I thought it was a coon.

[jdywntr]

Over the past few weeks, I've lost a few young chickens and 1 adult to something. Basically, all were my fault as I had gotten complacent in my grow out pen and wasn't closing the door at night. Stupid, I know. I lost 4 two month olds in 1 night. They were torn apart but 3 were still in their little coop, which has a very small door so I knew it couldn't be somthing big. I started closing them in and no problems. Then about a week later, I found an adult hen (that had been with my extra roo in a small enclosure outside of the main run, dead. She had her crop ripped out and was stuck in the pasture fence, as she was too big to pull through. Extra roo was reintegrated into the flock. A few days later, 2 young jersey giants got pulled through the door on their new little coop (in pieces). I thought their roosts were far enough away from the door to be safe, but they were young and may not have been on the roosts. So, hardware cloth went on the door.

I was finally able to get a trap and have had it out for 2 nights. I also put the baby monitor back outside. Last night, my husband worked late and at about 2am one of the roosters was crowing so I asked my husband to go out and check on things. A bit later he came back in and said something was in the trap but he didn't go in to see.

This morning, there was a possum in it. Not a huge one, but not a baby or anything. I had thought that possums were only a threat to eggs and very young birds. Now I know better. I'll keep setting it out. My husband has seen something near our garage about 30 minutes prior to finding the possum. I used one of the dead chickens as bait, maybe I'll stick the rest in the freezer so it'll last longer.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Another possibility is that it is a raccoon doing the killing but the possum was also visiting. Definitely keep the trap going.

I’ve set a trap for what I thought was a raccoon and caught a possum. Reset the trap and caught another possum two nights later. Never did get a raccoon but the marauding stopped.

Not all animals read the behavior manual and act like we think they should. That’s why when someone asks what did this on this forum, all we can do is guess unless there is poop or a track left behind. Some real identification.

Caught a raccoon in a shed next to my main coop two nights ago. Last night, something else was messing around my grow-out coop. Not sure what it was but the trap will get relocated tonight.

I sure wish you luck.

 

[baakbaakQueen]

sounds like what I found tonight, the ripped apart. I had shot a opossum in there a few months back, it couldn't get into the coop it was caught between a pallet n the chicken wire. I had bird netting over top of the open coop ( I live in texas too hot for closed anything) a limb fell and ripped, the girls have all been flyin out to get up higher in trees, have found some eggs opened up and thought it was some of the young chicks. I found the coon tracks walkin the outside of the coop, so will be putting the netting back on tomorrow. this had to happen during the day today they were all good last night. I know moth balls repel snakes n some other critters, so I'm wondering if that would work with coons n opossums? the dogs didn't go nuts or even bark, the girls are outside my bedroom window n never heard a sound? now I'm wondering if I should just put chicken wire cross the top instead of the netting, as it could chew through it now that its had chicken??

 

[jdywntr]

I put the trap out again last night. I only baited it with some leftover stewed chicken and veg (don't ask, I was straining the broth and realized I left some chicken in there so figured why not)

This morning, the trap was turned on it's side about 2 feet from where I'd left it. All that remained was a mushy stalk of celery.

So tonight, I will bait with more dead chicken and weigh down the trap. Nothing has disturbed the coops/houses but I'm worried as I have alot of babies out there now with there moms.

for catching something.

 

[baakbaakQueen]

maybe a brick on top , thought about the trap I'd rather just shoot it lol. I went out last nite to check on the girls bout 230am ready to blast that thing and not a single girl was in there, or either of the roos, they were all up in trees, on the roof, the back deck n my big roo was over on top the brooder box, I put him up a bit higher. I went out this morning shoring up all the loose chicken wire, and was thinkin of putting the top on but didn't want to trap them all in there like ready snacks, this morning they all came down waitin for me to let them back into the coop. I've been clearin eggs each night to make sure it gets nothing to eat. I have a radio out there that plays 24/7 the girls love it n sing with it, keeps the hawks away, would think the voices would keep the opossum away as well

maybe not. the one I shot a month or so ago, played opossum each time I shot it, I'd throw a stick at it, it would move, I'd shoot it again, after FOUR shots and a whack with a shovel it gave up lol.

someone told me fox or coyote pee would scare em off, but I'm thinkin like dogs that would just draw coyotes n foxes to come pee over it markin their spot, so don't want to even try that.

may all our girls n roos be safe tonight n them little buggers caught or shot soon

 

[baakbaakQueen]

ohh or garden stakes would hold the cage down

 

[stevodod]

Fill us in!

 

[jdywntr]

Sorry for the late update, my work hours are very early so it is hard for me to get on BYC during the week.

Well, I've caught nothing else. We did have a really bad storm and it rained all night once but nothing has seemed to approach the trap since I found it moved. I've wasted 1/2 of a cut up dead chicken since by morning the parts are covered in ants.

I'm going to start leaving some throw away eggs in the trap so I don't waste anymore "good" bait. I had a duck just hatch some babies out and there were a few duds that I put in the fridge. I'll put some canned dog food or something in there for more smell.

I've had no problems and have found no evidence of anything but since I know something was there, I want to get it.

 

[baakbaakQueen]

someone posted this link somewhere else on here I thought it was helpful in figurin out what was getting the girls
http://professorchickenspredators.webs.com/dogs.htm

the opossum came back the other DAY, I didn't know they would brave it during the day time unless something was wrong with them. I did put the baby monitor out there, as well as turn up the radio, human voices keep the hawks away and thought it might help with the opossum.
Just in case, I did go to tractor supply n got a 4 x 150 roll of chicken wire and wired the whole top of the 21 x 25 inner coop in, its made of pallets 2 high and has wire all around the outside, so now its chicken fort knox, after a few times a shooin the girls in last night was their first night in, they all did fine and no visitors, I don't thing it will have any luck getting inside to them at night anymore. for now on the girls go in lock down at night