chicken killer!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[jarvisite99]

I had 8 hens laying and 5 moth old silkies, but now I only have 7 laying hens and 2 silkes!!!!

Can any of you chicken lovers help me with some ideas? I don't now what killed them.

 

[jarvisite99]

they also ripped the fence of the coop!

 

[SmokinChick]

Sorry for the lose.
How 'bout a pic of the coop. I'm guessing something with teeth.

 

[Mattemma]

Move your chickens to a secure location until you can fix their coop.Perhaps a dog crate in the garage.Set traps.Home depot sells the 1089 for $45.I have been catching things almost daily since I bought it.

If the ripped fencing was on the ]outside see if installing it on the inside would hold it in place better.Coons are STRONG.

 

[chickens & dogs]

Sorry for your loss!We lost 6 to a fox this year...

 

[Ole and Lena]

Don't know where you are located, but if the fence was physically ripped, I'm guessing Raccoon. they use their paws like hands and are very strong. They are not scared of people or enclosed spaces and are found from inner city to wilderness habitats. I live in an area very prone to raccoons and skunks. My coop is built inside an existing barn with hard framed walls. Wife calls it the chicken fortress. Once a coon has been conditioned to an easy meal, they WILL come back. Very hard to scare them off of their meal ticket. They are relatively easy to live trap and even easier to kill trap. A large, heavily built live trap is needed to hold them. I'd recommend the ones carried by Minnesota Trapline Products. They are designed for professional animal control and a lifetime of use. Bait with wet cat food and a drop of anise or vanilla extract. Relocate animal AT LEAST 15 miles away. They are very helpful and will give you additional advice on trap selection and placement if you place a phone order. Legal disclaimer: you may be violating state or local law by transporting and releasing a wild animal. It may also be illegal to dispatch the animal without special permits. Do this all at your own risk and don't post your actions publically. In my location you are allowed to dispatch certain animals out of season without special permits to protect livestock.

If you are looking for a more permenant solution and do not have cats, small children or small dogs about, a 160 or 220 connibear type trap placed on the trail they are approaching with a baited trigger will be very effective.

Look for tracks in the dirt. Racoon and possum and skunk hind foot tracks resemble a small childs footprint. similar trapping methods are employed for all 3. Fox and coyote tracks look like small and medium dog tracks respectively. They are very trap savvy, not prone to entering cage traps and are very hard to deter.

 

[jarvisite99]

Put the live trap out and some tuna ready to see how the killer is, and the new chain link fence on top of the chicken wire should keep chicken killer out and the chickens in.

 

[jarvisite99]

Almost worked but it pulled a silkie out of the coop, and whent for the live trap but it didn't capcher it so, we got some new chickens and added some tweking and shuold ceep them out, but one should be dead because it got hit on the hight way

.

 

[Oldfort_mailman]

Quote:
I could definitely see the cat food and vanilla extract. You can buy those anywhere, but being the dumb redneck hillbilly from Tennessee i just have to ask, what is anise? How does one procure such an item? If the answer is really wierd please dont respond.

 

[Rniare]

Anise is found in baking aisle at the local store. It is the flavoring of black licorice.