Predator identification help please! *seek and destroy*

[Elsveta641]

A few months ago something got a gate open to my grow-out coop pen opened. I'm sure it wasn't a coon. The only predators That were on the camera that points to that coop was a fox and coyote. It was a little foggy that night so I couldn't see what actually got the gate opened but whatever it was it must have gotten a shock because the pole next to the gate that the electric wire is attached to was knocked over. Two birds were killed. All I found next to the coop was some feathers. I wired the gates shut and the next morning I noticed the gate had been messed with. The only predator I had on that camera that morning was a coyote. Shortly after a fox came into the yard during the middle of the day while I was otherwise occupied and killed my very special hen that was out. I'm still mad at myself that I didn't leave her in her pen.
I have posted these pictures before.

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I'm sorry about your birds, it is strange how they target the good ones, like our favorites taste better to them somehow :/
My camera caught nothing last night but the live trap in the barn was triggered yet empty. I think the roosterhavoc person is right, I'm going to have to get snares or legtraps. I hate those things, but I dont think I have much choice at this point. Besides letting whatever it is keep eating my birds.

 

[Elsveta641]

I think probably coyotes after the calf's. We have a problem with them here too. One neighbor has cattle and goats. Whenever the goats would have their kids the coyotes would get them. Now he doesn't have a billy any more so no more goat kids.

I was surprised our goats haven't been bothered, especially since theyre fainters.
What do coyotes sound like, like wolves? I need to check YouTube about that and foxes. We heard some "yip yip ooooo" sounds one night just south of my house out in the corn. Lots of yipping, like several animals. Didn't exactly sound like a dog, sounded kind of like children imitating dogs. But this was like 9pm in the middle of nowhere so I doubt it was kids. I didn't think we had coyotes around here, but maybe we do!

 

[Chicken Heel]

Forty or so years ago I had a White Jersey Giant that topped out at close to 15 pounds. Thankfully he was the sweetest rooster I had at the time.

 

[SarahGfa]

The cat in the photo is a 12lb tomView attachment 1890301 View attachment 1890302 View attachment 1890303

What big and beautiful birds! I am so sorry about your recent losses and I hope you managed to get the predator trapped and killed.

 

[chickm1]

You are wasting time. Buy you a trap. There are numerous trap companies out there. I prefer and use Pied Piper live traps. Built in Texas. I trap predators and fur bearers, and have used a number of live traps. The Pied Piper is by far the best. They even have one that has a cage on the back of it, that you can put a live chicken in it. You can bait it wit about anything. Dry dog food all the way to sardines. I think you either have a fox or a coon. I doubt a coyote would have killed a number of chickens, and only ate parts of them. Coyotes seldom waste a meal. Mink and possums will kill chickens and eat the head only, but, possums sooner or later, will eat out the soft part of the bird.

 

[slbenter]

Coyotes seldom waste a meal. Mink and possums will kill chickens and eat the head only,

Don't kid yourself. Coyotes in rural towns may be more resourceful with their meals, but I come from a beach town in Southern California, and in city areas, they kill and can be very selective about the parts of the carcass they'll eat. One killed the best cat I ever owned, and only ate his head.
Trouble is in the city areas, we can't shoot the varmints because most people there would be dumb enough to hit the houses behind them, and we have a ton of bleeding hearts that think we humans are the bad guys because we took their homes away from them.


Very thankful to read some common sense, and that we finally got smart and moved away out of that once beautiful state turned hell hole.