Feral Cat is terrorizing our flock.

[trekie123]

While im here i am looking for the answer to a problem with one of my hens. .. i have opened a thread so i dont want to repeat it again but if any of you guys could look up the thread and give me your thoughts.... its ... ONE OF MY CHICKENS IS BEING ATTACKED. Its in "CHICKEN BEHAVIOUR AND EGGLAYING!.

 

[Granny Hatchet]

i never get what i want either but let me throw one more animal in here, weasel. smaller trap. i dont think its as much a matter of whats killing them as it is of fixing the problem. i have chicken wire underground in my run and over the roof. when it figures out its food supply is gone it will leave too. and that means corn or whatever is outside on the ground ive had coons reach through the big wire and tear my doodles in pieces small enough to get it through the wire to eat. needless to sat, i now use the good stuff. hardware cloth. good luck

 

[Bear Foot Farm]

Quote: That sounds more like a Fox to me, which means you will probably need leg hold traps

 

[ChickenLegs13]

I am wondering if my chickens are just being blitzed by several predators at once.  We only caught a small cat on the camera.  We have seen it fleeing once.  There are piles of feathers in the woods below our house.  The live trap has not been effective so far. 

I had a cat and a possum, and maybe something else working my flock at the same time last several months. A cat will carry the birds away some distance and eat everything but the wingtips. You should try a trap by the feather pile out in the woods.

 

[Bear Foot Farm]

Quote: You might want to check your trapping laws before doing that.
It may be hard to convince a Game Warden an animal in the WOODS is an immediate threat to your birds

 

[oherin]

Just to update this thread: over the winter we have been able to get impressions of tracks in the snow. While we have suffered no more losses, my neighbor has (1 roo and 2 hens gone in one morning). The tracks look identical to coyote tracks online. The print does not match a fox. We are installing electric fencing.

 

[Folly's place]

Electric fencing is a good idea, also stop free ranging your flock for a while. Have a very secure pen, not chicken wire! Also, I've had fewer problems since I stopped throwing food outside of the secure pen and run. A dog or coyote will come back, so maybe a huge live trap, and/or a game cam. Mary

 

[pound4pound]

i hate cats, the chicks got eaten by them.

best way is get a .50 cal and scope.