Readfield Resident Claims Zero Predator Losses With Layered Defense

Arielle Cousens of Readfield has lost no livestock to predators in more than ten years of keeping chickens. Her method relies on physical barriers rather than lethal control, a stance she laid out in a letter responding to recent coverage of trapping trends in Maine.

Cousens wrote to The Forecaster on Oct. 19, reacting to an article titled “Interest in trapping grows in Maine.” She argued that the piece spread misinformation about how to manage predator populations that threaten backyard chickens and small livestock. She noted that traps do not distinguish between pets and wild animals, often causing injury or death to both.

According to Cousens, the primary cause of livestock loss is insecure coops and runs. She stated that neighborhood dogs could kill chickens just as easily as foxes or coyotes. Her proposed solution involves three layers of protection: a central coop, wire or electrified netting for the yard, and a perimeter fence to disrupt predator travel routes.

She advised keeping the most vulnerable animals in the center while larger livestock access the outer pastures. Providing trees or shrubs for shade from sky predators is also part of the plan. Cousens said this approach requires understanding predator behavior but does not need to be expensive.

Cousens reported regularly seeing foxes, coyotes, hawks, eagles, fishers, and weasels on her property. Despite this presence, she recorded zero predators killed and no livestock lost. She characterized hunting or trapping predators as a “fool’s errand” compared to natural, non-lethal deterrence.