duck attack

[Flyawayfarmsfowl]

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[Amiga]

Terrible.

May I ask how the raccoon got in? Many of us have this predator to deal with, so the more we know about incursions, the better we may be able to head them off.

 

[Flyawayfarmsfowl]

They pulled down the wiring I had around the pen I kept them in at night in. The next night they found a loose spot in my Cochin house roof and took all the duck eggs I had my hen sitting on and killed her too. Trust me I have checked all my pens and renailed , and secured all my fencing. In the last week I have caught five of them so hopefully it will stop but I haven't been out to check my traps this morning.

 

[Amiga]

It just gives me the creeps to know that as much as I have tried to secure the duck pen, that I might miss something, underestimate their strength, or make some mistake. Seems the raccoons in this area are getting more bold, too.

I use hardware cloth on the night pen with a couple of strands of electric tape, and the day pen is coated woven wire top and sides, two feet of coated chicken wire along the outside edge, and coated chain link across the bottom sandwiched between two six inch wide boards along the outer edge.

This year, actually, the ducks are still spending the night in their winter overnight accommodations . . . the walkout basement. I wanted to resecure the summer house, but other things have taken my time and so, no big deal, they are just staying where they spend winter nights anyway.

 

[Oregon Blues]

The very first place they attack the wire is at corners and edges. In many cases, they can simply pull the wire away from the frame. I've seen bird pens where the wire was put on with staples.

Well, I can pull out staples and I'm not that strong. Staples are nothing to a raccoon. Wire must be securely fastened to the coop to keep raccoons out. It doesn't matter how good the wire if the raccoon can simply peel the edge up.

 

[Flyawayfarmsfowl]

Well I didn't catch anything this morning and nothing tried to get in the pens but one of the traps got set off. I worked on pens this morning as I need to rotate and move some juveniles outside. I know what you mean about loose fence and roofs because that is what happened and I simply did not catch it in time. We have subdivisions coming in all around us and the predators have no place to go. I hate messing with the balance of nature...but...momma carries her gun now.

 

[Flyawayfarmsfowl]

Not sure what I did, have not put in any ads, don't have 20 comments.

 

[Flyawayfarmsfowl]

Caught number 7 this morning!!! Setting 2 traps outside tonight as they have quit coming in the horse barn the last 4 nights