20 chicks gone, could it be a hawk?

[Kikiriki]

You may want to consider getting a livestock guardian dog if your goal is to keep free ranging. Ideally, they are raised with their parents on a farm. Some breeds do not mature until 3 years old and before that they can be immature teenagers who want to play with the animals or are inattentative/easily distracted. Just because a dog is the right breed does not mean they have been acclimated to the job they will have.

I got lucky that my own adopted dog turned out to be an LGD, as it was not why we adopted him. It is easy to test how a dog will do, though: when they are not trustworthy, they alert on the animal, focus hard and fast on the animal, have muscle tension, and spring towards them as if they are prey. The LGD dog does not do any of these, but rather is calm, relaxed, and shows no prey instinct. The dog I have took down a hawk on the wing as it went after chickens and rabbits. The dog was not trained to do that, and heck if I know how he knew the hawk was a predator!

Note that LGDs are not the same as herding dogs. Herding dogs make eye contact with the animals, while LGDs do not. Also, a good shepherding dog will be alert and tense, but is more focused on the owner awaiting instruction to go do the job.

 

[chloezoebob101]

You may want to consider getting a livestock guardian dog if your goal is to keep free ranging. Ideally, they are raised with their parents on a farm. Some breeds do not mature until 3 years old and before that they can be immature teenagers who want to play with the animals or are inattentative/easily distracted. Just because a dog is the right breed does not mean they have been acclimated to the job they will have.
I got lucky that my own adopted dog turned out to be an LGD, as it was not why we adopted him. It is easy to test how a dog will do, though: when they are not trustworthy, they alert on the animal, focus hard and fast on the animal, have muscle tension, and spring towards them as if they are prey. The LGD dog does not do any of these, but rather is calm, relaxed, and shows no prey instinct. The dog I have took down a hawk on the wing as it went after chickens and rabbits. The dog was not trained to do that, and heck if I know how he knew the hawk was a predator!
Note that LGDs are not the same as herding dogs. Herding dogs make eye contact with the animals, while LGDs do not. Also, a good shepherding dog will be alert and tense, but is more focused on the owner awaiting instruction to go do the job.

We just got a Great Pyrenees, so far though, we do not trust her. But we know she is just a puppy.


could it be a skunk?

 

[chloezoebob101]

Guess what?! I was walking around, and you would never believe what i saw.. raccoon prints!! walking away from the coop!!

Now we know killed them, and our guns are loaded.
Now a few questions-
1. Are they nocturnal?
2. will they come again tonight since they came last night?
3. are they illegal to kill?

 

[heatherkh]

Yes they are nocturnal. If they have a food source, they will keep coming back. As far as I know, raccoons aren't illegal to kill - our neighbor killed a couple just the other week. My only concern would be if there you live in an area with any ordinances prohibiting you from firing a gun.

Sorry about your loss.

 

[chloezoebob101]

Yes they are nocturnal. If they have a food source, they will keep coming back. As far as I know, raccoons aren't illegal to kill - our neighbor killed a couple just the other week. My only concern would be if there you live in an area with any ordinances prohibiting you from firing a gun.

Sorry about your loss.

Thank you, this helps. we should go out at night then and kill it, before it snatches any more. And we do not live in an area that we can't fire guns

 

[Aeropennchick]

Good luck catching those little bandits! I'd look into some traps, so you don't have to wait around for them to show up. There are a bunch of different kinds.

None better than my coon hound, though

I would still work at making the area more secure for the littlest ones.

And also, I wanted to add that although it CAN BE legal to kill birds of prey who are otherwise protected if they are presenting a threat to your livestock, you have to get a permit for it. And in filling out the permit, you will need to have sufficient proof that they are a threat, and proof of other non-lethal steps you have taken in an effort of deterring them.

Good luck again, and I'm so sorry you lost so many little ones

~Aero

 

[chloezoebob101]

Good luck catching those little bandits! I'd look into some traps, so you don't have to wait around for them to show up. There are a bunch of different kinds.

None better than my coon hound, though

I would still work at making the area more secure for the littlest ones.

And also, I wanted to add that although it CAN BE legal to kill birds of prey who are otherwise protected if they are presenting a threat to your livestock, you have to get a permit for it. And in filling out the permit, you will need to have sufficient proof that they are a threat, and proof of other non-lethal steps you have taken in an effort of deterring them.

Good luck again, and I'm so sorry you lost so many little ones

~Aero

What kind of traps would you suggest if we can't shoot him?
And thank you, but i don't think we have enough proof for them :-(

 

[Aeropennchick]

Check out this link:

http://www.theeggtrapcompany.com/

That's one type there is, and here's the thread found the link in:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/213519/egg-traps-any-experience

 

[Aeropennchick]

I never used one before though! There are other kinds, like ones where you try to get the raccoon to go in the cage and the door closes, but I think raccoons are smart enough to evade a lot of covered traps. They just reach in and grab the bait.

 

[texas75563]

Sorry for your loss! That sux! If you live far away enough from your neighbors to where they don't know what you are shooting at, I wouldn't hesitate to shoot a hawk. Don't post about it online or tell anyone. Loose lips sink ships.

Coons are mainly nocturnal. They are highly adaptive. I would go with livetraps with free ranging chickens. Unless you use steel traps set them after chickens roost and throw them before they get up. You couldn't have your puppy running around. Sardines is a great coon bait.