My husband and I have roosters on tie cords. One night, at about 1:30 am, our dogs were going NUTS! I went to the garage and grabbed the flash light and started searching the yard. Although the moon was bright, it was a very foggy night. I HEARD nothing and SAW even less. Until I saw one of my husbands favorite rooster's tie cord snapped in half. No feathers, no blood, no rooster. George, our basset hound, was acting like he was scared to death! He was running back and forth along the perimeter of the yard. He REFUSED to go into the field!
The next night, the same thing happened. 2:15 am......The dogs were going crazy......George refused to go into the field after whatever was out there. This time though, whatever killed the first rooster not only got another rooster and snapped that tie cord but also got one of my Maylay hens and 7 of her babies she had just hatched off (3 survived).
I have a friend who is a trapper and he let us borrow some live traps. My thinking was that it may be a fox. I baited the traps with tuna fish....... I caught nothing!
2 nights later, the same thing only this time it was like whatever it was, was ****** off and there was carnage in our yard! 2 roosters and another hen and babies were killed that night and there were feathers EVERYWHERE! One of the roosters that was killed had his tie cord attached to a 10 lb. oak block! We found it about 50 or 60 FEET in the adjacent field! I looked around where the block was laying and found 1 print! It had 3 toe marks and the foot pad approx. 1 inch wide and 2 inches long from toe to pad. I have looked it up and can find NOTHING resembling this! This is NOT a fox OR a dog though!
Now, we've had run ins with coons, possums, fox, skunks, rats, mink, and other stray dogs. This is NOTHING like what THEY would leave behind. AND none of our dogs (we have 4) are afraid of ANY of those I just listed. It's something that they're scared of and don't want to tangle with!! I just don't know WHAT! Anybody have any clues?
So, now we take our roosters and put them in cages every night and put them back out in the morning. But every night I know when it's out there because the dogs will start their barking and sentry duty march back and forth at the perimeter of the yard each taking a different side yet still refusing to take chase. And no chickens have been bothered or killed since putting them in cages at night.
I would appreciate any ideas on how to catch this predator or clues on what it might be!
The next night, the same thing happened. 2:15 am......The dogs were going crazy......George refused to go into the field after whatever was out there. This time though, whatever killed the first rooster not only got another rooster and snapped that tie cord but also got one of my Maylay hens and 7 of her babies she had just hatched off (3 survived).
I have a friend who is a trapper and he let us borrow some live traps. My thinking was that it may be a fox. I baited the traps with tuna fish....... I caught nothing!
2 nights later, the same thing only this time it was like whatever it was, was ****** off and there was carnage in our yard! 2 roosters and another hen and babies were killed that night and there were feathers EVERYWHERE! One of the roosters that was killed had his tie cord attached to a 10 lb. oak block! We found it about 50 or 60 FEET in the adjacent field! I looked around where the block was laying and found 1 print! It had 3 toe marks and the foot pad approx. 1 inch wide and 2 inches long from toe to pad. I have looked it up and can find NOTHING resembling this! This is NOT a fox OR a dog though!
Now, we've had run ins with coons, possums, fox, skunks, rats, mink, and other stray dogs. This is NOTHING like what THEY would leave behind. AND none of our dogs (we have 4) are afraid of ANY of those I just listed. It's something that they're scared of and don't want to tangle with!! I just don't know WHAT! Anybody have any clues?
So, now we take our roosters and put them in cages every night and put them back out in the morning. But every night I know when it's out there because the dogs will start their barking and sentry duty march back and forth at the perimeter of the yard each taking a different side yet still refusing to take chase. And no chickens have been bothered or killed since putting them in cages at night.
I would appreciate any ideas on how to catch this predator or clues on what it might be!
