"Louisiana "La-yers" Peeps"

[LemonMeringue]

Well, I've got a possum in the trap. I'm also missing a pullet and a chick. Something grabbed a handful of the roo, and his alarm woke me up.

It's my own stupid fault. I've let them roost on top of the run since the second possum attack. So, I knew the risks I was taking.

I just spent an hour in the yard rounding up the roo and all the hens, chicks, and pullets. I couldn't get to three on top of the fence. I caught the roo, two hens, and a handful of pullets hunkering down in the grass.

It's a mess.

I'm supposed to take the kids to that dinosaur thing in LC tomorrow, but I doubt I'm getting anymore sleep tonight. Starting to regret taking those pullets to auction, or getting rid of all the roos. :/

Edit: I was just dozing off when I heard a noise. Looked on the back porch and found the missing pullet!! And also a hen that I didn't know I was missing. :/ Chickens were sounding the alarm so I went into the yard and didn't see anything, but I kept walking around and finally caught a possum sneaking under the fence. Took a while (dog is a coward, didn't have gun, gun wasn't loaded, etc.) but it's finally dispatched. I'll take care of the one in the trap in the morning.

Sound like you had an adventurous night! The only thing we have caught is that one rat. And the one opossum that I'm sure didn't live. But there are more varmits! I still see rat dig evidence. The dogs were having a fit about something the other day. That crazy coon was on the other side of the fence, 2 ft from me and it wasn't scared at all! And something had been digging around in my compost. Maybe another opossum because there is no evidence of something like an armadillo. I feel like I need to camp out with night vision goggles and a stun gun.

 

[Cody A]

Congrats Camping. Sounds like you had a late night. At least you know what was getting them now.

 

[Ron Skekel]

Sound like you had an adventurous night! The only thing we have caught is that one rat. And the one opossum that I'm sure didn't live. But there are more varmits! I still see rat dig evidence. The dogs were having a fit about something the other day. That crazy coon was on the other side of the fence, 2 ft from me and it wasn't scared at all! And something had been digging around in my compost. Maybe another opossum because there is no evidence of something like an armadillo. I feel like I need to camp out with night vision goggles and a stun gun.

I got security cameras with motion detection trying to figure out when the coyotes are coming around so I can be out and ready for that varmint. My flock wants to free range so bad. Pam

 

[Ron Skekel]

Well, I've got a possum in the trap. I'm also missing a pullet and a chick. Something grabbed a handful of the roo, and his alarm woke me up.

It's my own stupid fault. I've let them roost on top of the run since the second possum attack. So, I knew the risks I was taking.

I just spent an hour in the yard rounding up the roo and all the hens, chicks, and pullets. I couldn't get to three on top of the fence. I caught the roo, two hens, and a handful of pullets hunkering down in the grass.

It's a mess.

I'm supposed to take the kids to that dinosaur thing in LC tomorrow, but I doubt I'm getting anymore sleep tonight. Starting to regret taking those pullets to auction, or getting rid of all the roos. :/

Edit: I was just dozing off when I heard a noise. Looked on the back porch and found the missing pullet!! And also a hen that I didn't know I was missing. :/ Chickens were sounding the alarm so I went into the yard and didn't see anything, but I kept walking around and finally caught a possum sneaking under the fence. Took a while (dog is a coward, didn't have gun, gun wasn't loaded, etc.) but it's finally dispatched. I'll take care of the one in the trap in the morning.

I was told by forever learning when you kill a predator to hang the carcass out on the property line. Where they enter the property, that the dead carcass keeps the others away. Never had to do it myself but she is super smart. Lemon do you remember her telling us that? Pam

 

[TerriLaChicks]

I was told by forever learning when you kill a predator to hang the carcass out on the property line. Where they enter the property, that the dead carcass keeps the others away. Never had to do it myself but she is super smart. Lemon do you remember her telling us that? Pam

I've heard that & it wouldn't hurt to try! It has been just CRAZY around here -- in the past week, we've had 3-4 possums hit by cars & dead on the road & a couple of coons, too - & I haven't seen a coon around here in several years, but there's the proof! Something tried its' hardest to dig into my coop -- I have wire all around the perimeter but not under the gate/door I use to go into it - but had a solid foot deep hole dug, but they didnt' get inside - ground was too hard or else they got scared off -- now I have hardware cloth under that, too! I have to protect my 8 hens I have left - esp my 3 precious RIR hens - I want to replace my entire flock w/my heritage RIRs next year. My roo is fearless & big but he can only do so much at night. I wish I had a night cam to see what's going on. My cousin down the road said he saw a fox - we haven't heard any coyotes but that's not to say they aren't back in our area.

Good luck to everybody keeping your flocks safe - it's tough this time of year!

 

[campingshaws]

I was told by forever learning when you kill a predator to hang the carcass out on the property line. Where they enter the property, that the dead carcass keeps the others away. Never had to do it myself but she is super smart. Lemon do you remember her telling us that? Pam

I've put carcasses on the other side of the fence, but then the coyote gets a free meal.

 

[Ron Skekel]

I've heard that & it wouldn't hurt to try!   It has been just CRAZY around here -- in the past week, we've had 3-4 possums hit by cars & dead on the road & a couple of coons, too - & I haven't seen a coon around here in several years, but there's the proof!  Something tried its' hardest to dig into my coop -- I have wire all around the perimeter but not under the gate/door I use to go into it - but had a solid foot deep hole dug, but they didnt' get inside - ground was too hard or else they got scared off -- now I have hardware cloth under that, too! I have to protect my 8 hens I have left - esp my 3 precious RIR hens - I want to replace my entire flock w/my heritage RIRs next year. My roo is fearless & big but he can only do so much at night. I wish I had a night cam to see what's going on. My cousin down the road said he saw a fox - we haven't heard any coyotes but that's not to say they aren't back in our area.

Good luck to everybody keeping your flocks safe - it's tough this time of year!

I didn't hear coyotes here either but then I saw one running off with my showline barrad rock in it's mouth.No free rangeing here till we get it. I boubht a wireless security system that you can see at night too. When I saw the coyote it was daylight. So far haven't seen it but I can tell from one of my dogs when it's around the property. I also put hardware cloth down in the ground around my coop. Pam

 

[Ron Skekel]

I've put carcasses on the other side of the fence, but then the coyote gets a free meal.

That's true but better a dead possum than a live chicken. I would much rather deal with a possum than a coyote. Pam

 

[campingshaws]

Lost another pullet.

At dusk it was raining and I went through the yard grabbing chickens one-by-one from wherever they'd settled in. There were three on top of the fence, one in a tree, and two I couldn't find. About an hour ago two from the fence appeared agitated and paced around on the porch before finally settling down. I settled down, and then came the alarms from the coop. I went out and found feathers from at least two, maybe three different pullets. The black one is gone.

But I found the ones that were missing.

I'm going to look at electric fencing tomorrow. Maybe running a wire around the bottom of my fence will help. Really, I want to rig something so the whole run is hot. That feels safe.

 

[campingshaws]

She's alive!

I don't know how she got away, but she was waiting for me this morning with the three who roosted in the trees. I picked up some scratch so I can get them all in the coop this evening before dusk.

The culprit is a BIG FAT raccoon. I tried to get a shot but dropped my light. Guess I'm staking out again tonight. What's the best thing to bait a raccoon trap with?