does anyone know anything about fisher cats?....

[redhen]

One was spotted by my neighbor a few months ago...i hear they are nasty...can they get through hardwire?...for my coop windows, i am going to put some hardwire on them ..but on hot summer nights i may need to keep one open for air for them, is that okay??..also....lol..(i know i ask alot of questions!)..lol...we have coy dogs in our area...they have actually been in my yard..(i was a dummy a while back and put out some food from fridge, thought i'd be nice and feed the "starving animals" this winter, BAD IDEA!!..2 a.m., howling and yipping feeding frenzy in my back yard..)any ways..my question is...can they get in a coop?...Wendy,(who dosent want to have all the neighborhood preadators to think we are an all-night chicken drive thru!!)

 

[freshegg]

I dont know if they can get through the wire but they super fast and vicious I lost my 20 lb 6 yo manx cat to one. If you see one shoot it.

 

[chickbea]

I've never had or heard of any going through wire...

 

[dacjohns]

I have heard of dogs, which would include coyotes and coy dogs, tearing through chicken wire and hardware cloth. I've known of people that used hardware cloth instead of welded wire in their rabbit hutches and lost their rabbits.

Shoot the coy dogs and the coyotes. You might be able to keep them away and you won't hurt the population. Coyotes are very intelligent and adaptable. Coy dogs will run in packs and don' t have the fear of humans that coyotes have.

I don't know about fishers tearing through chicken wire and hardware cloth but I do know they are pretty fierce. One of their main sources of prey is porcupine. They will also eat pine martens, cute little weasel like critters.

Before you shoot a fisher make sure it isn't a managed (fur bearing)wildlife species where you live or else be prepared to pay the consequences. Coyotes might also be managed as fur bearers but I doubt it.

 

[redhen]

now i'm worried about the coy dogs...so i should get welded wire?...cause they are really close around us...to come in my yard..and my neighbors took thier bikes on a trail a few houses down from us..and ran into the pack..in the day time..they said there were like 5 of them...big..and said they looked like wolves(but we dont have wolves in mass,at least i dont think so, so they were coy dogs)..but when the dogs saw them they ran away..but they are close..and my coop is just over a banking at the beginning of my woods...as for hunting them..i dont think we can..i know they banned trapping on them..but i couldnt do that any ways..i'm a sissy..so i guess i need to find the best possiable wire stuff i can find...but with good wire on..can i keep a window open some for ventilation..i'm afraid they will bake in there at night on hot summer nights...plus..we have a clear roof on the coop..which i think will make it hotter in there..but they do get shade in areas...being by the woods..some trees give shade to the coop., so..i'm off to find the best wire i can for the windows..thanks guys..Wendy

 

[mmajw]

I know they (Fischers) like to sleep in trees so even when you think they are not watching.... THEY ARE!!!!

 

[redhen]

..who?.. my neighbors??..;o)..Wendy

 

[Oblio13]

We have lots of them around here, we even see them in broad daylight. They're pretty fierce predators, but they haven't bothered our chickens yet. Maybe it's the great dane in the yard.

Here's a pic I took of one:

 

[mmajw]

Quote:
WOW thats a great pic of one.

 

[redhen]

OMG!!...that is exactly what my hubby saw...we already knew(by neighbors warning us of them)but didnt even know what they looked like...than later my hubby saw that exact thing in our back yard tree!..he came and told me it was a baby bear..lol..by the time i got outside it was gone..(all this time i thought we had bears too!..lol.ooh my..so the fishers are really close also..geez!..in between the coy dogs and t hem..this isnt looking good...so welded wire?..is that the best stuff to get?..can they get through my roof?...its this really thin, clear..pvc corrugated roof paneling..but its only like 1/16 inch thick...Thanks,Wendy(these dang varmits aint getting my chickens!)..i hope!