS deliveries several times a week.

I'm really hoping I hear back from the lady with the BH/BC and we can work something out. I thought I would let him see me really make over the ducks and let him see they are beloved members of the farm, and belong to ME. Same with the cows, of course, if he chases them, then it's game over.

[eljay]

Fish and wildlife recommended scarecrows and fishing line strung across the top of the chicken yard. Oh, but they said the scarecrows would have to be moved regularly, possibly daily or the eagles would figure it put. Yeah, right. The only other thing they recommended was a dog. We got ours as a pup and had to endure over a year of him thinking that chickens were great squeaky toys off and on. He killed two, one by accident because she had a heart attack. He's pretty solid now.

[simplynaturalfarm]

It is a shame a lot of rescues do not allow farm homes - there are some really good dogs out there that would make great farm dogs for situations like yours! I hope you can find something that will work soon.

My SIl has 7 now because of how many strays came into the clinic that none of us could bear to put down after we got used to them!

[milkcowaholic]

An LGD is the ideal, but I've got to say that my peacock does an excellent job of deterring the bald eagles (and other predators, land or sky) from eating my ducks and chickens. When he and his 5 foot long tail feathers fly up into the tree beside a bald eagle who's scoping out my ducks, it doesn't take long for the eagle to decide to move on!

[Kathie]

Great news (I hope)! The lady with the Blue Heeler/Border Collie is bringing him out this afternoon for a "trial" period. I sure hope he works out! Will let everyone know how it works out.

Milkcowaholic, I've always wanted peacocks, but I was afraid they would just become victims. Good to know they actually HELP against predators.

[Kathie]

Well, that was a fiasco. She brought the dog, Kato, who, to me, looked 100% Blue Heeler. He was extremely hyper, but seemed like a sweet little dog--much smaller than I expected. He was wearing a "thundershirt", which they said kept him calm. This was calm? The poor little guy was bouncing around like a manic, but my BC was real energenic when she was young. I was just about to let the ducks out and see how it went (Boy, am I stupid or what?) when my nephew went down on his knee and held out his hand to him. So fast I didn't know what happened at first, he darted in and BIT Tony's hand--not the one he was holding out. Then chased him to the house, growling and barking the whole way. Felt sorry for his owner, who was terribly embarrassed, but, obviously, did not get the dog.

It wasn't a little nip, either, it was a full blown bite. No stitches, but 2 deep punctures and bruises from other teeth. SCAREY. So the search goes on...