Poultry Predator Identification

[NinasHideawayFarm]

Quote:
You need more strands and need them within 4 inches or closer to the ground to be effective.

 

[good ole boy]

i agree the strands need to be closer to the ground if all possible. coons can be very clever when persuing a meal, i had one the climb the side of my barn and crawl through the eve to get my chickens

 

[roadrunnerred]

I think I fear predatores and pests the most. I do have a pellet gun.

 

[Mzyla]

My question is: What kind of predator would eat HAY out of chicken nests?
I noticed this happening during a winter time - not a summer time.
Couple of days after I placed a fresh hay in chicken's nests, it's gone!
Not just some - all of it to the bare wood!
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[KlaHaYa Gardens]

Rats.

 

[jbrown_14105]

OK Just lost one of my Peking ducks...5 now 4, the one was dead with a breast area wound, looked more traumatized (than tore up, but the slight breast tear was there) but it was dead. Raccoon? Weasel ?
Another of the 4 one has a small breast wound appears to be more or less OK, the wound is not bleeding anymore....she is moving about and was swimming in the pond after the attack when I went out into the dark as I was hearing the noise of the hen duck. Should of brought the 20 gauge!
All of this at night in a pouring down rain storm, lucky the windows were cracked open.
The stupid part is that we got home late, didn't get the ducks in the pen, and the rain (again) came pouring down.
I have them in a combination chicken wire/ enamel fence that I guess now needs to be reinforced even though the attack was when they were down near the pond at night in the pouring rain.
Thanks for listening....by the way they are stupid ducks since they were adopted from the SPCA, and as far as I figure they never seen open water till yesterday, they were completely scared of the pond all last week till yesterday my wife & I "pushed" them in just to the edge is far as they would go reluctantly and I waded in and splashed water with my hand making bathing splashing sounds.
So I figure that at least this effort from yesterday might of saved two of them, the other 2 were still running around near the edge and wouldn't go in.
Thanks
Jim Brown
Lockport NY area

 

[lovemybluelacedred]

thanks for the info, i don't know if i missed this but i have a question.

we came out one morning to find that one of my chicks had its wing ripped off. there was no trace of feathers anywhere (believe me i looked). and there was a small hole in the fence, but no fur and it wasn't pushed apart. i then started putting my chicks inside a box at night and letting them out in the morning.

we then set up a small trap (all we could borrow) and the first night we caught a dark brown domestic cat. but im thinking if it were a cat i would have found feathers somewhere.
we did reset the trap but haven't caught anything else but the fence has been getting pushed in and there was some light gray kinky hairs caught on it. i have heard possums will eat feathers a bone. i'm thinking the trap is too small for a raccon or possum, so we would never catch them if they are predator.

what do you think it could be?

 

[bopeep]

I'm not finding any answers to my predator problem here. We are losing very large hens during the day, after there has been a lot of activity in the yard - humans and dogs running everywhere. Then, a couple of hours later, there is a dead chicken in the woods, attacked on the back of its neck with a large hole left inside. No other marks on it. This morning my dogs went after something that was coming through the woods, and their barking was much different than normal -as if they felt threatened. And they didn't try to chase it, which they would normally do.

I'm thinking it may be a coyote, but I've never known them to be so brave they will come out in the middle of normal daily activity.

Any ideas here?

 

[ParadiseFoundFarm]

Quote:

I can't see where you are from my your signature but I will tel you in Illinois I was agressed by 2 coyotes, mid morning, less than 7 feet from me and advancing with teeth barred. They will come out in the day time.

 

[AlexisB. (I <3 Silkies)]

Wow u sure have know how to write a good article!!!