Do You Have An Opinion On Killing Predators?

[appps]

Well to answer your question (which seems to have been deleted) , we live in a place of dying breeds. Koalas are dying, tassie devils are dying many native animals are facing extinction for one reason or another (and introduced species like foxes are one of the reasons) So we're it a native animal it would change for me the way I would look at the question.

Luckily though, very few chickens get carried off by koalas so I think I'm pretty safe lol

 

[Time-Out]

Apparently raccoons are being kept over here as pets. Why can't you keep your pests to yourselves? (<-- not accusatory as obviously it's no-ones fault on here - just a mild joke - thought I'd best specify) Why do people have to be idiots and introduce non-native pests that will end up released (let's not be naive) into other countries?!
Of all the predators I've heard described on here, other than the two-legged kind, it would seem raccoons are the worst. I hope that's not true, because I have no experience with what they're capable of and worry.

 

[abChicken]

You have to have a very secure coop and run to protect against coons-chicken wire will not work I had to use welded wire but they will still dig under --just my 2 cents worth--

 

[Nicole01]

It's the daytime predators. I almost lost my entire flock again last week to the neighbors dog.. I have to carry pepper spray with tear gas because he will bite me in my own yard.

I've talked with the dog owners several times(my neighbors) and all they say is "sorry" and that darn dog is in my yard the next day. What if my kids are outside and that dog is after my flock? If I knew how to shoot a gun, I'd shoot the dog! I'd be in my legal right to. He's a vicious biter and will bite us too. The neighbors do not care or do anything about their dog and he's in my yard a few days a week. Animal control does nothing in our county. The coyotes are a daytime problem as well. I can't wait for our fence to go in next year, but we shouldn't have to spend thousands of dollars to protect our flock when people by law have to control their dog. My neighbor with the dog also said she will not compensate any lost chickens from her dog. It my neighborly duty to accept the loss from her dog. I was speechless. I can't bring him into the humane society, which I've done with other dogs in the past due to getting bit. I'm deathly afraid of this dog in my own yard. He goes right through the electric fence several days a week. We hear him yelp when he does.

I could keep my girls penned up, I'd have the neighbors calling on me due to noise annoyance. I swear they are louder then roosters, they are VERY noisy. They are very loud locked up. Plus, the quality of my eggs decline while locked up. They get to eat greens and bugs outside their pen. They stay in our property. I'll keep free ranging as its my right to do so.

Yesterday another neighbors dog was over and kept eating my feed and drinking the water provided outside for my hens. This dog has nearly killed my cats several times charging and snapping at them. Luckily he won't hurt us, but I do not trust him around my flock either. This is the price I pay living out in a rural area. People do not follow the leash law. I have a pack of coyotes in the backyard that hunt in the daytime. They will go after people too and will attack. There is a bounty on coyotes since last December. I do believe it's still in effect. I think you can get $10 per caught animal. Usually when the state/city puts a bounty on an animal, they want the population numbers to go down.

I have no issues with nighttime predators. My flock is 100% safe in their coop. We built a room for them inside our garage. We doubled wired with welded wire/hardware cloth in the run and buried the wire 20" deep. The top is a steel roof. I'd be surprised if something got in. Once we put our fence in, the existing run will be turned into the coop and our chain link fence will be their run.

 

[Chicks Galore3]

I haven't had to as of yet, but i plan to live trap them and there is a place specifically to let raccoons/possums/skunks go. we usually shoot skunks. Does anyone think we should kill the raccoons and possums to?

 

[Time-Out]

Oh dear Nicole. Sounds like you don't have it easy. I'd have suggested animal control, but you say they won't do anything. Maybe they could lend you one of their long rod thingies with the noose on the end? Then you could take the dog to the pound or something or just hide it for a week until the neighbour says something. They sound like horrible people to live next to. How can they be so inconsiderate? I'm not sure what I'd do in your shoes, but I'm pretty sure it'd involve lots of plotting!

 

[Greyfox Farm]

I haven't had to as of yet, but i plan to live trap them and there is a place specifically to let raccoons/possums/skunks go. we usually shoot skunks. Does anyone think we should kill the raccoons and possums to?

Yup, kill 'em both. Re-introducing a now trap-wise coon into another locations is 1) Illegal in most jurisdictions, 2) likely to result in a turf-war between the transplant and the native animals in the drop zone and 3) sending a predator into another area and making your problem someone else's problem. A humane trap and kill is best (my .02$).

 

[Nathan Sampson]

You can always BBQ the coon

 

[CAjerseychick]

You can always BBQ the coon

The was an episode on Bizarre Foods (just the name of the show, I dont think its that bizarre) where they slow cooked it in a crock pot and it looked pretty good, I 'd eat it! Also they said that there little glands in the muscles that need to be removed before cooking or the meat will be musky (not sure if just for male coons or what)...

 

[ReikiStar]

To answer the original question of having an opinion on killing predators: My only opinion on killing anything is that it should be as quick and painless as possible. I know they don't give their prey the same consideration but as the OP stated, we are making conscious choices, whereas they are operating on instinct and aren't conscious of their prey's pain. When I read of people drowning rats or raccoons I find it upsetting. What a completely horrible way to go...for just trying to find something to eat? Being trapped is bad enough, at least put a bullet in it's brain and end the stress for everyone. Tossing the trap into a tub of water? I just couldn't imagine knowingly causing any animal that kind of suffering..