Coons!

[KOTurkeyRanch]

Could a coon kill an adult male turkey roosting outside my barn about 4 feet high

 

[Blisschick]

Yes. I've had them climb higher to kill mine.

 

[Boggy Bottom Bantams]

it's always possible. Everyone on here blame coons all the time though?? I have them by the houndreds here in this swamp and have never once had a problem with them, Now fox and bobcats on the other hand! They'll get them all. Watched a large bobcat one day run one of out yard cats up a 50 foot oak tree, catch it, kill it and haul it off in the middle of the day too.... Those are both much bigger concerns to me than coons, though I know they do their fair share of damage too.
Oh or coyotes are horrible too

 

[pdpatch]

Yes, it's possible.

With any predators it all depends on how easy it is to get other food, If there is an abundance of other food that is easier to get they usually go for that, but not always.

They best defense is to lock up the turkeys in coops at night and build pens for them. You have to work with them to get them to go in at night as they will prefer to stay out.

Tom

 

[KOTurkeyRanch]

Well, i got home from soccer last night and my new jenny was roosted about 50 feet in a tree to the left of my barn. I let Jake and the chickens out with her all night, but i woke up early and just got them all in. Im happy =]

 

[Frosty]

I really don't know if coons kill them when they are up in the trees, I know that owls will. Even then, I think they only do that when food like bunnies and mice are scarce. I heard a loud noise on the roof once and went out to look, the owl that just nabbed the turkey took off. I had a nesting hen attacked by a raccoon (I think that's what attacked her since she wasn't killed, just torn up), and some raccoons climbed a fence to get in with my call ducks and rip them all apart.

 

[turkey guru]

coons killed 7 wild hens by reaching through the chicken wire and pull the hen through the wire like a french fry cutter, also had a coon pull a poults leg off through the wire!!! coons by far here are the worst, shot 19 so far this winter/spring! bobcats,coyotes,cougars,bear by far racoons are the worst! then hawks,then possoms,all the rest!!!!!!!!! a large coon will whip a big dog ,bad!!!!!!! ps a jenny is a female donkey , a molly is a female mule, and a pullit is a hen that has not laid yet! other wise its a hen just like a chicken tom!!!!!

 

[KOTurkeyRanch]

Quote:
A jenny is a yearling hen
Just like a jake is to a tom

 

[turkey guru]

must be a local thing!!! nothing in any my books!!! tom!!

 

[poultryfan73]

Quote:
I agree! Racoons are by far the worst predator. So far this winter/spring i have killed 50+ coon in my catch and realese traps alone. I set the traps right beside my coop and thats where i catch the most! Although i never have hawk problems oppsuum are definitly next in the list!