Possible fisher predator. Need help?

[Pixco]

Hello, Last week we lost 6 White Pekin ducks and 8 Buff Orpington chickens in 3 separate nights. Night one we lost the 6 ducks, when I last checked on them about 9pm they were making their way across the yard to go in for the night. Half hour later I went to lock them in and found 4 dead, one seriously wounded (died next morning) and one missing. One of the dead was missing its head and all had bite marks on their necks. I know we have red fox in the area so next night I made sure all the chickens were in our chain link dog kennel which is 6 feet high. Next morning all that could be found of the rooster was his head. I thought at the time something had pulled him through the wire. Okay, next night we lock the hens in the chicken house but the door was a 6 foot high chain link door so we attached a piece of lexan to the bottom 30 inches of the door so nothing could push or pull through. Well next morning I have only one hen left and she is totally stressed. Something had climbed over the 6 foot door I assume a total of 14 times to take 7 chickens out. No bodies etc. just all gone with just a few feathers here and there as a trail for a bit of a ways. This time there were tracks left on the lexan and after a great deal of research online they are fisher tracks. My critters are my hobby and I would love to know what to do here and possibly what I have to do to build a fisher proof cage. Thanks in advance!!!

 

[justusnak]

HI, and first let me say..I am so sorry you lost so many. Fishers are mean, vile, sneaky..and agressive. Welded wire would be the way to go, but wow, its so expensive....A good secure coop would have to be the first option. Something you can lock down tight...no openings....not even an inch wide! I hope you can trap that sucker....get a have-a-heart trap....I would say...baite it with meat...like...a good size hunk of beef...( or chicken) but tie it to the back of the cage, so the fisher has to pull at it, to try to get it. This will set the trap off.
Good luck..I hope you can get it...

 

[LynneP]

This is a formidable opponent who regards your flock as easy pickings. To make it more complicated, in some places they are protected by law. We have them, and came to the conclusion before getting chickens that free-range is impossible for us. The only way to protect birds from them is to create biosecurity on a high level. And if you have fishers, you can assume that raccoons, bobcats, bears, skunks, snakes and other predators are in your range. Actually your looses sound like raccoon behavior, and I am so sorry. You may need to invest in 1/2" mesh, and some needs to be buried and the rest used overhead. It's expensive but without it you end up with terrorized animals or none at all. It will be back immediately to finish the job.

 

[Pixco]

Thanks for the input. I have decided rather than give up on having chickens we are going to build a predator proof pen of some sort. Leaning towards welded wire at this point but don't have all the design in place yet.
We had considered raccoons until we saw the tracks but we have lived here for 10 years now and have never seen a raccoon, a skunk or a rabbit!! Maybe now I know why. We have had a trap out for a few days now but no luck yet.
Will keep ya posted.

 

[Pixco]

Hey Everyone,
Called the State to check on trapping fishers. Talked to two different people that do trapping for the state and they say they cannot help me at this time because it is not trapping season. They do say however that because I am the landowner and it has destroyed livestock I can trap it myself. Got a big trap, wish me luck!

 

[Bluedog420]

Please tell me what a fisher is. Never heard of it here in Kentucky,,,Thank's

 

[Pixco]

They are a cousin to the weasel and the wolverine. Here is a link to a video of one that I got from You Tube, there are others on there.