Predator identification help please! *seek and destroy*

[Elsveta641]

If you plan on allowing birds to run loose in your yard I’d suggest you pick up some foothold traps and learn how to prepare and set them.
Your cats and rooster weren’t a deterrent against a fox or a coyote or a raccoon for that matter.
I have a bunch of cats outside and a whole mess of gamefowl stags. They are just as susceptible as a buff Orpington.

I'm not sure how wise anything other than a live trap would be with cats, goats and small children here?
The overwhelming majority of kills have been fluffy egglayer types. Ameracurana, Bresse, Jersey Giant, Brahama etc. The majority of survivors are Asil, Malay, the random bred game types, Ayam Cemani etc. The Brahama sisters were our oldest hens and I attributed their survival to this point to their experience. There is a mostly naked Liege Fighter hen I've posted about before who was attacked and is the only one to live through it. The only game who have died are little ones and the Shamo hen who was brooding. I've heard noises that lead me to believe she is alive hiding somewhere on the property. The gametype have been much more lucky in these attacks.
It's also interesting that besides the adult kills have all been pale or white in color

 

[roosterhavoc]

I'm not sure how wise anything other than a live trap would be with cats, goats and small children here?
The overwhelming majority of kills have been fluffy egglayer types. Ameracurana, Bresse, Jersey Giant, Brahama etc. The majority of survivors are Asil, Malay, the random bred game types, Ayam Cemani etc. The Brahama sisters were our oldest hens and I attributed their survival to this point to their experience. There is a mostly naked Liege Fighter hen I've posted about before who was attacked and is the only one to live through it. The only game who have died are little ones and the Shamo hen who was brooding. I've heard noises that lead me to believe she is alive hiding somewhere on the property. The gametype have been much more lucky in these attacks.
It's also interesting that besides the adult kills have all been pale or white in color

The games just run faster or fly away a little quicker. The bigger bird that is still alive is because it’s bigger and could take an attack a little better.
Left unchecked foxes and coyotes will take every single chicken you have game or not. Gamefowl are no match for a fox. They are tougher than other chickens and small animals but that about it.
Most Guinea males or Muscovy drakes are just as tough. They do absolutely nothing to ward off attacks.
Very few people catch foxes in cages (yes I know it can be done and I’ve seen it myself) but it’s rare and in most cases not worth the effort. The majority of people are constantly losing birds to canines so they set cages and kill a few possums and raccoons then call it good til the fox or coyote comes again.
The trap choices and what’s legal there is up to you. The reality is you may have to change something. Either don’t let your chickens loose, put the cats up, don’t let goats wander, or just accept the losses.

 

[Elsveta641]

The games just run faster or fly away a little quicker. The bigger bird that is still alive is because it’s bigger and could take an attack a little better.
Left unchecked foxes and coyotes will take every single chicken you have game or not. Gamefowl are no match for a fox. They are tougher than other chickens and small animals but that about it.
Most Guinea males or Muscovy drakes are just as tough. They do absolutely nothing to ward off attacks.
Very few people catch foxes in cages (yes I know it can be done and I’ve seen it myself) but it’s rare and in most cases not worth the effort. The majority of people are constantly losing birds to canines so they set cages and kill a few possums and raccoons then call it good til the fox or coyote comes again.
The trap choices and what’s legal there is up to you. The reality is you may have to change something. Either don’t let your chickens loose, put the cats up, don’t let goats wander, or just accept the losses.

What about setting bait, waiting and blowing its head off? Maybe I watch too much cartoons, but it seems a reasonable idea. I'm a good shot at the distance from say the garage to the middle of the yard. My husband can shoot an arrow well at 100 yards. But we shoot targets and cans and possums etc. Are foxes too smart to lure and ambush? We've thought about it before, but didn't want to stay awake all night outside like tweakers since we assumed a fox or dog would know we were there and avoid the area

 

[roosterhavoc]

What about setting bait, waiting and blowing its head off? Maybe I watch too much cartoons, but it seems a reasonable idea. I'm a good shot at the distance from say the garage to the middle of the yard. My husband can shoot an arrow well at 100 yards. But we shoot targets and cans and possums etc. Are foxes too smart to lure and ambush? We've thought about it before, but didn't want to stay awake all night outside like tweakers since we assumed a fox or dog would know we were there and avoid the area

You can do it at night with a red light but your cats are an issue. The eye shine is different and it takes awhile to see the difference at a glance when you only have a sec or two to decide whether to shoot or not.
It’s worth a try but plan on many hours sitting in the dark getting eaten alive by bugs.

 

[Elsveta641]

You can do it at night with a red light but your cats are an issue. The eye shine is different and it takes awhile to see the difference at a glance when you only have a sec or two to decide whether to shoot or not.
It’s worth a try but plan on many hours sitting in the dark getting eaten alive by bugs.

I can put the cats in the house and garage on nights we try this. Thank you for the tips

 

[Elsveta641]

It's now about 730pm and we have lost a rooster within the last few hours. He was a fibromelanistic Olive Egger we hatched in January and his name was Chubby Checker. No feathers or sign of a struggle were found, we spent over an hour looking over the property and saw nothing.

 

[21hens-incharge]

I would strongly recommend no birds OR cats OR goats roaming the property while the predator issue gets sorted out.

 

[roosterhavoc]

Good luck.

 

[Elsveta641]

I would strongly recommend no birds OR cats OR goats roaming the property while the predator issue gets sorted out.

They are all being locked up in the big barn starting tomorrow, poor things

 

[21hens-incharge]

Lock them up solid. Fix any gaps or weak points.

Stinks losing birds.

Edited to add...
My birds are locked up. We have a lot of hawks and fox and coons and I am sure skunks.
My neighbor went from 30+ in the spring last year.....no coop no run just running around free. They have none left. I have found pieces of their young birds in the alley behind my yard. So senseless and sad.