I need help identifying this predator--VERY GRAPHIC PICS!!

[wpalmisano]

Coon for sure. 22 will fix him. If there is reaching and grabbing its usually coons. They reach and have great fingers. If they had opposable thumbs they would carry guns. SOmetimes they will pull a young pheasant through the chicken wire. Below is the result

 

[Chickmate]

Quote:
Sorry, I know this is a serious subject but . . .

 

[linben]

Its a coon alright I has the same problem here and
yes I got 2 more
I put out some plaster of paris
on top of the fence railing
when
they eat that and drink after.
its an open and shut case.
no more coon.
plaster of paris hardens quick as a wink.
just make sure you sweep up remains of plaster dust.
works every time.
​

​

What makes the coon eat the plaster of paris? Will possums eat it? Thanks.​

 

[Titania]

I'm curious to know more about the plaster of paris too. My dh wants to try this on them & we were wondering if it will work on any other animals. Do they eat the plaster of paris or just get it on themselves? Does it taste sweet like antifreeze?

 

[SassyKat6181]

We have all sorts of predators around here, but of all things it was a large feral cat that got our beloved rooster. We thought at first it was a fisher. We found the carcus, it was the spine with wings still attached, but everything else was eaten. A few nights later we found this huge cat sleeping in the roosters crate. My husband got the gun and then the cat. This same cat had been tormenting my barn cats for quite some time, I just never thought it would take down our rooster. Poor guy was asleep in his crate, probably never saw it coming. The rooster was free range, we never locked him up more than shutting the barn doors at night. Needless to say the coop for the hens is like Fort Knox, with hardware cloth everywhere.

I am sorry for your loss, but I hope that you can get your coop done right and start over.

P.S. If that monster can drag a crate across your yard, make sure your children are safe as well!

 

[luvchicks8]

I trap them using grape jelly they love it works every time

 

[SassyKat6181]

Soft cat food works wonders catching a raccoon

 

[Titania]

Well, thanks for all the responses. We finally finished the chicken coop and I'm currently using just the coop as a brooder for all my new chicks that I hatched out: french black copper marans, mille fleur d'uccles, blue laced red wyandottes, araucanas, and spitzhaubens. (I'll only be keeping 6 chicks b/c of the coop size.)

We laid a cement pad down for beneath the run and coop. We wrapped the entire run frame in hardware cloth & anchored it down into the cement so it will hopefully be inpenetrable. All the window/vents are also covered in screen material. Should I do hardware cloth too? Do you think a coon could get through the vents?

Here are pics. And, I know the coop is small, just rest assured that I will not keep more than 7 chicks, and 3 of them are bantam.

here is the coop before placed in the yard. It is double-walled and insulated.

And, here is the view from my kitchen window so I can see well what's going on back there.

Also, I've put up a trail hunting cam, a Moultrie D-55 infrared. Does anybody have any experience with this? I tested it last night & it doesn't seem to pick up my motion when I walk by the coop. Does anyone have any other suggestions?

oh, and there is hardware cloth over that top opening. On top of that, we're going to put a vented cupola. it's just not finished yet. The plastic bag is just to keep out rain, but there is hardware cloth screwed into the opening.

 

[Titania]

Again, thanks for all the responses, the condolences, encouragement, and advice. I appreciated all of it & am sorry to hear so many other people have to struggle with the same thing. If I spot anything coming back on my trail cam, I will definitely set out a trap for it. Or, sit up with a .22 and wait for it. I've had plenty of neighbors offer. None of us like the idea of something prowling that can force open a dog crate that I couldn't have forced open myself. I really do appreciate everyone's input! Time to start again and this time I hope to protect them better so that we don't have any more massacres that decimate my small backyard flock.

 

[MysticScorpio82]

I am sorry for the losses you endured. I have to say that is a BEAUTIFUL coop! Sounds like you have predator proofed very well. As for the plaster paris that was mentioned earlier; I know about using it for rats, so I assume it would work the same way. Basically you mix plaster paris, peanut butter and a bit of olive oil (never water) together. You want it to be somewhat firm and roll easily into balls. For rats I would throw them under the coop, but for coons, I guess around the outside?