Feeling like a total idiot

[SheaLoner]

Literally just keep it in a bucket? Wouldn't that smell in turn attract other predators? I am intrigued, please elaborate.

Theres a couple good youtube videos on it. Its basically a hanging bucket with the bottom cut out. You suspend some roadkill inside the bucket on a grate type thing, as the fly eggs hatch the maggots crawl and fall to the hungry chickens below.

 

[SheaLoner]

They seem to have added a warning now on the method, but should still work.
https://www.themodernhomestead.us/article/feeding-chickens-maggots.html

 

[chikmaw]

Ok then. Just watch out.

I am not offended and appreciate your input. I agree this wasn't ideal but I had to do something last night to protect my birds. Period. I got off work at 6 pm and borrowed the only trap I could get my hands on...it worked.

I too live in deep woods, nestled in 13000 acres of protected forest land that has a state park in it. There are only four residents in a five mile radius of me. I brought this raccoon deeper into the woods, farther away from people. My birds are safer, no animals lost there life, and it is farther from humans than it was before. I fail to see how this was "seriously unethical"...as far as the law...

If I lived in the burbs and dropped it off at a playground I would fully concur with your conclusion, but in this instance I believe I did what was best first for my animals. I will most likely continue to set the trap for a few nights in case it comes back.

That being said...I NEED A .22 BAD.

Hysterical! Got my chuckle in for the day. Thank you!

 

[aembry1]

Just got a raccoon in the havahart trap. That is the first animal I have ever trapped! Don't know if he is the original culprit or not but, one less predator in my woods. I don't have the firepower to responsibly dispatch it so relocation it is. There is a state park nearby should be perfect. My dog(husky/sheperd) alerted me chuffing at the window as soon as it was caught. She is a lazy house dog but she knows whats up. This is crazy I'm wide awake!

I'm so glad you caught it!

 

[Tre3hugger]

I'm so glad you caught it!

Thanks!

 

[Mrblue5150]

I feel like a total idiot. After posting last night about successfulI outdoor brooding Iwoke up this morning to a massacre in my guinea keet brooder. Apparently 1\2 inch HWC is not small enough to keep out weasel hands. It's so small! There were two dead in the brooder with heads and limbs missing. Another was missing one leg and wing and was stuck in the HWC alive. I obviously put it out of its misery. It has been a whirlwind of emotion. The weasels must have stood on a plastic tote I have underneath storing wood chips. Then did their dirty work. I feel so guilty. BEWARE OF WEASELS. I got too comfy and they rocked my worlkd. I added plastic tiles to the bottom of the broode r and removed the tote. Hopefully that can keep them out. They killed my only pied keet and 2\3 lavender. Hard hard lesson.

Wow that sucks. Sorry it happened to you and your chicks. I guess lesson learned. I bet you do a good job fortifying the outdoor brooder now. Same type has happened to me in the past. I now have 5 turkey poults and two Buff Orpingtons outside and they are 2 weeks old. I live in California and its blazing hot so its not that bad at night. I also have them fortified inside of a large dog run. I'm hoping I did everything right too.

 

[Tre3hugger]

Wow that sucks. Sorry it happened to you and your chicks. I guess lesson learned. I bet you do a good job fortifying the outdoor brooder now. Same type has happened to me in the past. I now have 5 turkey poults and two Buff Orpingtons outside and they are 2 weeks old. I live in California and its blazing hot so its not that bad at night. I also have them fortified inside of a large dog run. I'm hoping I did everything right too.

Hard lesson learned indeed. Good luck with your brood!

 

[Chickin Out]

You need "baby saver" wire, 1/4 inch hardware cloth, at least 23 gauge or heavier.

 

[TheFarm41]

They should sell box traps get a small ish one. Do you know how big it is? If not start lf with a small one then get a bigger one if that doesn't work after a while. They are tricky to catch. I will post a pic of the trap I used. I would set up a game camera as well. Also you can get prededer light its a red light. Prededers don't like it. Could it be a rat? Rats eat there feet and they will eat chicks/ keets heads of like weasels. Rats will come around not because your nasty but because of the chicken feed. I have had one before. If it is a weasel get this size trap. If its a rat get poison.View attachment 2284159

I would strongly advise to not use poison. If the rats eat the poison or carry it back to their nest, yes it will kill them. But you are then introducing poison into your farm system. When they die something will eat the rats and transfer that poison and it may be your chickens. (My chickens eat small rats, they will even hunt them). The poison can end up in the water supply, and then in the ground, in your plants and to you. Not saying it is enough poison to kill you, but I know I don't want to eat eggs, or chicken or produce that has been exposed to poison.

Snap traps works great. Rats like peanut butter. Just make sure the traps are not where the chickens or other animals can get them. We set the traps at night, under an upside down milk crate with a heavy weight on top. That way the rat can crawl through the handle hole, but the chickens can't get to the trap.

 

[Tre3hugger]

I would strongly advise to not use poison. If the rats eat the poison or carry it back to their nest, yes it will kill them. But you are then introducing poison into your farm system. When they die something will eat the rats and transfer that poison and it may be your chickens. (My chickens eat small rats, they will even hunt them). The poison can end up in the water supply, and then in the ground, in your plants and to you. Not saying it is enough poison to kill you, but I know I don't want to eat eggs, or chicken or produce that has been exposed to poison.

Snap traps works great. Rats like peanut butter. Just make sure the traps are not where the chickens or other animals can get them. We set the traps at night, under an upside down milk crate with a heavy weight on top. That way the rat can crawl through the handle hole, but the chickens can't get to the trap.

We don't use poisons here or even.chem fertilizers.