In the past eagles have been my big predator problem and since I have most everything well protected with netting, I've been doing quite well here. Until a few days ago ...
I keep my favorite ducks and silkies in a large pen near our house with a first class coop and fenced and covered run. The other morning when I went to let the birds out, my buff silkie was missing. It was beyond me as to where she could have gone until I found a trail of blood and feathers up the chain link fence and out through the netting. I figured it had to be a raccoon, but couldn't figure out how it got into the locked up coop. I realized that there are openings where the roof sits on the wall of the coop (7 1/2 feet up) that I hadn't covered in chicken wire and sure enough, it appears the raccoon climbed over on the netting (tearing part of it down), onto the roof and into coop. I was broken hearted of course and kicking myself for under estimating the varmints. I spent the day up on a ladder covering up every nook and cranny I could find and when my husband came home he told me we had to screw the doors shut until I could get more secure locks on every potential opening, so we did.
Next morning everyone was safe and sound UNTIL SOMEWHERE BETWEEN 11:00 and NOON!!!?. I put our dogs in at 11:00, because I had an electrician coming, talked to a girl friend on the phone for a bit and then went across our driveway to take lunch to my Mom in our guest house. When I came out fifteen minutes later, the dogs were barking wildly - I let them out - they ran to the run and my Silkie rooster was gone. I found him under the coop (I was too late).
I can only imagine it must have been a desperate raccoon to come mid-day so close to the house, barking dogs and human activity. It had to scale the chain link fence and scrunch under the netting which drapes over the fence (there aren't any holes under the fence - yet).
I freaked out and have moved my ducks and one remaining (very lonely) Silky hen to other pens. There is no way I can protect them there at this point unless I hot wire it and I have to figure out how to work the wire around my somewhat ornamental gate - though I think I have a plan for that. I'm of course depressed and frustrated.
My husband thinks we should get a night time camera and leave some eggs out and see if we can get a picture of whatever has done this to make sure it's a raccoon. I can't imagine what else it could be. Does anyone have any recommendations regarding night time motion cameras (and where one gets them?).
I keep my favorite ducks and silkies in a large pen near our house with a first class coop and fenced and covered run. The other morning when I went to let the birds out, my buff silkie was missing. It was beyond me as to where she could have gone until I found a trail of blood and feathers up the chain link fence and out through the netting. I figured it had to be a raccoon, but couldn't figure out how it got into the locked up coop. I realized that there are openings where the roof sits on the wall of the coop (7 1/2 feet up) that I hadn't covered in chicken wire and sure enough, it appears the raccoon climbed over on the netting (tearing part of it down), onto the roof and into coop. I was broken hearted of course and kicking myself for under estimating the varmints. I spent the day up on a ladder covering up every nook and cranny I could find and when my husband came home he told me we had to screw the doors shut until I could get more secure locks on every potential opening, so we did.
Next morning everyone was safe and sound UNTIL SOMEWHERE BETWEEN 11:00 and NOON!!!?. I put our dogs in at 11:00, because I had an electrician coming, talked to a girl friend on the phone for a bit and then went across our driveway to take lunch to my Mom in our guest house. When I came out fifteen minutes later, the dogs were barking wildly - I let them out - they ran to the run and my Silkie rooster was gone. I found him under the coop (I was too late).
I can only imagine it must have been a desperate raccoon to come mid-day so close to the house, barking dogs and human activity. It had to scale the chain link fence and scrunch under the netting which drapes over the fence (there aren't any holes under the fence - yet).
I freaked out and have moved my ducks and one remaining (very lonely) Silky hen to other pens. There is no way I can protect them there at this point unless I hot wire it and I have to figure out how to work the wire around my somewhat ornamental gate - though I think I have a plan for that. I'm of course depressed and frustrated.
My husband thinks we should get a night time camera and leave some eggs out and see if we can get a picture of whatever has done this to make sure it's a raccoon. I can't imagine what else it could be. Does anyone have any recommendations regarding night time motion cameras (and where one gets them?).
