INDIANA BYC'ers HERE!

[Mother2Hens]

I've been trying to find out what's been killing my chickens for a month now and I have no idea. A week or so ago I posted on the predator and pest and what killed my chickens. Well they gave me good info but I got different answers like bobcat, coon, fox, etc. I never got a definite answer back so I'm going to ask you guys.
Three chickens were killed and one severely injured but then died in surgery. A young roo and three hens were the victims.
This is how I found them.
The first kill
The young roo had nothing left of him. Some bones were eaten but not much. The head was still connected to the body but no feathers were left on the neck.
Almost a week and a half later a hen was killed.
Most of her was left but by her thigh was a whole with some eaten from the inside.
Injured hen was found that same day.
She had a very deep infected back wound. No maggots were in the wound.
One week later another hen was killed and found in the same conditions as the roo.

I have traps set outside for two almost weeks now but the predator is ignoring them.

Thanks!

Sorry to hear about your losses. I have provided this info below on this thread before and I was concerned about posting it again, but I noticed a BYC thread from 2007 is still posted, which basically has the same info from the same author. The charts below, which are more user-friendly are from her more recent book, "The Chicken Encyclopedia." If anyone wants to keep a copy for reference, you can "right click" and "Save Image As."

 

[CCCCCCCCHICKENS]

I went to lowes today. twice! I was in town with my sister and we went by lowes so I could get some nails. Then went in town again with the trailer and got 8 2 by 4s and another box of nails. I have lots of work to get down in the breeding pens. And now I think now I am actually going to use of of the pens to put all my show birds in. I already had extra pens and still will. And if I get a lot to put in the show bird pen. I have two stalls connected by a door so if I want them to be altogether I can just open the door. I have to put up some roost, hang feeders and waterers, finish up the door for me to walk in and the door for them to go in the outside run, put up nesting boxes, and actually start and finish the outside run, o ya and put in a few windows just to let some light in. So much to do and so little time lol! But I can get the roost, the doors, and partically get the feeders and waterers hung up, no problem. And I can probably even start the runs. Man, i cant wait to get up early and start working lol.

 

[CCCCCCCCHICKENS]

Ok, NOW it is raining, darn .

 

[Old Salt 1945]

Dearth- I vote coons also!! Good luck. I ve been doing live traps for weeks and can't catch any. Maybe I need to try marshmallows!! I did relocate the endangered ones and have lost any.........only to dogs, that's another story!!

When using a live trap, put the bait on the ground and set the trap on top of it with the bait centered under the trip pan. If marshmallows don't work, put a piece of meat (hamburger will do) in a jar of water and set it out in the sun for a few days. When it gets smelly, use it, water and all, for bait.

John

 

[Mother2Hens]

The Steel-Jaw Leghold Trap is a cruel, antiquated device designed to capture and hold an animal by a limb.
The trap’s two spring-powered, metal jaws slam shut when an animal steps on its trigger. The American
Veterinarian Association, the American Animal Hospital Association, the World Veterinary Association,
and the National Animal Control Association all agree that leghold traps are inhumane.

What does it do to the animal? Animals caught by the heavy steel jaws of the leghold trap suffer excruciating
pain on impact; the trap can tear the flesh, cut tendons and ligaments, and break bones. When the animals
struggle to free themselves, they aggravate their injuries. A trapped animal often chews or twists off the limb
caught in the trap in an effort to escape. Some traps have “teeth” on the jaws, which add to the physical trauma.

Any trap that grips an animal’s limbs is cruel.
Trapped animals may struggle in pain for days. Dehydration, blood loss, hypothermia, and predation by other
animals is torturous.

Wild animals are not evil sociopaths. They are motivated by instincts to survive.

 

[bradselig]

Ok, NOW it is raining, darn .

and power is out for me

 

[Old Salt 1945]

They are penned in and the top is covered. they are being killed at night and I find them in the morning. One of my relatives owns pigeons and he said he had a similar problem and it was a weasel.

Weasel is a possibility. Weasels can be readily caught in a 4" body grip trap, but you have to leave no extra room for him to get around the trap. Wear rubber gloves when setting the trap. When you first get the trap, boil it in fresh water, carry it with tongs out to the chicken house and with rubber gloves, bury it in chicken manure for a day. Then set it in place.

John

 

[kabhyper1]

Ok, NOW it is raining, darn .

LOL

Better start building your ark.

 

[Old Salt 1945]

The Steel-Jaw Leghold Trap is a cruel, antiquated device designed to capture and hold an animal by a limb.
The trap’s two spring-powered, metal jaws slam shut when an animal steps on its trigger. The American
Veterinarian Association, the American Animal Hospital Association, the World Veterinary Association,
and the National Animal Control Association all agree that leghold traps are inhumane.

What does it do to the animal? Animals caught by the heavy steel jaws of the leghold trap suffer excruciating
pain on impact; the trap can tear the flesh, cut tendons and ligaments, and break bones. When the animals
struggle to free themselves, they aggravate their injuries. A trapped animal often chews or twists off the limb
caught in the trap in an effort to escape. Some traps have “teeth” on the jaws, which add to the physical trauma.

Any trap that grips an animal’s limbs is cruel.
Trapped animals may struggle in pain for days. Dehydration, blood loss, hypothermia, and predation by other
animals is torturous.

Wild animals are not evil sociopaths. They are motivated by instincts to survive.

Wild animals are just trying to make a living when they kill your livestock. No need to mistreat them. If necessary, they should be dispatched as humanely as possible.

An alternative is to build poultry facilities that are impenetrable. That's what commercial poultry raisers do. For most of us, that is economically unjustifiable.

I recommend live traps when they work. I caught a dog and a cat, which I was able to release. No coyote. My coop is coyote proof if they aren't too determined and the pop door is closed by timer at 9:30 PM and doesn't open until 7:00 AM.

Leghold traps are difficult to use effectively and you can end up with a frantic injured animal on a chain. Some will sit passively; some will shred everything within reach. Then you gotta shoot it while it thrashes around. Can get pretty messy and just seems unnecessarily mean to me.
I have several hanging in my barn. Don't remember where I got them. I do remember using one 30 or so years ago to catch a coon that was getting in my garbage. Caught a barn cat from down the road. He was just sitting there resigned to whatever was to come. I got some heavy welder's gloves and released him. I didn't see any blood or other signs of trauma. Don't think he liked it much because he took off like a bullet when released. He was using all 4 feet in very rapid succession. I never used one again because I discovered coons are too smart to step on a bare trap. It has to be properly bedded in the ground with the surrounding stuff arranged in such a manner as to guide the animal to place it's foot on the trap pan, etc., etc. If you don't know what you are doing, a dam*ed nuisance.

I have body grip traps set to use if raccoon or weasel shows up. I like body grip traps because they are sure (you place it over the entrance hole; when they crawl through, they're had) and yet humane. They are killing traps and will do in your neighbor's cat as surely as a coon. They can be had in large size for coyotes, if needed.

There are many youtube videos on their use.

John

 

[Old Salt 1945]

Around 30 years ago, I was watching an investigative piece on ABC. The were telling all about polar bear poaching and how it was sometimes done from helicopters. Then they showed a mother polar bear with two cubs running with a helicopter hovering above. Somehow they had gotten video from inside the helicopter showing the man with the rifle shoot the mother bear. She died and there were close-up shots of the 2 cubs cowering on their mother's carcass.

It made me mad and I thought "at least when the authorities see the tail number from the helicopter, they will get those &(*%$$#%'s.

A few months later, I found out that the footage of the "murder" of momma bear was footage of authorities tranquilizing and tagging a bear.

I have since then learned of other instances of doctored photos and assorted misrepresentations to further the animal rights cause.

Don't blame me if I don't necessarily take the above photos as gospel. My grandson sent me a picture of me standing next to General Custer. It looked authentic.

John