I have a preadator

[NarutoTn]

Preadator:?

What Happened:Its killed 32+ bird including 25 babys all in this last week

Injuries to birds:all are either gutted and decapitated or leg bitten off or all gone

reason why your want it gone:its killed so many and my mom is upset.

From my point of view is medium built and can fit in 3 inch gaps.

what is it???

Please Help Debunk the animal and get rid of what ever it is!!!

 

[chicmom]

You might have a weasle. Also, a raccon will reach it's hands through chicken wire and tear the heads off of chickens, or tear a leg off. They will literally rip the chicken apart to get it through the wire.....

So sorry to hear this! Try trapping it with some tuna in the back of a live trap.

 

[NarutoTn]

ok good i got my all in one hunting fishing and trapping licence

 

[Oven Ready]

If it's a weasel they can get out of very small holes, as small as chicken wire, but it seems a lot for a weasel to eat in a week. They do tend to kill more than they can eat, and kill a lot at one time but maybe just eat the heads (brains), but even that seems like a lot for a single weasel. I don't think they hunt in groups, though maybe a family if it's that season where you are.

We used to use weasel traps called 'cubbyholes' or something like that when I was very young. It's just a 8 inch square box with a small hole 1-2 inch and a spring leg trap inside it. Stick some bait in on the other side of box from the hole - cloth dipped in blood was best (probably also cheapest!) and voila, a dead weasel every day, two if you check the box at about midnight.

Smear the entire box with the bloody cloth to get rid of your smell.

Good Luck

 

[Dogfish]

Have you made any attempts to fix the issues with your coop and run? Start there first.

 

[NarutoTn]

we r planning to fix them but we have an issue going on.its summer here in west tennessee and the creature actually killed 35 and we think either fox or weasle .not coons or possum because we killed alot of them this year and havent seen any more.

 

[mediazeal]

So sorry you lost your flock.
You need to rebuild the wire sections of your coop with hardware cloth. Chicken wire will not keep out your predators. Killing them will not stop the next ones in line from getting in. There are always more predators. You need to get some hardware cloth to wrap your run and all windows/holes, etc.
You could also add an electric fence.
good luck

 

[NarutoTn]

well one coop was my brooder and it had strong plastic that can hold 50+ pounds and the critter ripped it like there was nothing there

 

[Dogfish]

Sorry about your losses. That is frustrating. I would really suggest adding hardware cloth to your coop. If funds are an issue, can't help out there.

They could be just sleeping off their big meal, but they will be back.


Buy, build or borrow a live trap, bait it with some chicken and continue to trap and kill as they get caught. It might be cheaper than to retro-fit an entire coop and run with hardware cloth. You didn't give a description of your set up.

You either need to fix the coop by adding another layer of security or trap and kill the animal doing this. Choose one.

 

[aprophet]

Quote:
the number you described sounded like coon or coyote

this sounds more like coon, a large coon will destroy more then most folks can imagine . they will destroy a cheap cage trap

Tigrett wildlife management area has a creek that runs from it to Dyersburg a lot of time critters use a creek-bank like a interstate or a highway. when you are that close to water you are going to see coon it is part of their food supply