We can live together

From Meriann Shepherd: Peacefully coexisting with wildlife…If you keep chickens like I do, this clip probably instills fear. But this mama raccoon (and until recently, last years two babies) have been showing up on my cameras for over a year now. If you have a tight, secure pen or coop (1/4” hardware cloth-NEVER use chicken wire), don’t feed pets outside, keep trash secured, contain compost piles, and clean up or safeguard food sources such as stocked ponds, fruits and veggies you have far less chance of losing your feathered friends and attracting other unwanted wildlife. Adding a couple strands of hotwire tape around your fenced garden or chicken enclosure in areas with heavier populations of predators and deer pressure can be very effective as well. It’s non lethal and they quickly learn to stay away. If you free range your domestic birds you are taking your chances with predators and the current highly pathogenic avian flu outbreak. To minimize losses, try and keep smaller livestock in secure pens or only let them out when you can be with them. We can’t expect to put out an easy buffet luncheon for the hungry moms that are out looking for food right now without any losses. Be smart, be kind, coexist. It’s their planet too! FWWR.org