DISASTER!!!!!!!!!!1

[aran]

Hi, Audra here. Its 430am and a noise woke me up....paranoid maybe, but it sounded like cats fighting, so i got up to make sure our cats actually WERE inside, and the birds will still fine. I went outside (covered in goosebumps) and everyone fine (in lockdown at night for life now), but trap still empty(we even left the door of the coop run open for easy entry for the predator. Then i heard what sounded like ducks quacking way back in our fields....and am wondering if that 'thing' is after the wild Canadian geese that are migrating in our area due to the fall season. I hope not, but it was an erie sound thats for sure.

I am going to call the county authorities tomorrow (today) to see if they will come and trap it or something. Its dead quiet outside now, but I don't think i'll be going back to sleep any time soon.

 

[aran]

ok so no luck killing the darn thing overnight...and it evaded the trap again ( never set the thing off though). Hopefully the local animal control/exterminator ppl will be able to kill this thing.

cross your fingers, our birds are all in nocturnal lockdown from here on in regardless of whether we get this particular predator or not! Im looking into getting more fence to extend the run also to include the baby run, just one more line of defense.

 

[thndrdancr]

Darnit, was so hoping you would have some luck in catching it. I bet it was what you heard in the night, going after the younger geese.

 

[aran]

well the trap is baited and buried in undergrowth per the instructions of my mate at work who is an avid hunter. Our female white crested duck looks to be recovering ok thank god. We have our eggs organized to come from Cynthia (thanks mate!) and our chicks from ideal are also coming in the next couple of weeks. All the ducks and chickens are in lockdown in the coops and we have again reinforced the inside of the run walls with more wire mesh.

We are going to get this stinking animal and continue to lock away the girls/boys each night forever from now on...i just cant handle another death of our babies...its really amazing to me just how much these birds mean to us as a family.
Thanks again for all the kind wishes guys, this forum has provided such an awesome network of friends I have never even met, its a tribute to the hobby and the great ppl who indulge in it.

 

[Lunachick]

Aran - any luck? I've only just caught on to this thread, I hope you get something! I just want to say that I'm awfully sorry to hear you had some of your babies lost to that critter.

 

[ozark hen]

Yes, we all are waiting to hear...good news?? I am guessing that since nothing was posted this morning that nothing has happened yet?

 

[aran]

well here goes again...the baited trap is set once again...I spoke with a hunter at work who is going to swing by this week and give me a hand to catch this pos animal.

 

[Smitty's Farm]

Aran,
Did you have any luck getting the predator? keep us posted.

 

[aran]

no luck guys...it keeps taking the meat out of the havahart trap without being caught...i think its big enough that the trap closes but on its back, so it just backs out of the trap when it is done eating.
No more birds hurt because they are being locked away...i am about to resort to leg trapping and if that doesnt work i will use kill traps and if that doesnt work finally poison.

There are hunters at my work who I will call again today.

 

[Smitty's Farm]

That must be so frustrating! I'm so sorry to hear about your loss, but so glad that there hasn't been any more and that you will be receiving replacements soon. I hope you have some luck soon. Keep us posted. I have all kind of predators around my house and it terrifies me.

Good luck!
kim