Official BYC Poll: The Worst Predator

[outdoor family]

Have you found any remains from the ducks being attacked, or is there no clues like they vanished?

 

[mysticpond]

At first one drake, then a week later 1 more drake would just vanish at night, no traces, no sightings of any predators. Then 2 vanished in one night, a drake and hen. The last one was different, it happened in the early morning after we had checked them. Our dogs started barking in the yard and ran toward the creek, our hound brought a female body back to us, neck broken, multiple mauling rips in skin of breast and back. Feathers in an area where they normally like to sit on the bank when it's nice out. Another hen lives but her right leg is not functioning. She seems traumatized, floats in the water but is using her other leg to move around with our remaining drake and hen. We are sick about it and sad. The dogs have lived with the ducklings and ducks for almost a year with no interest in doing anything but chasing them into the water. We also have coyote, bobcat, possum, raccoon, and black bear.

 

[outdoor family]

At first one drake, then a week later 1 more drake would just vanish at night, no traces, no sightings of any predators. Then 2 vanished  in one night, a drake and hen. The last one was different, it happened in the early morning after we had checked them. Our dogs started barking in the yard and ran toward the creek, our hound brought a female body back to us, neck broken, multiple mauling rips in skin of breast and back. Feathers in an area where they normally like to sit on the bank when it's nice out. Another hen lives but her right leg is not functioning. She seems traumatized, floats in the water but is using her other leg to move around with our remaining drake and hen. We are sick about it and sad. The dogs have lived with the ducklings and ducks for almost a year with no interest in doing anything but chasing them into the water. We also have coyote, bobcat, possum, raccoon, and black bear.

Wow, iam sorry to hear that. Iam not sure if you know any trappers near you. Where i live we have alot of trappers due to the escalating coyote problems. Alot of farmers and concerned land owners here call on trappers and allow them to assess what they have on there land. Maybe this could be an option for you. Again, sorry to hear about your ducks.

 

[olemizmom]

I lost 3 to a raccoon. Later, I had rats coming in and eating food left on the ground and when that ran out, one or more attacked my Ana around the neck. She fought them off and I like to think that most of the blood was theirs. We tried many things to get rid of the rats, but they are survivors. Then, oddly two possums moved in (under the shed) and no more rats. I don't trust the possums, but we all co-exist. They are too big and not nimble enough to get into the hen house. They only come out at dusk (I am putting up the chickens about 15 minutes earlier) and I leave a little food on the ground for them. I can see their routines from the gaming camera pictures and occasionally I go out there at night and see one of them. So far, they aren't hurting anything and the way I see it, they are keeping rats away.

 

[Michael Apple]

I lost 3 to a raccoon. Later, I had rats coming in and eating food left on the ground and when that ran out, one or more attacked my Ana around the neck. She fought them off and I like to think that most of the blood was theirs. We tried many things to get rid of the rats, but they are survivors. Then, oddly two possums moved in (under the shed) and no more rats. I don't trust the possums, but we all co-exist. They are too big and not nimble enough to get into the hen house. They only come out at dusk (I am putting up the chickens about 15 minutes earlier) and I leave a little food on the ground for them. I can see their routines from the gaming camera pictures and occasionally I go out there at night and see one of them. So far, they aren't hurting anything and the way I see it, they are keeping rats away.

I have have found that an organized barn, not allowing items to stack up near walls, keeping feed in steel cans with tight fitting lids, and using bar bait within lockable box traps set in strategic locations, are highly effective in controlling rat populations. Changing baits keeps them coming back for more. Rampage and Just-One-Bite are a couple of good bait chunx to use. It is always important to keep feed, containers, and waterers picked up at night and sanitized. Preventing access to the barn or coop is important. Hardware cloth is a good deterrent. If I see raccoon scat around the property, or any other evidence, I have a dog size cage trap which I bait and set. Raccoon, fox, or bobcat are shot if caught. We are very fortunate to not have weasels around here.

 

[olemizmom]

Those are all good methods. I think the rats started from my neighbor not having garbage pick up and waiting to burn his garbage every two weeks. From there they another source of food at my house. We bought a steel animal friendly trap for the raccoon but he/she was taken out by a car before we used it. We live in a small neighborhood with about 100 acres of woods behind us. That makes for an interesting mix of critters at all times.

 

[white ninja]

RACCOOON! is the worst last time he came round was when my spotlight finally died and i caught a glimpse of him figuring out my bank vault of a chicken coop before i peppered him. my first set of chickens black sex links all got killed by predators mainly a skunk thatd drink their blood from there neck, a dog we adopted who would hide under the barn because of shyness until the men of the house were gone then came out to feast on 2 one day she was he raised with chickens to?!. the neighbors corgi lab thing came out 1 evenin ( 2 miles to kill) got several hens , the worst was our last 3 sex links who mysterly got drug off i even stayed up all night in sniper mode on the mysterious murderer only to find itd come around when id take a break, sad.... now my rhode islands and bantams are very safe with their new coop my 870 . i dont like to kill but love my chickens! so some people have cats that kill chickens?! my cats and chickens patrol the yard together wow intrigien

 

[seminolewind]

Quote:
Michael, Your way is the only way.

There can't be any food left out at all. It forces them to eat the bait. I don't think feeding Possums is really keeping the rats away. The rats just become sneakier.

 

[Basskids08]

Mink or Weasel got mine once too, but we had a contractor come in and build a coop like Fort Knox, so far so good.

 

[blecky slars]

We are building a new coop, and will be working on the run next week or so. I am wondering how deep to dig the fence to deter raccoon and stray dogs? I would prefer not to fence the entire floor.