Poor Whitey

[chicknmania]

We are considering live traps, too... we have some; I'm just terrified that they might not be big enough; and that then they'll just contribute to the problem. or that we're just going to catch rats; that wouldn't be a bad thing, though...

 

[jessupfamily]

We lost hens this way also. About 7-9am chickens clean on the outside, all the insides gone and one had no head. It turned out to be a skunk on the first run in and a weasel on the second run in. They both work about the same. The weasel was far more bold than the skunk. The weasel would even appear while my children were out there with the goats. I say it's a weasel! We would let our dog out at daybreak and that helped. It's hard to trap a weasel unless you know where it's den is.
Amy J.

 

[tiffanyh]

Maybe a fox...seems as if everyone is mentioning fox getting at their flocks lately...it is rearing young time..??? Racoon will go pout during the day though--ecspecially when caring for young.

 

[Poison Ivy]

I have 2 raccoon traps and we usually wind up catching the whole family. it might take two weeks to catch all of them. Then we go months before we catch another. Last thing we caught was a possum and I didn't even have any bait in it. It went in on its own. Bet he wishes he had stayed away from our house. I have more problems with coons then anything else. Nasty animals I'm afraid they would kill my little dog. I don't leave him out very long at night to do his business. Hope you catch what ever it is.

 

[Alleyoops25]

Do your nieghbors like your chickens? Just curious.... And dogs may not actually eat the chickens they may just pack them off and burry them after they have finished using them for a toy. We had a dog that did this . I agree also with setting traps, and if you don thave any and dont or cant afford to pay for them do like I said in the Post I made About contacting the animal control or the Division of wild life. They can set you up. Another thing you might think of trying is soaking the ground around the area you keep your birds then maybe you can idenify some foot prints. Anyway sorry for your loss and hope you figure out something soon.

 

[chicknmania]

Thank you. Yes, we have very good neighbors. They like our chickens and have said so more than once. They used to have chickens, too...a weasel (they think) got all of theirs, but in their case it was just little puncture wounds in the neck. But here's another thing...these are big chickens. And they are awake during the day, of course. How would a weasel kill them? I mean, we have a ferret, and I can't imagine him taking on a chicken that's awake! In fact, he's scared of them, and they know it! I can see why it might be able to get one if it was roosting, or setting, or even laying...but Whitey was a big guy ..I don't know how he'd let that happen. He was always so very careful. My son said Whitey had a some neck damage; it looked like whatever it was tried to tear his head off, but was unsuccessful. Otherwise, he wasn't damaged anywhere else. He said there wasn't much damage to the hen today, either.What about mink? They are bigger, I think and I'm pretty sure we have a lot of them in our woods.

 

[chicknmania]

Here is something else I just read on line that I thought some might find useful, and my neighbor called to give me some interesting info too: both minks and weasels kill the chicken by grabbing it by the base of the skull. The weasel actually wraps it's body around the chicken's neck then, which I guess drags it down. The weasel then eats the head first. Whitey had a serious neck injury at the base of the skull, and our hen the other day was missing her head. The weasel is largely diurnal (out during the day) this surprised me. My neighbor talked to a friend of his who has chickens who recently suffered a mink attack. The mink eats out the inside of the chicken, too. In addition, my son smelled musk (as from a mink) after the first attack we had about ten days ago. AT the time we thought maybe skunk, but it wasn't strong and we never smelled it again. . It really does sound llke a mink or weasel. Now all we have to do is figure out what to do about it. Shooting (even if we wanted to) would be difficult. Trapping??? haha, we can try. If anyone comes up with any more ideas, I'd love to hear them. Is there anything that acts as a deterrent for this type of predator? Radio doesn't work. Thank you everyone so far for all your support and advice.

 

[Win]

Try speading a layer of white flour about the entrances to your barn. This won't repell or catch the beast, but it might show you what the critter is (unless it flies).

I work for the Dept of Natural Resources in SC and this is what the wildlife guys do when they want to survey mammal movements in an area.

 

[Poison Ivy]

Here is a link for info and a picture of a foot print. Don't know if it will help but thought I would pass it along. I see your in Ohio don't know if they differ or not. But the fish bait in a trap sounds good or the cat food. I use cat food in my traps.

http://www.npwrc.usgs.gov/resource/mammals/furtake/mink.htm

 

[chicknmania]

Thank you...OK, here's more...we have multiple predators. In a nutshell, last night our dogs tracked into the barn the biggest raccoon I've ever seen; I swear he was 15 to 20 pounds. Heaved a few fireworks at him; figured he'd run out; instead he ran straight up the wall and into the rafters. Great. Can't shoot him cause my Husband doesn't want to tear up the barn roof; dogs are going nuts. He won't get down. So my son turned off all the lights and hid in the woods; figured he'd close up the barn when the coon left. Well, he didn't leave and my son decided to leave the barn open; hoping it would entice him to leave. It enticed him to bring his friends back. They pulled a small chicken pen containing two hens off a shelf; killed one, by tearing her head off (guess what, another fav...); one of our hens fell off the roost in all the commotion with the dogs; we didn't notice her much at the time but she must've broken her leg or something cause this morning I found her in a barrel (where I think she fell)...eaten, of course...this morning at 4:00AM I encountered two skunks and another predator (couldn't see what it was) I was coming home and saw chickens all over the yard; (alive, fortunately) went in the barn and when I saw the skunks frantically trying to escape I just freaked and started screaming and laying on the horn...I bet my neighbors enjoyed that, but the stress is really getting to us all! Skunks and etc ran everywhere, and out the door though...THAT was rewarding! I left all the lights on, radio on, doors open; no more problems; but now we are dealing with multiple predators cause all my neighbors are sure we have mink problems, too. And one of our brand new cockerels fresh out of the house is gone, too; no trace. I think we are going to try to find the money to buy some Quickcrete and fill a trench around the barn foundation; as I blocked all the areas they are digging in and filled their tunnel with broken glass and rocks, but I'm sure they'll find other ways. So far we have lost ten chickens in as many days. We are beginning to think of seeking psychiatric counseling....