Help Fast Please Something Is Killing Them All

[lovemychicks2much]

something gotr in the small live trap last night and some how turned the trap completely around and got out but in the large trap we caught a large posum and they are reset now my brother seems to think that the posum tried to get in the small one and got stuck and managed to get out and then went to the large one and that is where we caught him and yes we did kill him and also this afternoon we but boards all around the bottom on the fence and steaked them in the ground with 12" steaks

 

[AHappychick]

I doubt it was the possum twice but maybe. keep setting the traps and see what else comes up.

good job

 

[lovemychicks2much]

I plan to keep them out for awhile lol tonight we baited with apples and sardines

 

[tiffanyh]

I doubt it was the possum, I have found them sleeping with the chickens after a day of free ranging.

I say raccoon or weasel, but if it were my chickens, I would lock them up until problem solved

 

[lovemychicks2much]

they are set again tonight and this possum was different I mean normally when you let them out of the trap they run a few feet and play dead so when we let this one out our neigbor kicked it so it would play dead so we could kill it and it took off like a bandit lol but my son manged to get it anyways he got it right in the ear with a 22 so i doubt it will be back cant wait to see what turns up tonight I hope a coon and weasle one in each trap

 

[kycowgirlchick]

Put some fish hooks into some old meat. If you cant catch them they will die.

 

[tiffanyh]

Still think your barking up the wrong tree. Good luck with your problem, but since I am of the mind set that coops need to be better made to protect your flock so that every wild animal around doesnt have to get killed, Ill have to leave this post as it is getting a bit cruel with the kicking and slow death by infection.

I hope all your remaining babies stay safe!

 

[Davaroo]

You're on the right track - predators shouldnt be tolerated. It is either you or them, in the real world. Here's an observation from our good friend, Bob Plamondon:

Predators are smart and observant. I rarely hear people mention this, but predators are smarter and more observant than people give them credit for. Now that I've killed two of the crowsthat had been preying on my eggs, at least a hundred are avoiding my farm. I've seen the same effect with four-footed predators: when the farmers and the trappers dispatch livestock-eaters, the predators not only get the message, they pass it on to their young, and a balance is struck.
Practically all the predators are eating wildlife rather than livestock, and this means that both predators and livestock get to have a normal lifespan.
But if you don't kill any predators, their caution fades. After a couple of generations, the mothers stop teaching farm-avoidance to their young, and then the clueless young predators kill a lot of livestock before inevitably being killed themselves. Which is a bad deal all around.
To misquote the song, "Mamas, don't let your babies grow up to be livestock eaters!"

The only other deterrent, aside from dispatch that has any lasting effect is electric fencing.

 

[lovemychicks2much]

please dont get me the wrong way we arent in anyway torturing them but we are ridding our place of them and I'm sorry if some o you disagree with me for killing them but I have always growed up on a farm and I know for a fact if you just release it they just keep coming back and most of the times with friends so sorry to everyone but anything I trap and it is illegal for me to kill it will be killed

 

[Davaroo]

Quote:
Fair enough, in my book.