Goanna!!!!

[ErinFitz]

I live right on the bush, so the risk is high but we never had problems before now. So far we have lost one chook and two ducklings.

The fight with the chooks is actually really impressive, my chooks were penned up in the small coop for the morning because my friends dog was visiting and she wasn't chicken friendly. Once she left I had forgotten to let them back out, the goanna (1.25 metre lace monitor lizard) managed to dig under the pen and attacked my two ladies Chickniqua & Henrietta, I heard a ruckus and went out my girls actually scared the thing off!! Please if you don't know what a Goanna is look it up now because its amazing it didn't kill my girls on the spot. I took them to the vet, Henrietta had an eye swollen shut and covered in blood (none of it hears apparently) but unfortunately Chickniqua had most of her leg and breast stripped off her and after 27 stiches and surgery she didn't wake up from the anaesthetic and she passed away. Henrietta was our little hero who defended her sister and fought off the attacker and I'm still amazed to this day she survived!

The Lizard came back a month and a half later and killed our ducklings and yesterday I heard my girls (Henrietta & our new additions Mamba & Hawk) going crazy and I went out to find it skulking around their area.

What can I do!! I've got a possum trap and I'm going to try and re locate it, I won't kill it as its native wild life and I've basically put dinner on its front door. I love my girls they are my companions and part of my flock as it were, I don't want to stop owning chooks. Has anyone got any idea abou maybe a deterant of any kind???? Oh and I'm contemplating a rooster but I'm worried about my neighbours and I don't want our eggs to be fertilised.

Thanks.

 

[Miss Lydia]

I live right on the bush, so the risk is high but we never had problems before now. So far we have lost one chook and two ducklings.

The fight with the chooks is actually really impressive, my chooks were penned up in the small coop for the morning because my friends dog was visiting and she wasn't chicken friendly. Once she left I had forgotten to let them back out, the goanna (1.25 metre lace monitor lizard) managed to dig under the pen and attacked my two ladies Chickniqua & Henrietta, I heard a ruckus and went out my girls actually scared the thing off!! Please if you don't know what a Goanna is look it up now because its amazing it didn't kill my girls on the spot. I took them to the vet, Henrietta had an eye swollen shut and covered in blood (none of it hears apparently) but unfortunately Chickniqua had most of her leg and breast stripped off her and after 27 stiches and surgery she didn't wake up from the anaesthetic and she passed away. Henrietta was our little hero who defended her sister and fought off the attacker and I'm still amazed to this day she survived!

The Lizard came back a month and a half later and killed our ducklings and yesterday I heard my girls (Henrietta & our new additions Mamba & Hawk) going crazy and I went out to find it skulking around their area.

What can I do!! I've got a possum trap and I'm going to try and re locate it, I won't kill it as its native wild life and I've basically put dinner on its front door. I love my girls they are my companions and part of my flock as it were, I don't want to stop owning chooks. Has anyone got any idea abou maybe a deterant of any kind???? Oh and I'm contemplating a rooster but I'm worried about my neighbours and I don't want our eggs to be fertilised.

Thanks.

Hi Erin, so very sorry to hear about your hen and ducklings being killed by this lizard, knowing nothing about them I am thinking you might be better off talking to others who have to deal with these predators, have you been on this thread? https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/598568/australia-six-states-and-that-funny-little-island talking to others from your country may give you ideas on how others deal with them.. I wish you the best.

 

[Amiga]

While we don't have goannas, I have been concerned about animals digging under our day pen. So I searched the 'net and discovered the solution we have used.

I laid out 1"x6" boards flat, to the be perimeter outline of the pen. I then laid coated chain link fence across the bottom of the pen, attaching the ends of the fencing to the boards with poultry nails. I then covered the ends of the fence with another 1"x6" board lined up with the one on the bottom. I screwed 4 inch bolts through the boards and sandwiched the fencing ends very tight. So something could try to dig under the day pen fence, but would not be able to push through to get to the ducks.