A warning about 'live' traps

[Wimberleytexaschick]

After the endless coop preparations and rolls of hardware cloth put on every little hole, locking the chickens up tonight and promising myself I would not let anything in my control happen to one of my chickens, this afternoon, I found one of my girls dead in the 'live' trap that was set for a raccoon- it was baited with marshmallows. I feel horrible, never even thought one of the chickens may go in. Hubby set the trap last night to be sure that we keep all the raccoons in control. The chickens free range during the day so I went out to wet down the afternoon nap spot and saw one was missing. I started looking and found her in the trap. I can only hope she did not suffer, but keep having visions of her panicked, ugh. My 5 year old cried for an hour, made it even worse. If you use the traps please don't leave them open in the day, we never will again.

 

[navychick]

I thought LIVE traps were the type that caught the pest alive and the pest was later released. Sorry about your loss.

 

[ginbart]

I'm so sorry to here that. Once something bad happens to your chickens you know it won't happen like that again.

 

[Mgui35]

Thats great advice and I thank you for it. I am sorry for what happened to you. At least you are getting the message out to others.

 

[Keltara]

I'm so sorry. That is so sad. I just lost a Buff Orpington last Thursday, and I too feel responsible. It is very hard and I understand your pain. My two little girls were devastated and my 9 year old was crying this morning because she had a dream that "Lily came back" and then she woke up and "it was just a dream".

 

[cptbahama]

I'm confused? I use live catch traps. What happened? The only thing I can imagine is that your chicken was in the live catch trap so long without food and water that it expired. Is that what happened? I am assuming it is a cage trap.

I had a leg-hold trap set recently that a buff orpington wandered into. It was completely my fault, I was covering the trap up with a steel plate during the day and one day I forgot to cover it. Sure enough I caught one of the hens. I felt so bad and thought I would have to put her down but she walked away without a scratch. All credit goes to the leg-hold trap with the off-set jaws, made that way to release small animals unharmed.

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

At thins time of year, I would imagine that heat and a lack of water and shade were the problems.

 

[Tala]

Quote:
agreed. Probably overheated.

I learned a long time ago to close the traps when I let the hens out. Fortunately it was early spring when mine was trapped while I was at work, she laid an egg in there and everything! They're not quick learners, so you can catch the same hen that spent all of yesterday in the live trap again the next day if YOU don't learn to close the door. You gotta be smarter than the chickens.

 

[WillieBoy]

Cptbahama....i'm a little unclear as well.I'm not sure if the hen died of heat exhaustion/thirst or choked on the marshmellow bait...??

 

[Heathero617]

I've put mine out 2 nights in a row now. But I "trip" it and put it up when the birds are out and about since i placed it pretty much in front of the entry door to the coop. The birds are not liking me forcing them in for the night and then screwing the door tight, but it's for their own good. I slept in a bit this morning and couldnt get moving so they didnt get to come out till about 630...i told them if i keep doing that i'm going to have the worlds laziest chickens ever who sleep till noon!!!