Poultry Predator Identification

[Guitartists]

I hope I never have to use it!

 

[gracy]

Hi, this is glory.This is very informative article.Predator identification was mainly based on field investigation.The control of pest species are covered by strict laws and BASC produces codes of cover these activities.
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annika
Indiana Drug Addiction

 

[jaysun]

First time on, so not really sure how this site works, but here goes.
Last Nov. I bought 3 peachicks at the Ohio National, that were hatched in May. This spring when I let them out of a day time, I would have to round them up in the evening because they would not go back into there house, but would just sit down wherever they happen to be when the sun went down. After about4 -6 weeks of that, they began to roost in an oak tree, 30-40 feet off the ground. In the morning they would come down, go into their house and eat and spend the remainder of the day either in their house or in the under-brush. Well, last Sat. morning at 5:10 am, they started honking, as they usually do when they decide to fly from the tree. When I went out in the morning, they were still hanging out under the tree, while continuing to honk. One had been killed. The head and neck had been eaten. As a child, I remember this to be the work of the Horned Owl. With gears terning, how am I going to stop an owl? When evening time approached, before getting into the tree, I walked them into their house. Just on a notion, I set a live trap w/liver treats in it. At 3:10 am, the honking started again. I had caught a large coon in the trap. Do coons eat the heads and necks? If it was getting light out, I don't think it is possilbe for a coon the catch it. I hate to keep the peacocks locked up, but if I have to, I guess it's my only alternative. Coon or owl? Is a full grown peacock likely prey fr an owl? Any input would be appreciated. Thanx
jaysun

 

[RoyalHillsLLC]

Could be either, but I bet it was a coon. The only way to protect them completely is to put them inside fort knox at night. The next best thing, which I am trying next, is to get a good guard dog, especially a good livestock guard dog breed, to keep the mammalian predators away. To protect against owls, I keep a top on my pens. I hope to let mine stay out at night when I get the dog, but I also expect to lose one occasionally to owls. There is not much you can do if you don't put them up at night.

 

[Dulcijean]

I lost my polish bantams last night. The article made me feel a bit better. Thanks.

 

[28 chix pix]

Wow, this article answered a lot of questions for me. I would worry about that snake though. it does look like a chix snake. I know they are good for keeping down rats, but...

 

[Dulcijean]

I called the breeder who I got the hens from and she is convinced it was a fox. She said that because there were no traces of the birds except feathers from one. She, like everyone here, consoled me and told me that it happens and is no big deal. She lost 18 of her layers in the spring to a fox. I'm getting two more polish bantams and two silkies. We got new easy to close latches so I can close them without nagging my husband to do it.

 

[chickenlover98]

Hi! I was wondering what type of predator this was, we see puncture marks and a broken neck, and a whole bunch of feathers scattered everywhere. We found him about 30 yards away, by following the trail of feathers. We thought it might be a bobcat, but we aren't sure. What was this predator? Thanks!

 

[shelleyd2008]

Would the cats section include bobcats? We had a hen taken off the nest a few months ago, and all we found (or rather, the dog found) was the wing tips of the bird. We didn't notice any feathers in the yard either.

 

[tfpets]

That was a very comprehensive article that did not include everything there is to know, or all of the possibilities about the various predators, it was a brief about some of the predator identities, and nicely done. It did not mention, and some will deny, that skunks will kill chickens. They do. Not all, but some do kill chickens, and large amounts of them. Not all predators behave the same in any given area either, and behaviors evolve over time, so expect the unexpected. I liked the idea and the thread, and we can add more great articles from the internet if people would like with pictures, too. Tina