Bored Like Me

Admin · Posted December 1st, 2008, 10:11 AM

I have to admit to being a little undecided about this... It is a clever method of solving a problem but suffers from all sorts of issues.

Original story is here

Revenge of the Chinese chickens: Farmers throw trussed-up eagles into poultry pens to put them off hunting

Chinese farmers are trapping eagles and other birds of prey and throwing them into poultry pens so that the chickens can wreak their revenge on them.

The farmers say the trussed-up eagle is so frightened of poultry after the experience that they never return to hunt them.

Farmers have complained for years about eagles stealing their chickens but face fines or even jail if they kill the birds.

So instead they have come up with the idea of catching but not killing them to avoid incurring any penalties.

They say after the trussed-up birds is freed it never returns - while the chickens also learn self defence against the birds of prey.

Farmer Xiao Wu of Huaxi Village at Lin’an said: 'Those eagles have eaten nearly 300 chickens over the past three months, and now I catch them with a trap and let the chickens get revenge.

'Free range chickens get the best price, but the chickens are always the target of the eagles. I tried every other means to drive the eagles away, including scarecrows, bamboo sticks, even firecrackers.

Continue reading story

**Aubrey Hepburn** · Posted December 1st, 2008, 10:56 AM

Well, I suppose it is a similar idea to using Karelian Bear Dogs to scare bears away from towns...making a situation so terrifying the animal never wants to come around again.....but it makes me worry about the eagles stressing to death.

I also wonder how the farmers are trapping the eagles in the first place.

I'm not a fan of the method they are using, especially not in birds. I wish someone would just help them do what I did and cover their chicken runs with poultry mesh. We have all kinds of predatory birds here, and they can't even get close to my birds.

Zoe · Posted December 1st, 2008, 12:17 PM

Originally Posted by Aubrey Hepburn

...cover their chicken runs with poultry mesh. We have all kinds of predatory birds here, and they can't even get close to my birds.

GEE how difficult was that idea??? I was wondering that as I read, but he says they've killed 300 chickens, so he must be keeping a fair few... a run of a reasonable size to cover?

Capturing the birds of prey and "letting [the chickens] have their revenge" just sounds like torture. It's their food; they don't understand ownership. I'd hate to be sought out by anything I've ever eaten!

Admin · Posted December 1st, 2008, 01:09 PM

One of the next sections to the article answers the questions about this...

'Free range chickens get the best price, but the chickens are always the target of the eagles. I tried every other means to drive the eagles away, including scarecrows, bamboo sticks, even firecrackers.

That at least explains a little more of why they aren't just covered for protection.

**Aubrey Hepburn** · Posted December 1st, 2008, 02:05 PM

I suppose they really do mean "free" range. A lot of farmers claim that their chickens are free range if they just have access to a small yard, which would be easy to cover. Unfortunately, allowing your birds to run completely free almost always results in high numbers lost to predators. Even big, tough roosters are easy targets for wild predators. :l

Admin · Posted December 1st, 2008, 02:52 PM

heheh

Mental picture of a future with larger predators (canine or other) tied up and being pecked by chickens...

**Aubrey Hepburn** · Posted December 1st, 2008, 02:58 PM

You might be surprised how close to the truth that is. xD Some people think that if their pet dog kills a chicken, tying the dead bird to the dog's collar for a few days will make it leave chickens alone.

For one, it's terribly ineffective in teaching a dog anything besides the fact that dead birds get stuck to it's neck for a while sometimes. Not going to work. Also...can you imagine how disgusting your dog will be afterwards??

Ugh.

Admin · Posted December 1st, 2008, 04:44 PM

You're kidding, right? People do that/believe that?!

**Aubrey Hepburn** · Posted December 1st, 2008, 05:30 PM

They do it! I heard about it first on a chicken forum I used to go on. I think I had the same reaction that you did. <_<

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Bored Like Me

Teaching eagles to leave chickens alone (an interesting way of solving a problem?)

The latest at Bored Like Me

Aubrey Hepburn Guides Posts: 199 Blog Entries: 3 Thanked 49 Times LOLed 0 Times	#5 Posted December 1st, 2008, 02:05 PM I suppose they really do mean "free" range. A lot of farmers claim that their chickens are free range if they just have access to a small yard, which would be easy to cover. Unfortunately, allowing your birds to run completely free almost always results in high numbers lost to predators. Even big, tough roosters are easy targets for wild predators. :l

Admin Administrator Posts: 4,386 Blog Entries: 23 Thanked 261 Times LOLed 362 Times	#6 Posted December 1st, 2008, 02:52 PM heheh Mental picture of a future with larger predators (canine or other) tied up and being pecked by chickens...

Admin Administrator Posts: 4,386 Blog Entries: 23 Thanked 261 Times LOLed 362 Times	#8 Posted December 1st, 2008, 04:44 PM You're kidding, right? People do that/believe that?!

Aubrey Hepburn Guides Posts: 199 Blog Entries: 3 Thanked 49 Times LOLed 0 Times	#9 Posted December 1st, 2008, 05:30 PM They do it! I heard about it first on a chicken forum I used to go on. I think I had the same reaction that you did. <_<