Poultry Predator Identification

[sueiris]

good luck to both of us....

 

[peepsandquackes]

Sounds like a raccoon. I just watched the one here reach in and take the food out. Errrrr. Maybe that will fill it up enough to keep it from destroying more chickens? Maybe peanut butter smeared on the ground under trap will make them go in since they can't pick it up???

 

[Betsy57]

Opossum? Raccoon? He/she/it set the trap off last night, ate the marshmallows, but didn't get caught....

I think that print picture is a coon. I have lots of those around; have trapped/killed several in the past. I will set traps tomorrow and try to run another line of electric wire near the top of the fence. If it is a weasel/mink I'm dealing with, from what I hear, they can get in through a 1" hole so my 2"x4" fencing won't stop them. It's silly but boy am I grieving over my drake. And scared for the rest of my flock (ducks and chickens). I work for hospice as a social worker/bereavement counselor, I need to counsel myself.

 

[peepsandquackes]

Yippee! I caught two 'possums last night...one in each trap. Now I've gotta catch that sneaky raccoon.

 

[sueiris]

Yippee! I caught two 'possums last night...one in each trap. Now I've gotta catch that sneaky raccoon.

congrats! any suggestions for others with less success? Last night no one even came near our coop. what kind of trap do you have? bait you're using? do you have more than one trap? TIA...Susan

 

[peepsandquackes]

I use the havahart traps. Last night I used just plain chicken food. Tonight I put peanut butter bread in them. Already caught a cat, lol, got it out and started over. I heard to take anything fishy smelling in a can and punch about 4 holes in it. Raccoons can't reach in to get it out so they go in. I have our one trap and borrowed my neighbors.

 

[peepsandquackes]

Got the raccoon!!!! All I used was chicken feed. Nothing came yesterday so don't give up!

 

[Betsy57]

Got the raccoon!!!! All I used was chicken feed. Nothing came yesterday so don't give up!

I put out 5 traps and nothing this morning. Been two days since whatever killed my duck/drake. Figured whatever would be back for more. Did trap a opossum and a mole tho that has been tearing up the yard. But I want the duck killer!

 

[peepsandquackes]

If you still have the dead duck use that as bait...

 

[christinesrocks]

Tonight I went out to my hen house to shut the door for the night, and noticed only 3 of my 6 hens were inside. My first thought was 3 of them were roosting in the tree near the house or they were still in the hedge row. My son wen outside with me to investigate, with flashlights, we searched the hedge row, as my son walked across the yard he almost stepped on one of our dead hens, a little more looking around and we found the other two. Their bodies were in the middle of a well mowed side yard, 2 of them had their heads and necks missing, very little feathers scattered, and the third was also missing the head and neck, but the chest was also ripped open and partially devoured. About 2 weeks ago my son saw an owl swooping toward the chickens during the day, but they all took off running for the house and the cover of our landscaping bushes. I can not understand what could have gotten three of them in one shot during the day, and why did this predator leave the bodies in the middle of my yard, wouldn't it drag them to a hiding spot. I have let the hens run around my yard freely during the day, and lock them into their coop each night, I guess I am lucky that this has been my first problem. My cat even runs around with these chickens daily with no problems...they even get into her food dish in her kitty coop.
Any thoughts are appreciated. I am definitely changing my practice of letting these gals roam.