Lost Half My Flock

[Wrightsx4]

So sad have you tried posting in the predators & pests forum? Maybe post there and get suggestions? Photos of your coop/run so maybe others may spot a potential problem you could correct? I feel so bad for you. I know how much you care about them!

 

[kdwag]

RIGHT ON!! Why in the heck does someone abandon their animals when there are shelters and rescues, dog pounds, etc. that would take them. I would rather see them humanely euthanized than left to fend for themselves. Ugh.....sorry, off on a rant that just makes me crazy. I hope you can catch them but I know cats are crazy impossible to catch when they're wild.

 

[1muttsfan]

Sorry, but I completely disagree with the poisoning comments.Poison is cruel, inexact, and dangerous.

Your birds will never be safe until you have a predator-proof coop to keep them in at night. It may be many different critters eating your chicks, not just cats.

 

[SilkiesForEver]

RIGHT ON!! Why in the heck does someone abandon their animals when there are shelters and rescues, dog pounds, etc. that would take them. I would rather see them humanely euthanized than left to fend for themselves. Ugh.....sorry, off on a rant that just makes me crazy. I hope you can catch them but I know cats are crazy impossible to catch when they're wild.

Thank you!

 

[9toedsilkie]

I'm so sorry to hear about you chickens. i have a few ideas about how to keep the cat out besides using traps. make to fencing stronger and find out how they get in. block up any holes in the fence and if they dig a hole under the fencing put rocks around the run. if that doesn't work, maybe locking your chicken in the coop at night will help if the cat comes at night but you will have to let them out really early. my chicken run has chicken wire fencing under ground around it and has rocks covering it half way around and i haven't had and predator problems so far. i hope this helps

 

[Wynette]

I agree that poisoning is not the right way to go for many, many reasons. It's our responsibility to take on the welfare of our pets/livestock, which includes safekeeping. When you choose to have animals in your care, you agree to the responsibility of owning them and caring for them, again, including their safety.

Make sure your enclosures are predator proof to the VERY best of your ability. If there is a breach, take it up with the owner if it's a domestic predator, or Animal Control if not.

 

[Wynette]

Trap them! And if they are feral then go drop them off in the woods somewhere! If they are tame you can try turning them over to animal control, but good luck with that one. Most of the time our shelter has so many cats they euthanize the feral and try to re-home the tame ones. A live trap usually gets them. We have caught many cats when we were trying to get coons! Good luck! Sorry about your loss.

Um....this is just pushing the issue off on someone else. Call Animal Control. If there are too many in the pound at the time, they will be euthanised. End of story.

 

[debid]

Um....this is just pushing the issue off on someone else. Call Animal Control. If there are too many in the pound at the time, they will be euthanised. End of story.

Exactly. That's where we live -- "the woods". People dump unwanted pets regularly and we definitely don't need any more feral cats around. They wreck havoc on the ecosystem.

 

[jules1329]

I discovered, quite by accident, that feeding the little predator keeps him from killing my chickens. I can spare a little cat food. I had no idea it would be that simple.

 

[suncatcher]

Glad it is working out by feeding the hungry cat. Not the cats fault, just doing what he can to survive. Very sorry about your chicks. Hoping the cat helps you out with any mice you might have this winter!