9 birds killed in 2 weeks. Warning... graphic in nature. UPDATE PG 5

[animallover505]

how'd it go?

 

[Aschenfire]

Much better idea to reinforce the coop/run than to lay out poison where ANYTHING can get ahold of it. Electric fence, cover the openings, whatever it takes. I'm going to assume there are a lot more animals out there than one raccoon, so you get rid of one, you'll have two more move into it's territory.

 

[r4eboxer]

Ok so I didn't have time to go to T SC last night. So I used the rat poison I bought on my lunch yesterday in hamburger. I locked my chickens in the garage and placeed the hamburger mix with the poison in the secure coop. all my hens were safe in the garage this morning.

I went into my chicken coop this morning and It hadn't touched the hamburger with the poison in it. I plan on going to TSC for the fly poison but tonight I'm going to let the dogs out of the run and hopefully they will get the predator. I'm not sure at this point if it's a racoon or a possum. My husband seems to think it's a possum.

I did however lose a duck last night, I have geese that free range and ducks that free range.

I am not setting the poison out for anything to get at, the poison is only put in an empty closed up coop. Many people keep pointing out that I may accidentally poison my dogs or unintentionally poison a non target animal. There is no way this can happen... I don't even put poison out for my mice problem in my home. I purchased 30 guineas to keep my mouse problem in check because I really have chosen the organic way of farming. I don't even use pesticide in my garden, I use diamotaceous earth. I am trying to handle the farm, my kids, my ill in laws and all the home chores myself with no help. I am losing a lot of money each time a bird is taken, you all know how much it costs to raise up a bird. At this point I have lost egg production and meat production. My husband was in construction and has had to take a second job to make bills since the economy collapsed.

This predator is smart, humane traps are ignored by it, the poison hasn't worked, I've never shot a gun in my life so that scares me. I'm going to try to get my ducks and geese in the garage with the chickens tonite. I hope my dogs can take care of this for me.
:/

Eta. Yay my duck just showed up, she must have been laying her egg late this morning. The critter went away hungry last nite.

 

[centrarchid]

If oppossum, then stomp it or use baseball bat (both cheap and accurate). Raccoon may be looking for chicken and not find hamburger appealing. If dead chicken handy, then place remains in live trap as bait. Those of us with experience defending a small number of birds often know from experience that other control measures are more effective with less risk.

 

[r4eboxer]

If oppossum, then stomp it or use baseball bat (both cheap and accurate).  Raccoon may be looking for chicken and not find hamburger appealing.  If dead chicken handy, then place remains in live trap as bait.  Those of us with experience defending a small number of birds often know from experience that other control measures are more effective with less risk.

I was wondering about the hamburger appeal after this varmet had been getting live chicken, duck and turkey for two weeks. I burnt the chickens already but if my dogs don't get it tonight and I have another loss I'll use the remains in the trap. Thanks

 

[animallover505]

my dogs(2 labs) kill all the possoms they find.

 

[centrarchid]

my dogs(2 labs) kill all the possoms they find.

My bird dog does same. OP's pups may not have the attitude yet but also may not be able to get at them anyway.

 

[r4eboxer]

my dogs(2 labs) kill all the possoms they find.

That's great that your dogs are cleaning up the varmet population. The more I think about it the more I am leaning toward possums. We have seen them around our house and a few weeks ago my dog did kill one. I just thought it was a coon because it seems like it has been getting in at the vent area. I didnt think possums could climb but I suppose it could be using the crates beside the coop to climb up on.

The way the birds have been killed is the heads are eaten and the back side and guts are eaten. The actual meat is being left untouched. Anyone know what this sounds like? Would a possum eat the head and guts and leave the meat?

 

[centrarchid]

For me oppossums seem partial to gut and meat of body. Raccoons are much more variable and inclined to eat head but not always.


If large percentage of body consumed from multiple points then likely a sow with kits involved.

 

[r4eboxer]

For me oppossums seem partial to gut and meat of body. Raccoons are much more variable and inclined to eat head but not always.


If large percentage of body consumed from multiple points then likely a sow with kits involved.

We don't have wild or domestic sow in our parts, I am still stumped as to what type of predator it is. I had another night without a loss. The chickens are in the garage at night (and what a mess they are making too). I left the dogs loose last night and around 2 am they had something in the wood line around the property. I did not have time to check out the wooded area this morning but when I get home this afternoon I'm going to see if they killed something up there. All my free range ducks, geese and turkeys were fine and they were out all night. I think maybe it's time to let the dogs loose at night all the time. I have been training them around poultry and they were playing with my birds when they were younger but it seems at 8 months they are maturing. They paid no attention to the birds yesterday and I had them out of the fencing for 10 hours.