Losing lots of chickens to some unknown predator

[chickengeorgeto]

Quote:
The problem is that possums are not smart enough to know that they have been excluded from your chicken coop. So they just keep on keeping on like the ant moving the rubber tree plant, because evidently possums have HIGH HOPES. Then before you know it, oops there goes another rubber tree plant.

 

[costello]

I am perplexed by your continued requests for advice on how to protect your flock....only to have that advice sidelined for one reason or another....as you keep all informed of your daily losses...I'm sorry...I just don't understand.

Sorry if I've been a problem for you. Thanks for the help and the advice for everyone who has provided support.

 

[costello]

Grandchildren work too. Had a 19 yo grandson hit his head on the wire 3 times while working along the fence before he figured out what was going on.

No grandkids either.

Would you pay them?

For touching the fence? No. For killing a opossum? Yup.

I was standing behind a guy all decked out in hunting gear at the gas station a few days ago, and I came very close to asking him if hang out in my barn and kill opossums for me.

 

[costello]

I haven't seen any opossums for days, so I can't grab tails or wave fly swatters at them. I know they're there, but ever since the day I hit one with a stick three times - and it didn't faint, btw - I've only seen them once, and they all ran for cover immediately. Now they must hide when they hear me coming, because I don't see them. I can't hit it if I can't see it. I'm going to try the 55 gallon barrel thing next.

I don't lose chickens unless I have a fence fail, so I'm thinking it's not the opossums anyway. I think it's a raccoon (or something) coming in from the outside and taking chickens away. Several days ago something knocked the plug to the charger loose, and I found a trail of feather clumps leading out of the fenced area.

 

[hayley3]

It's my understanding that when all you find is feathers and the chicken disappears it's either a fox or a coyote. They take their dinner back home. However if they go into a killing frenzy they have to return for the remainder of what they killed and by that time some other predator may have taken it or ate it on the spot.
Raccoons on the other hand eat it on the spot as do weasels/minks. I think.

In my case I can rule out coyotes cause they didn't bother my mini goat. Something was small enough to crawl through a very narrow gap under the wall the next day and drag out a guinea. Could've been a weasel but there was no blood, only feathers. They also had to be fast enough to catch that guinea first which is a feat in itself and he had a tall roost but I'm sure he panicked instead of staying up on it.

I'm still playing detective here too. Did you get your cam set up? I've not seen a thing on mine yet..so trying to point it in different directions to see if it helps.

 

[lynnehd]

Sorry if I've been a problem for you. Thanks for the help and the advice for everyone who has provided support.

You're losing chickens. That's really sad.
Instead of focusing on just figuring out what the predator is, I think the more urgent point is to try to do something about securing your coop.
Save chickens first, then spend time identifying the predator.

 

[mommadearest]

I got two of these traps for when babies go into coop, I heard a cotton ball baited with anise extract works great,,,,

 

[the poppster]

Sorry if I've been a problem for you. Thanks for the help and the advice for everyone who has provided support.

Oh Hon, You are not a problem...I'm just frustrated for you...with all the responsibilities you are having to deal with...loosening bird after bird to predators...and not having the ability to afford to do much more then what you are doing...has to be rough to deal with...I lost 8, 4 week old chicks, to a weasel this spring....and a pullet to one this fall...I put out the weasel boxes and eliminated them within a few days...maybe I was just lucky to catch them...it certainly wasn't due to my skill...but I was bound and determined to get those killers, before they could kill any more of my birds...you asked what to do about the opossum ...I would have chased them out from under the shelf and bludgeoned them with whatever I had at hand...no I wouldn't have enjoyed it...I actually hate to have to do any animal in...but it's them or my birds and I have to much into my birds to let the local wildlife use them for a feeding station...no way if I can help it. If I could chase them away and keep them away without killing them, I would...but they won't stay away...they will keep coming back till they are eliminated...so that's what I have to do...I'm saving up for a 100 ft roll of hardware cloth to cover my roofed enclosed chicken run, so most predators won't be able to get to the flock...so it won't be necessary to trap any but the most determined predator...and I won't have to worry about the flock, every time I leave for work...day or night shift. It will be one less thing to worry about. Just eliminating one more stressful experience I have to deal with daily...small as it might seem to some, when compared with really important things...I feel that every little bit helps...I hope you can find a solution to your problem and get the relief I feel, knowing I have done the best I can to protect the important things in my life, big and small. I'm sure you feel the same way.

 

[johnstarnes19]

Defiently get a trap, it sounds like a big animal

 

[Richard Nurac]

Past few weeks I have had a predator problem. I coop my chickens in the night and they roam in a 5ft high fenced paddock but a few are fliers and some weeks ago a predator attacked and removed a hen outside the paddock and last week a hen was badly mauled. Yesterday I successfully live trapped a large feral cat and with medication, the hen is recovering. For a blow by blow account, including the fate of the cat, follow this link - http://www.nutrac.info/2015/12/09/feral-cat-maimed-chicken-and-solutions/ or visit my website at www.nutrac.info post dated 12/9/2015.