Heritage Large Fowl - Phase II

[Anna6]

Does anyone have any idea on what could kill Brahma hens and some decent sized turkeys( these turkeys are at least 20 pounds )? What ever it is attacks them in the coop and then drags them off into the weeds/trees that are near by. I just lost my third female today. Could it be a big coon? Just thought I would mention that yesterday something was above the nesting boxes in my light Brahma coop. It was probably the size of a small cat and was able to get up and down from about three and a half to four feet and squeeze through a two or maybe three inch gap. That problem was solved today though since I bought wire mesh that is the quarter inch size and put that all around the gap that's in the back to keep it out. Maybe I have two different predators

? Maybe next week I should work on that automatic door opener. Problem is that some nights, like tonight, I work until eleven so I don't always get the birds locked up right at dark. I think I figured it would cost me about $60 to build the automatic door.

This is what we have had so far this year-
dog attack on a duck
bob cat attack on a total of 8 ducks over two incidences
coyote attack on a very large rooster
3 eggs disappeared on two different occasions from under broody chicken or duck- snake?

From what you are describing I would think it is a bobcat. Can you set up a motion camera and or a cage to trap the predator?

 

[subhanalah]

I kind of started questioning that my self. I did a quick check up on what their pattern is and it said they usually kill a bunch in one night. I've only been losing one a night and the rest are usually fine. Now out of the four I only have one left. Maybe tomorrow I can go out there and follow the feather trail and see what is left if I find the carcass. Maybe that will help in identifying it.

minks or weasels (or both?) Will take one per night opposed to killing all of them, it's just something that *can* happen, so if you have a coop full of dead birds, that's your likely culprit, but that's not the only scenario where that's what you're dealing with. Who knows what drives them or why they do what they do.

Cats normally leave a neat little pile of feathers wherever they dragged it off and ate it.

 

[chickadoodles]

Quote: Ron, I have lived in several mobile homes that have PVC and you cannot taste the plastic from the PVC. And if I do use the nipple waters I will still have to flush the system weekly to keep alge from building up and corrision that might stop up the nipple's. But I have to have a way for all my birds to have water the whole time we will be on vacation. We do not have anyone close enough to ask to tend the birds while we are out of town.
Do you have any other suggestions on how to keep the water flowing to 9 pens and the coop and runs?

 

[chickadoodles]

Brahmabreeder I am sorry for your loss of birds. I hope you get the predator quickly! Might try some live traps with stinky fish.

 

[finnfur]

Ron, I have lived in several mobile homes that have PVC and you cannot taste the plastic from the PVC. And if I do use the nipple waters I will still have to flush the system weekly to keep alge from building up and corrision that might stop up the nipple's. But I have to have a way for all my birds to have water the whole time we will be on vacation. We do not have anyone close enough to ask to tend the birds while we are out of town.
Do you have any other suggestions on how to keep the water flowing to 9 pens and the coop and runs?

Water timers are the answer to chicken water on vacation . If you have the feed capacity these work great.
They irrigate everything else on a regular basis . Why not the chickens ?
http://www.wholesalepumpsdirect.com/store/p/935-Galcon-11000EZ-Hose-Bib-Timer.html?feed=Froogle
We have four of them and this model is un-complicated -just set duration and intervals - real EZ

 

[brahmabreeder]

is the turkey that was dragged off in a completely locked in space? Is it a covered run or the coop they were gotten from?
What time of day were the attacks? What kind of damage was done to the body, did you do an autopsy exam to try to determine teeth marks or anything like that? Any prints?

Is it possible you have a large cat? (This is the "multiple predator" theory)

The turkeys were not really locked up. They were just in a fenced in area. I'm assuming what ever it was got through the gate. I 'm not 100% sure what happened to the turkeys since I don't take care of them, my dad does. These attacks must be happening soon after dark since I got out there last night at 11:30 and it had already been done. Lots of feathers in and outside the coop. No blood or body parts though. I haven't seen the bodies yet, but today I will be following the trail and seeing if I can find anything. Do you mean like a mountain lion when you say large cat?? I don't think we have anything of that sort around here. I know though with the turkeys it was the same thing. Just one would get killed and the rest were fine.

Quote: It's happening when it's dark sometime before midnight.

 

[brahmabreeder]

This is what we have had so far this year-
dog attack on a duck
bob cat attack on a total of 8 ducks over two incidences
coyote attack on a very large rooster
3 eggs disappeared on two different occasions from under broody chicken or duck- snake?

From what you are describing I would think it is a bobcat. Can you set up a motion camera and or a cage to trap the predator?

I don't think we have those kind of predators, but who knows. I probably could borrow my uncle's game camera and put it out there and see what's coming at night. Or, I had a though on trapping it. I could take out one cage and set it right in the door way. That way it walks in to kill my birds and then BAM! No more chicken/turkey killing for that animal! I'd have to take the cage and put something around it that way whatever it is can't harm my last bird should I trap it. Then some bricks on top to keep it from moving the trap. Should I bait it with a live chick? I have a few that need to be culled anyways.

 

[chickadoodles]

Quote: Thank you finnfur I will show my DH and see if we can use it here. I appreciate your help.

 

[LindaB220]

I don't think we have those kind of predators, but who knows. I probably could borrow my uncle's game camera and put it out there and see what's coming at night. Or, I had a though on trapping it. I could take out one cage and set it right in the door way. That way it walks in to kill my birds and then BAM! No more chicken/turkey killing for that animal! I'd have to take the cage and put something around it that way whatever it is can't harm my last bird should I trap it. Then some bricks on top to keep it from moving the trap. Should I bait it with a live chick? I have a few that need to be culled anyways.

I know. I live in NW La out of Shreveport and 1 mi down the road a fellow had 5 small goats taken in a month. Camera said it was a panther. I don't think he has got it yet.

 

[brahmabreeder]

Alight so after some investigating I've determined it was a fox. I saw an article on this website about foxes and it said they usually strike a few hours after sundown or a few hours before sun up. Which is exactly what happened. Plus it said they drag them off and usually only feathers are found. Again that's all I saw. Plus as I was following it's trail I noticed it had a hole dug under part of the fence where it must of drug the chicken under as it was taking it to the back. Any tips on trapping it?