Official BYC Poll: The Worst Predator

[justpete]

I have lost more chickens and pheasant to Fisher than anything else.

Raccoons can be bad but a Fisher will rip though chicken wire like it's a spider web.

They can also squeeze through the smallest space like a weasel or mink.

They kill and drag some off only to return for the rest.

 

[Opa]

Fisher, you're right. I completely forgot about the weasel on steroids.

 

[Plain Old Dee]

I have lost more chickens to dogs than to all the other predators combined! A possum, coon, fox or whatever generally will only take one hen at a time - maybe two. My neighbor's two collie pups got into my chicken pen and killed all 60 of my hens and my rooster in less than an hour!

The neighbor offered to pay for the hens, but I don't think they realized the full financial impact those dogs had. I lost my hens, and all the eggs they would have laid (I sold a lot of eggs at the time) not to mention they provided their own replacements! They got rid of the dogs, so I settled for letting them clean up the mess. That was in 1986, and I am just now getting chickens again.

 

[justpete]

Quote:
Good way to put it. Pure killing machine.

 

[deerman]

Lost a few to coons, but those Dogs have killed 2 deer and many peafowl, without even getting onto the pens, Lost over 50 chicken to two dogs within an hour, and not even one was eaten.

 

[alpinefarm]

Quote:
Good way to put it. Pure killing machine.

Just an aside....did you know fishers are able to kill porcupines? They are the only natural predator porcupines have up where we are. They get "quilled" in the process of the kill, of course, but they have an enzyme in their systems that dissolves the quills over a few days.

 

[RevaVirginia]

Oh oh oh oh.... ala' Horshack

I know. It's the one that got your last chicken.

I voted for Coon, don't mind so much a predator that eats what it kills. Dogs are a people issue but still as distressing.

 

[justpete]

Quote:
Good way to put it. Pure killing machine.

Just an aside....did you know fishers are able to kill porcupines? They are the only natural predator porcupines have up where we are. They get "quilled" in the process of the kill, of course, but they have an enzyme in their systems that dissolves the quills over a few days.

I knew they would eat them. I didn't know they could dissolve the quills.
Thanks for that info.

 

[brandibaby23]

]I have not lost a single chicken to "anything" in 2 years! Oh I forgot I rescued a siberian husky and it liked to kill baby chicks. But Today I went out side and about ten feet from the house out by a tree I found a dead fox!!!!!!!!

OMG!!!!!! My chickens are completely free range, they roost on the deck and in a pen that is only half built. I wonder why the fox was dead!!???!! And why he didn't bother my chickens??? I have a 5 year old Golden Retriever but he's not the killing type I don't think. I am worried now!!!!! Darn Fox never been so happy to see a "dead" animal!!!!

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[gamebirdsonly]

I have lost more birds to dogs

second would be cats followed by skunks