A couple of weeks ago I saw a Goanna (Lace Monitor) coming out of my chicken coop. It likes to eat the eggs but it’s only just cottoned on that it can get them from our Chicken Coop. So today I wanted to write about protecting chickens from goannas.
A week ago my broody hen was in her nesting box in our Chicken Coop sitting on some eggs. She’d only been in there being broody for a few days. We got home to her out of the Chicken Coop walking around with a drooping wing. I checked the chicken coop and her eggs were still there, but she had claw marks which had pierced her skin under her wing quite badly.
It would appear our resident Goanna had come to the Chicken Coop to try and eat her eggs, and she must of put up quite a fight and scared it off! Since then she’s inside in a bucket safely being broody, bandaged up and I’m taking her out once or twice a day to eat etc. It’s actually worked out that she’s broody, as it’s keeping her in one spot so that her wing can heal.
As for our Goanna, it’s been walking right up around our house twice this week. So we are looking to get a Snake Catcher to re-home it. I have seen Goannas eating small chickens and so we have to choose between the safety of our smaller chickens like our Bantam Polish hen & rooster… And the Goanna, sorry buddy.
Ways to protect your chickens from Goannas
Monitor lizards, also known as goannas, can pose a serious threat to chickens and other poultry. As opportunistic hunters, these large reptiles will consume anything they can catch, including eggs and small birds.
It’s crucial to employ a multifaceted strategy that incorporates both physical barriers and behavioural modification to protect chickens from goannas.
It’s crucial to secure the coop and run for the chickens first. Due to their prowess at climbing and burrowing, goannas must be contained with strong fencing that extends underground. Utilizing a mesh with narrow enough openings to prevent goannas from poking their heads through is another smart move.
It’s a good idea to use a roof or other overhead cover to protect chickens from aerial predators like birds of prey and goannas in addition to locking the coop and run.
Modifying their behaviour is a crucial part of protecting chickens from goannas. When goannas are most active, it’s a good idea to keep chickens in a safe coop and run because they are more likely to prey on free-ranging chickens (usually during the early morning and late afternoon). Keeping chickens in a safe coop at night is a smart idea.
The attraction of goannas and other predators can be decreased by keeping the coop clean, picking up and discarding eggs promptly, removing food scraps, and keeping the area around the coop clear of debris.
Last but not least, it’s a good idea to keep a close eye on your chickens and the area they’re in as well as to be alert for any goanna sightings. Goannas can be scared away if they are spotted close to the chicken coop by making loud noises, hurling things, or applying other humane techniques.
In conclusion, a combination of physical barriers and behavioural modification is needed to protect chickens from goannas. Chicken owners can significantly lower the risk of goanna predation by securing the coop and run, using overhead protection, keeping chickens in secure coops during times when goannas are most active, maintaining the coop clean, and being vigilant.
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