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No, itIS a poison. Just because something has a theraputic medical use for humans does not mean that it is not a poison. Animals often metabolize medications very differently from humans. Just last week we had a cat in at the clinic where I worked that was in acute renal failure and we weren't sure if he would make it or not. The owner found an empty advil liquid gel on the floor after searching her house from top to bottom for any kind of toxins he could have possibly gotten into. He was lucky that his owner noticed he was acting off and got him in in time (and was willing to spend the money on what could have been a long shot) to get him treated and is expected to make a full recovery. If she hadn't, he would have suffered a painful death from kidney failure. Ibuprofen is so toxic to dogs that it turns their blood brown. And even when medications do have similar effects on animals the dosages may be drastically different. Most people get drowsy if they take 25mg or 50mg of benadryl. In dogs and cats the dose is 1mg per pound...my 80lb dog takes 75mg of benadryl three times a day when his allergies are acting up and it doesn't even touch him as far as making him drowsy. An overdose of lortab may simply make a human "go to sleep and never wake up," but that's not to say that it will do the same in an animal. It could cause a lingering painful death rather than a simple drifting off to sleep never to wake again.
Personally I don't feel poisoning is the best or most responsible way to deal with predators. If the animal wanders off and dies in the woods and other scavengers/chicken predators find it and die also it may not bother you. But what if it just wanders to the edge of the field and dies just out of your immediate sight but still within your chickens' free range territory (this scenario is of course making the big assumption that you allow your chickens to free range)? Not only could it potentially kill one or more of your chickens, but it could cause that drug to be passed through the eggs or meat into your family members or customers. Just something to think about.
So what do I do???? The live traps are not working. More and more chickens are being killed. I have been battling this for months. Any suggestion I have tired it and done it and everyone has failed. It is a huge losing battle. I've tried every bait suggested. Purchased professional baits, paid money for expensive live traps (incase the traps I was using were "cheap", not good ones), I have tried everything suggested. And the coons, possum, etc are still killing and killing and killing. Good tight wire, secure fencing, strong wood housing for shelter, etc. I have done it all. I stopped free ranging, to cut down on the area that predators can get into. But still the killing goes on. So what do I do? What is your answer to stopping the raccoon, possum, fox, etc. ???
I fell like people are very willing to find fault with me, but who is willing to come stop the killing of my chickens? Cause there is not one thing I have done, or found that stops them. They grab the bait, get out of the cages (three sizes of cages, cheaper ones and very expensive strong ones), take the bait off, eat it, and come back and kill my chickens. And destroy the food I have to feed my chickens, goats, horse, cat, etc. Plus terrorise my cat. In addition to killing my chickens.
I feel as if I am being jumped on and this whole thread is not about saving my chickens, but how awful I am for trying to somehow finally find something that will stop the predators. They are not dieing and in fact, more and more killing and damage is happening, as if more predators are showing up. Not just one or two anymore, but it is becoming the local feeding grounds.
