Ghost predator is wiping out my flock. Help!

[De Wet]

Wow! You will never guess what happened? Here I was stressed about whether to go and talk to my neighbor about his dogs and risk making an enemy or just shoot, shovel and shut up. I decided to pray and ask God to provide a solution. Well, both dogs were hit and killed by cars yesterday. I am not kidding! They are both laying dead on the road, the one that killed the 13 chickens and my son wounded, and the one I caught on video attacking the pen. And NO, it was not me who hit them. There is no need for my to go and talk to my neighbor now. The problem has been solved. Thank you Lord!

You see their is Someone listening

 

[Jungleexplorer]

You see their is Someone listening

I know that very well. God makes a way where there seems to be no way.

 

[jedclampit]

its probably an owl they would come in from the sky so unless ur camera was pointing into the air u want see him on camera or catch him in a trap on the ground and the mud since he flies he can land on the roost pole sticking out of the cage or land on the side and hold on with one foot and reach in with the other and kill ur young ones

 

[Jungleexplorer]

I want to take this opportunity to apologize if I sounded harsh or cross in some of my latest response to you, centrarchid . I was just frustrated at the situation I was in and my frustration may have showed up in my post. It has been a very frustrating year for me. I invested over $500 and lots of time and work in raising over 100 chicks this year with very little to show for it. Half of my pullets were kill by a single unpredicted hail storm with 80 MPH winds that blew my coops over, and I have lost 23 birds to predator and dog attack since the beginning of October. I wish you the best.

 

[De Wet]

I know that very well. God makes a way where there seems to be no way.

 

[centrarchid]

I want to take this opportunity to apologize if I sounded harsh or cross in some of my latest response to you, centrarchid . I was just frustrated at the situation I was in and my frustration may have showed up in my post. It has been a very frustrating year for me. I invested over $500 and lots of time and work in raising over 100 chicks this year with very little to show for it. Half of my pullets were kill by a single unpredicted hail storm with 80 MPH winds that blew my coops over, and I have lost 23 birds to predator and dog attack since the beginning of October. I wish you the best.

My skin is thick. You will learn to deal with some of those problems although high winds are not easy to prepare for other than keep birds banded to so they can be returned to proper groups. I loose very few birds to predators but treat it like a good game of chess when a predator does call. I am having some fun with a raccoon that uses neighboring trailor court as cover from me and my dog. Dog and I in danger of being shot if pursuing critter into trailer court. Still fun since only lost one bird and we do chase critter out when it calls.

 

[Greyfox Farm]

I loose very few birds to predators but treat it like a good game of chess when a predator does call. I am having some fun with a raccoon that uses neighboring trailor court as cover from me and my dog. Dog and I in danger of being shot if pursuing critter into trailer court. Still fun since only lost one bird and we do chase critter out when it calls.

Funny, I think of it that way as well. I've "nusiance trapped" beaver for years, but with the addition of chickens to the farm I've upped my game to include raccoon, possum, weasel, coyote and mink trapping as well. I'm in the deep forest here and there are any number of critters around. If the "bad guys" stay in "their" woods they have no problem from me; when they come around my girls it's "game-on." I've found trapping to be a challenging and fun hobby for me, with lots of new skills to learn. Another colateral benefit to keeping chickens!

 

[Jungleexplorer]

I have had a lot of success trapping Bobcats and Coyotes in the past. In fact, I wiped the local Bobcats out and have not seen a tack in two years. It is hard for me to trap now because I am running a free range flock and my birds would get caught in my traps. If you have penned chickens, the best way to trap a predator is to use a live chicken as bait by putting it in a cage and placing traps around the cage. Normally most predators are very cautious and much care must be taken to cover the trap and leave no sign of human sent, but not when you use the live chicken method. Once they see the live chicken and it begins to cackle and move, that is all she wrote. The predators instinct to hunt overrides it's instinct to be cautious and it will go crazy trying to get the chicken in the cage. You don't even have to hide your traps or cover your sent. Works like a charm! White chickens work the best. Have never lost a chicken that was used for bait yet either.

 

[Jungleexplorer]

My skin is thick.

That is good to hear. Thanks

 

[Trefoil]

Unless you are using your chickens as bait, there is no need or reason to trap predators. Predator proof your coops and runs, make sure they go in them at night and then use your game cams,ect. to enjoy the wildlife, rather than to watch them get lunch. Its a lot easier on the blood pressure, because you don't lose chickens that way.