Losing Seramas - Which Predator?

[goldfinches]

Fo the past few weeks, I've been losing my seramas one every few days. I've reinforced my run but they dig under the fence and there's nothing I can do about it - too big of an area and the ground is too frozen to dig any wire under the fence. I caught a hawk inside the run last Sunday, he flew out a hole in my netting, so I reinforced the netting.

It doesn't seem to matter if the birds are inside the run or out free ranging. I've found them dead both places.

I find the dead birds under the arbor vitae type trees that are supposed to be their protection

The attacks are happening during the day.

The birds are being plucked and their gullet area is being eaten.

I've trapped both a skunk and a possum over the last 2 weeks.

Is it possible that only one of these 3 are my predator or am I fighting more than one, possibly even something different?

 

[AZGardenFarmer]

* I would say wolf, coyote, fox, or dog. I would run a Hot Wire around the outside of the fence. *

 

[goldfinches]

* I would say wolf, coyote, fox, or dog. I would run a Hot Wire around the outside of the fence. *

Thank you for replying. I don't think it's a dog because, even if multiple chickens are out, only one gets attacked at a time. Could be a fox, I had them last spring. But, they would take the whole bird, leaving just some downy feathers, and carry it to their den, not leave it behind. Also, I've heard coyotes are in my area now but I'm not sure how they could get into my fenced run?

I will look into the hot wire, it's not something I've researched before.

 

[annaBsChick]

You should try PoultryDVM.com's predator identifier tool, it helped me out on a number of occasions.

 

[chickengeorgeto]

Your predator is a raptor, some kind of hawk. Trellises are invitations to certain hawk species to hide and swoop down on your poultry and be on them before they can hide. They (trellises) provide hawks, especially Coopers Hawks perfect ambush opportunities.

The simple fact that you are finding your partially consumed birds, and they are in the condition that you described means that your culprit is a hawk.

 

[goldfinches]

You should try PoultryDVM.com's predator identifier tool, it helped me out on a number of occasions.

What a great website. Thank you!

 

[goldfinches]

Your predictor is a raptor, some kind of hawk. Trellis us are invitations to certain hawk species to hide and swoop down on your poultry and be on them before they can hide. They (trellis) provide hawks, especially Coopers Hawks perfect ambush opportunities.

The simple fact that you are finding your partially consumed birds, and they are in the condition that you described means that your culprit is a hawk.

I researched hawk and owl kills last night and think it is a hawk, also. The plucking and neck area eating is pretty obvious. Thankfully it seems I've protected the ones who choose to stay in the run, but those rouge rangers who find a soft spot and dig into the sand

I live right next to a forrest preserve type area, we have so many raptors and I can't kill them.

When the ground thaws, I'll reinforce the bottom of my fence with another 1x6 below the current one and bury it into the sand. Or move - that's in the works!

 

[AZGardenFarmer]

* When the ground thaws, I would do a Hot Wire as well. It keeps out the coyotes outta my pens. And I have lots of them, living almost 2 hrs from Phoenix, in Desert Country. They're usually out at night but lately, they've been out during the mornings til around 10a. So I'm sure the fox and 4 legged creatures you have are prowling around. The weather where you are, has been crazy. *

 

[megalomaniac]

Agree with hawk.

Canines besides dogs (coyotes, foxes) will usually snatch and grab one whole bird. You won't find the carcass. Dogs will just shred the chickens, usually several at once.

 

[megalomaniac]

Oh, and yes, Cooper's hawks hunt in cover and are quite agile. Completely different hunting style than red-tailed hawks.