Minnesota!

[KlopKlop]

it would be a good day to be out doing farm work. nice crisp fall weather!

 

[Drea07]

Need a some help with identifying a predator issue.

At the beginning of last week I HAD 6 chickens, 10 ducks (two roosters and four hens). Two Sunday's ago I went out to feed my birds and noticed a hen was missing. I ended seeing her in a corner of the run that connects to one of two coops. When I got up to her to see if she was okay, I found she had her head, neck and some insides missing, also had feathers missing off her back with no puncture marks, just plucked. She had fallen asleep next to the run fence roosting on some rocks. What ever got her, chased her down the fence line pulling out feathers and then finished her off through a 2 inch hole where the fence connected to the coop.

Added more hardware cloth to the fence line, lined the outside with more rocks, making sure to cover the hole. Only indication of a predator was the feathers on the outside of the run and obviously the killed hen.
None of my birds were happy with me, but everyone was locked up for the next few nights. Each day I went out and checked the fence lines to see if anything tried to get in and I found nothing.

5 days later, my son and husband did not remember to lock up the birds, the next day they went out to feed them and one hen was missing. Only indication she was there was a pile of feathers with some skin left on the OUTSIDE of the run. No blood, no tracks, no digging and no fur.

Moved one of my roosters in with the hens (didn't care at this point that they would be mating.) run on Saturday. So I now had TWO roosters by/with the hens, one in their run and another one in his own run that ran along one side of the hens. Hens were again locked up.
I went out the next morning and noticed NO roosters. Went over to the rooster run and I noticed some feathers on the ground in his run, but I could see him in his coop just about a foot back from the door. Went into the run and could see a struggle happened, some of the feathers had small patches of skin. Went to check on the rooster and found he was missing his head and neck. What ever go him, went up 6ft fences that are lined in 4ft high hardware cloth all the way around, with the cloth coming out across the ground about a foot with heavy rocks lining the entire run and coop, the coop is metal with the doors being held closed with a big bolt and nut.

Found my other rooster, he came running out of the woods when he heard me. What ever got the others, did try to get him but he got away. He did have some dried blood by his neck. Luckily, I tried the sock idea someone suggested on hear to quite a rooster, and what ever tried got a mouth full of sock instead of neck.

I walked the property trying to find any indication of what could be doing this. I found what was left of the second hen that was taken. What ever got her took, her to the edge of the property (on 5 acres) next to the swamp and finished her there. Again, no bones, blood or anything but feathers.

That night my husband and son were going to wait for it to come for the birds again by leaving the rooster it did get as bait. Locked up everyone that evening while it was still light out. Put the rooster back in the coop door where I found him. Checked the birds again just as the sun was barely giving any light. Nothing had been disturbed. My husband and son got out later then they wanted too, it was 8pm when they went out. (So two hours from the time I went out.) I had gone out and sat on the front porch with my lab at about 7pm because my son said he thought he heard something. When my husband and other son went out at 8pm it had hit again.

It had come back for the rooster kill. The rooster was pulled out of the coop and across the run, but still inside, like it was trying to figure out how to get him out. Again no indication it was ever there other then the rooster moved. What ever it is, it got past 6ft fences with NO digging over 4ft hardware cloth, and was able to get in and out with no one seeing it.
The run door is a 6ft high dog kennel door wrapped in hardware cloth with all the outer poles resting against doubled up 4x4's, the ground in front has large rocks that rest against the bottom so the door will not more, it is chained around the 4x4. I have watched my lab try to get in and he couldn't.

This may be a coincidence but the same night the first hen was killed, one of my tom cats disappeared with no trace. I know the cats are not doing it, they would run from the hens and especially the roosters. The times the roosters have gotten out, (buggers went for a walkabout when being fed), the cats would come over just to watch me chase them through the woods trying to catch them and then run when they came their way.

At first I was thinking raccoon, then coyote. Now I haven't a clue.... a coyote would not have been able to get in and out of 6ft fences with no trace and my dog would have lost his mind trying to get to it... don't think a raccoon would have taken off with an entire bird to go finish it and only leave feathers.

I have read and read and read Story's guide trying to get an idea of what we are dealing with, and it just doesn't fit....unless we have more then one predator were dealing with.

Any thoughts?!

 

[duluthralphie]

Are the runs covered?

Where do you live? rural or not?
Is it possible you have to critters one that kills another that drags away and eats the leftovers?

I think coon, but without pictures of your run hard to say. Heck, I seldom find my own killers..

 

[scandiafowl]

Sigh... What a Monday it is already....

Can I go home and start working on the case of spotted cow I brought back from the shadowlands??

I'm already one up on you. But that was the last one :-(

 

[Drea07]

Are the runs covered?

Where do you live? rural or not?
Is it possible you have to critters one that kills another that drags away and eats the leftovers?

I think coon, but without pictures of your run hard to say. Heck, I seldom find my own killers..

No, the large run has trees in the center. It is about 25ft out from the run, then comes over about another 35ft (think half circle) back around to the small run, connecting the two. Then between the two coops it is about 20ft with 6ft fence. Hubby was supposed to cover smaller runs, the roof is there and it 10ft high, but it needs the covering.

 

[Drea07]

No, the large run has trees in the center. It is about 25ft out from the run, then comes over about another 35ft (think half circle) back around to the small run, connecting the two. Then between the two coops it is about 20ft with 6ft fence. Hubby was supposed to cover smaller runs, the roof is there and it 10ft high, but it needs the covering.

I'm in a rural area just outside of Cambridge.

 

[Minniechickmama]

Kloppers, Great wood work. I never thought of making my own Lincoln logs, what a great gift idea.

The print is great. Nice score.

Minnie, I am going to plan on processing earlier next year on the turkeys, I do not like them getting this big either. I spend all my time worrying about if he will live until Wednesday. The other one is smaller, but I may have to process the one today just to no lose everything. I have 'talked' to blanchranch (ok a PM) about it.

Next year I am going to try more BB turkeys, but they will have to be processed earlier, as much as I like the idea of fresh turkey at T-day, I like the idea pf the turkeys making it to the table better.


Coffee, I picked up the turkey I thought you could have. I am afraid I have to renege on offering him to you. He is all bones. He is going to be huge but he needs time to fill out those bones. I am surprised how deceiving the "heritage" turkeys are. They look huge but they are all bones without a lot of meat. I started wondering when I saw him fly 40 yards yesterday. I did not think a bird ready to be eaten would fly that far and high. So I checked him out.

He just is not worth the effort of processing and cooking. I am so sorry to have to renege, I should have checked him out closer ( picked him up and felt his breasts) before I said you could have him. I am sorry. really am.

There, now the whole thread knows I not only do not know everything, but I make major mistakes too. Holm you will need to find a more fit role model now.


Now the rest of you type! I have coffee to drink and need posts!

Most large breed chickens are the same way as your turkey.

I buy my poults the first week in June. I have processed them the last two times in the second week of October. I don't know how to explain the difference between last year and this year, but overall, this year was about 7-pounds bigger average. The biggest ones were 25, the smallest (hens) were 17. I like a 12-pound bird, so this was way over my preference. LOL What I like with the BBs, is you can really see exactly what they have to offer, kinda of like the CRX. They have their drawbacks just like CRX, but if you are mindful, you can deal with them.
I personally, do not want to get anything processed after the weather turns to crap either. My friend I buy feed from, her brother raises meat chickens and turkeys for the family and they just did their CRX a couple weeks ago and one weighed 15-pounds, it was cold, and I can't imagine a job that is that low on the fun scale is any more fun when it is 42-degrees outside. True, I don't do my own, but I don't want to have to round them up on a morning when it could be sleeting and cold. So, lucky for me I got all had didn't have room for sold before they hit the freezer.

You haven't lost any points in my book either, we all make mistakes.

 

[Minniechickmama]

You could wish me a happy birthday

Well, Happy Birthday, young lady!!

 

[Minniechickmama]

Need a some help with identifying a predator issue.

At the beginning of last week I HAD 6 chickens, 10 ducks (two roosters and four hens). Two Sunday's ago I went out to feed my birds and noticed a hen was missing. I ended seeing her in a corner of the run that connects to one of two coops. When I got up to her to see if she was okay, I found she had her head, neck and some insides missing, also had feathers missing off her back with no puncture marks, just plucked. She had fallen asleep next to the run fence roosting on some rocks. What ever got her, chased her down the fence line pulling out feathers and then finished her off through a 2 inch hole where the fence connected to the coop.

Added more hardware cloth to the fence line, lined the outside with more rocks, making sure to cover the hole. Only indication of a predator was the feathers on the outside of the run and obviously the killed hen.
None of my birds were happy with me, but everyone was locked up for the next few nights. Each day I went out and checked the fence lines to see if anything tried to get in and I found nothing.

5 days later, my son and husband did not remember to lock up the birds, the next day they went out to feed them and one hen was missing. Only indication she was there was a pile of feathers with some skin left on the OUTSIDE of the run. No blood, no tracks, no digging and no fur.

Moved one of my roosters in with the hens (didn't care at this point that they would be mating.) run on Saturday. So I now had TWO roosters by/with the hens, one in their run and another one in his own run that ran along one side of the hens. Hens were again locked up.
I went out the next morning and noticed NO roosters. Went over to the rooster run and I noticed some feathers on the ground in his run, but I could see him in his coop just about a foot back from the door. Went into the run and could see a struggle happened, some of the feathers had small patches of skin. Went to check on the rooster and found he was missing his head and neck. What ever go him, went up 6ft fences that are lined in 4ft high hardware cloth all the way around, with the cloth coming out across the ground about a foot with heavy rocks lining the entire run and coop, the coop is metal with the doors being held closed with a big bolt and nut.

Found my other rooster, he came running out of the woods when he heard me. What ever got the others, did try to get him but he got away. He did have some dried blood by his neck. Luckily, I tried the sock idea someone suggested on hear to quite a rooster, and what ever tried got a mouth full of sock instead of neck.

I walked the property trying to find any indication of what could be doing this. I found what was left of the second hen that was taken. What ever got her took, her to the edge of the property (on 5 acres) next to the swamp and finished her there. Again, no bones, blood or anything but feathers.

That night my husband and son were going to wait for it to come for the birds again by leaving the rooster it did get as bait. Locked up everyone that evening while it was still light out. Put the rooster back in the coop door where I found him. Checked the birds again just as the sun was barely giving any light. Nothing had been disturbed. My husband and son got out later then they wanted too, it was 8pm when they went out. (So two hours from the time I went out.) I had gone out and sat on the front porch with my lab at about 7pm because my son said he thought he heard something. When my husband and other son went out at 8pm it had hit again.

It had come back for the rooster kill. The rooster was pulled out of the coop and across the run, but still inside, like it was trying to figure out how to get him out. Again no indication it was ever there other then the rooster moved. What ever it is, it got past 6ft fences with NO digging over 4ft hardware cloth, and was able to get in and out with no one seeing it.
The run door is a 6ft high dog kennel door wrapped in hardware cloth with all the outer poles resting against doubled up 4x4's, the ground in front has large rocks that rest against the bottom so the door will not more, it is chained around the 4x4. I have watched my lab try to get in and he couldn't.

This may be a coincidence but the same night the first hen was killed, one of my tom cats disappeared with no trace. I know the cats are not doing it, they would run from the hens and especially the roosters. The times the roosters have gotten out, (buggers went for a walkabout when being fed), the cats would come over just to watch me chase them through the woods trying to catch them and then run when they came their way.

At first I was thinking raccoon, then coyote. Now I haven't a clue.... a coyote would not have been able to get in and out of 6ft fences with no trace and my dog would have lost his mind trying to get to it... don't think a raccoon would have taken off with an entire bird to go finish it and only leave feathers.

I have read and read and read Story's guide trying to get an idea of what we are dealing with, and it just doesn't fit....unless we have more then one predator were dealing with.

Any thoughts?!

I am a little foggy today from being sick with a cold, but from what my brain is processing, it sounds like a weasel. It has to be small to get into what you are describing. Or is the tree in the run housing coon? Or is it close enough that coon could get in? The other thing might be a cat? You may have more predators up there that what I would encounter, so I might not be considering a couple. If they are going after the neck though, I would think coon or weasel first and set appropriate traps for each and lock those birds up that are left.

 

[Drea07]

I am a little foggy today from being sick with a cold, but from what my brain is processing, it sounds like a weasel. It has to be small to get into what you are describing. Or is the tree in the run housing coon? Or is it close enough that coon could get in? The other thing might be a cat? You may have more predators up there that what I would encounter, so I might not be considering a couple. If they are going after the neck though, I would think coon or weasel first and set appropriate traps for each and lock those birds up that are left.

Sorry your not feeling so good. Hope you get better soon.

My Dad was thinking weasel as well, mainly because the blood is missing. The trees in the large run are small, only about 3 inches thick, and don't reach to outside. Left them in so the birds had some cover from searching eyes from above, and shade.

We do have other cats in the area, but my big oldest boy will chase out any other cat that tries to come on the property without my putting them there. Funny thing is, he will walk with me out to the coops at night or come out of the woods to met me, and then acts weird. He will start sitting between my feet, following me around, yowls at me and just makes a scene. Normally he is not a cat to make a racket and stays out from under you.

The night my husband and son went out to try and deal with the predator, they did see my cat come out of our shed in the woods (which happens to be on the path toward where the hen was dragged off to.) he walked right up to the coop, sniffed around, looked at the dead rooster and then went back on patrol towards the other side of the property. When I went out before the husband, my cat was sitting behind the coop that had all the birds locked up, watching the run where the rooster was.


Thought about putting up an electric fence, but then the cat would get shocked. Only thing I can think of that will keep our kids and animals from getting caught would be live trap. But then what ...