Dragon was Killed EDIT: Pip Killed

[C&Rman]

I agree with Frosty too! We thought about it but we have horses right next to the pen so we can't. I really hope you catch the animal that did that...

 

[MinxFox]

I just can't believe that it happens now. I haven't had any problems for 2 or so years and now all of a sudden I have a predator problem. Of course this could be what was eating those eggs...I still never found out if it was one of the peafowl eating the eggs or if something was eating the peafowl eggs. I would sometimes go out to the pen and find an egg several feet out of the pen and all that would be left was the shell. We just thought it might be squirrels since squirrels visit the pen a lot to eat the bird food but maybe it was a raccoon. We have a big feeder in the peafowl pen that my dad uses to feed deer and turkeys corn that we recently started using so that when we are out of town it can be on a timer and feed the birds. We had to put corn in there to weigh down the sunflower seeds for them and the thing put out a ton of corn but the peafowl never really ate all the corn. My dad thinks all the corn must have attracted raccoons. There isn't anymore corn in the pen but a raccoon could have come looking for corn and got Dragon instead.

Well I hope our trap catches something. It rained so all the human smell should be washed off of the trap.

 

[Frosty]

Don't worry about the human smell on the trap. I know a lot of folks say to not touch the trap, but seriously... if that was all that it took, we wouldn't have problems with the predators. The traps we used smelled like us, and I am sure they could smell me on the bait, too. We shot raccoons in the trap, dumped the carcass out and reset the trap (without cleaning it) and would get another one the next night. They don't care about human smell and apparently don't care if there is raccoon blood in there. If it is a raccoon, reset the trap as soon as you empty it. Chances are there will be more than one.

 

[Yoda]

Minx,
I am so sorry to hear of your loss.

It hurts the most when it is a favorite like Dragon was to you. It will be strange going to the pen and feeding the others and not seeing him. I know, I think about the peahen I lost in June and say what if she were here? You will be asking yourself the same question. As time goes by it gets easier but then you see another do something and it reminds you of your beloved Dragon. Out of sight but never out of the heart

I am not going to give an opinion on what happened, just say I hope you get the critter that did this to Dragon and then you and your Dad can deal with that critter in your own way. Hope the rest stay safe and all the bad is gone.

 

[geebs]

bad preditor

 

[MinxFox]

I hope this will all be over soon too. I have a question...We have Ice on three eggs in a smaller pen that does connect to the larger one. The pen isn't that big, here is an older photo of it before we made the large pen.

Ice is nesting in the corner of this small pen but luckily on one side is a wooden box and behind her is a small trap (not set) so she is protected all the way around plus as you can see the fencing on this is small at the bottom so she can't stick her head out. Now do we close the door to this pen so she is stuck in this small pen or do we keep it connected with the larger pen just encase if something got into this small pen Ice could run into the big pen with more space to get away? I didn't like the idea of closing her up in such a small pen but then again it could be safer...I am just really worried about her because she is on the ground with her eggs...Well really her and Dragon's eggs.

 

[Yoda]

I do not think it will matter if you close the door or not. If the eggs she is sitting on are fertile and she gets off them to get away she will most likely fly up onto a perch, but unfortunately the eggs will be eaten by the critter and that will be enough to most likely fill the critter. I do not think anything will happen to her cause you are using the remains of Dragon so whatever it is, is going to go after him first because it is already dead. I feel so strange saying this to you because I feel so sorry but it needs to be siad so you have some peace of mind for tonight.

 

[Kev]

What a big shock and sadness. We all know you really love your birds and we all love seeing your wonderful pictures- so many have commented on Dragon. What a loss...

I had a bobcat problem before(the first one wiped out my entire duck and goose flock in one night), the signs of the carcasses they ate were cleanly cut bones, flesh licked almost clean off remaining bones.

From reading on here and elsewhere, pulling parts through the wire is extremely typical of raccoons.

As for Ice, I personally would put hardware cloth at least along the bottom perimeter- all way to top if possible. Along the bottom so nothing can reach thru and grab at her or babies if she settles against the wire for the night. The babies fly too well from such a young age, so there is a big chance of them flying high and through the wire and end up getting stuck outside because of the hardware cloth on the bottom. Having it done to the top prevents that. Another reason for doing this would be using that section to keep new mothers and babies away from the other birds until they are older. Sometimes older birds get TOO curious and want to pester.. or some might take 'offense' at the new mother acting and sounding strange and want to beat her up. Keeping them in this pen for say, 2 weeks or so would let the others get used(and bored of) the new sounds and babies and mostly ignore them once they are let into the large enclosure.

 

[deerman]

really sorry to hear this..........sound like a great horn owl.....of raccoon , more like a gh owl , again so sorry.

 

[SunBaked]

I am so sorry to hear about Dragon

I love seeing his pictures and reading stories about him. My heart goes out to you, so hard to lose our babies