ONE FARMER’S APPROACH TO CONTROLLING PREDATORS
Predators benefit ecosystems, but pose a threat to farm animals. How to strike a balance.
A conversation with Maggie Keith, fourth generation steward of Foxhollow Farm, in Crestwood, Kentucky.
HART HAGAN: Some farmers and ranchers aggressively get rid of predators. Others do not see predators as a problem. No doubt others deal with predators selectively. What has been your approach in dealing with predators?
MAGGIE KEITH: I would say our number one style of dealing with predators is a physical barrier. If they're trying to get your chickens, have a very good fence.
If they're trying to get our lambs--we've had issues with that--then we will have the ewes be near the barn where they can go inside when they're lambing. And the only time we've had to use guns or literally kill the predator is when we had this really bad issue with some birds that were attacking our calves and lambs.
There were these buzzards that were teaming up, and the second a lamb was born, then they could all come down and hurt it. It was hard to find a way to solve that issue. But watching documentaries like The Biggest Little Farm, and in biodynamic agriculture, you try to see where it's off balance.
So like, for example, if there's tons of predators coming into your chicken house, well, do they not have food elsewhere? What could satisfy them before they get to your chickens.
So trying to create physical barriers but also a balanced approach has helped with the predators as well.