Chicken Welfare in Backyard Flocks: Predation and Housing

Predation is the leading welfare risk for backyard flocks. Secure housing design and management protects chickens from traumatic predator attacks.

Key Facts

Predation from foxes, raccoons, dogs, hawks, and rats is the leading cause of chicken death in backyard flocks
Raccoons and foxes can open unsecured latches - hardware cloth and padlocks are required for serious predator exclusion
Aerial predators (hawks, owls) require overhead protection or covered runs for vulnerable flocks
Rats prey on chicken eggs, chicks, and juvenile birds and introduce disease risk
Automatic coop door openers that close at dusk significantly reduce overnight predation risk
Chickens are prey animals that instinctively hide illness - predation and disease together cause most backyard flock deaths

Welfare Considerations

Predation causes severe acute welfare harm to the victims - predator attacks are traumatic, often involving injury before death and sometimes leaving injured survivors. Beyond the immediate victim, predator attacks cause flock-wide fear responses that persist for extended periods. The welfare responsibility of backyard chicken keepers includes providing housing that genuinely excludes predators rather than housing that delays or reduces but does not prevent access. Half-measures including chicken wire (easily torn by determined predators), unsecured latches, and gaps in housing create conditions where predation is a recurring welfare harm rather than a rare event. Proper predator exclusion represents the welfare foundation of backyard chicken keeping.

What You Can Do

Use hardware cloth (welded wire) rather than chicken wire which predators can tear or push through
Secure all latches with padlocks or predator-proof latches that require two simultaneous actions to open
Bury wire aprons or hardware cloth at least 30 cm underground around coop perimeters to prevent digging
Install automatic coop doors that close at dusk to protect against overnight predators when you cannot be present
Cover outdoor runs completely with hardware cloth or netting to exclude aerial predators
Inspect housing regularly for gaps and damage that could allow predator entry