Help! Security breech in the chicken run the last 4 nights in a row!

[centrarchid]

Tail drag and foot prints not from same critter.

 

[BunkyB]

Boy do I feel stoopid. I PMed you and asked where you were located..all I had to do was look left, California. Are there any casualties during these breakins? I am brainstorming here...

 

[DaddyBird]

Hey HD chick- you appear to have the exact same coop that we bought. Would you mind sharing info/pics on how you installed your roosts? I am trying to determine if I should mount to the walls or make a freestanding/removable roost ladder.

 

[blucoondawg]

If I were you I would try the bucket of water type trap for the rats and invest in a cheap game cam mounted close to the problem area so it will capture the smaller animals in the act, I would like to be sure of what I am dealing with if my traps are unsucessful.

 

[HD Chick]

Quote:

 

[MontanaDolphin]

Have you had any luck discovering exactly what it is yet??

 

[HD Chick]

Whatever it is still hasn't fallen into our water bucket mouse trap, been caught in a small live trap, or left any definitive foot prints. Luckily, we haven't lost any chickens and the ghost creature hasn't been able to gain entry into the run since we refortified it the edges with buried hardware wire. At this point, we're thinking it's a ground squirrel who was eating whatever it could find left over in the run. We found some similar burrow holes under boulders on the edge of our property and fence line. We sprinkled some squirrel poison around the outside of the coop where dogs and chickens can't reach it, and on the other side of the fence on vacant unimproved property, so are hoping that takes care of the problem once and for all.

 

[aart]

Whatever it is still hasn't fallen into our water bucket mouse trap, been caught in a small live trap, or left any definitive foot prints. Luckily, we haven't lost any chickens and the ghost creature hasn't been able to gain entry into the run since we refortified it the edges with buried hardware wire. At this point, we're thinking it's a ground squirrel who was eating whatever it could find left over in the run. We found some similar burrow holes under boulders on the edge of our property and fence line. We sprinkled some squirrel poison around the outside of the coop where dogs and chickens can't reach it, and on the other side of the fence on vacant unimproved property, so are hoping that takes care of the problem once and for all.

Hopefully your dogs or chickens don't eat any poisoned animals.

 

[Tarac]

Have you considered trying to bait the traps with chicken feed? Put some in a nylon sock or some other thin bag. Obviously whatever is sneaking in wants something that is normally found in a chicken coop that isn't a chicken so maybe baiting with your feed will be a more effective lure. I doubt you keep deli turkey or liver for the chickens. Probably likes grain so good chance it's a rat or armadillo or something. Armadillos are superb diggers. I can't really tell how small those hand prints are but that would explain the hand and tail marks.

I'm also wary of poisons, aart. Dogs can get whatever ate the poison in addition to nice native animals like birds of prey and such. Too risky and not specific enough for my taste.

 

[blucoondawg]

How about trying some of the large sticky pad type traps.