Predator in trees at night?

[darkmatter]

Quote:
An Owl was getting my Guineas that chose the trees rather then the coop:

I could see the Owl's wing feather marks in the snow at the take down spot and a drag trail where it tried to fly away with the prey, but the guinea was too heavy, so it just ate parts, then left the remains.

 

[chena16c]

Thanks guys.

I am herding them into the coop at night (with the help of the sheepless border collie of mine), as well as clipped some wings. I guess one didn't get clipped short enough because just as I was going out to put them up tonight she jumped into the tree....had to hose her down and then chase her around my neighbor's backyard.

He has a HUGE pile of feathers through his yard from the attack on the white americauna. I had some strewn about my yard from the other hen that I found dead. The other 3 are still MIA. So I was thinking owl for a while. So, all the girls are locked up and no problem..............

Well I just put the 6 week old chicks outside in the extra rabbit cage I have (got a couple more americauna babies yesterday....now I just need to wait 6 months for those replacement eggs), put my dog's old ex-pen around that cage, with a bit of space, and a sheet on most of the cage (to keep them abit warm). Well this morning I came out to a dead chick that something had tried to pull through the cage, but it left all the pieces.

I know, now you're thinking raccoon. I could still be BUT this evening my dog chased something down the fence line and then later I saw the shiny eyes of an opossum in the back fence (it didn't come into the yard....and I know they use our fences as a road, sort of.) So now I am confused.

I put the babies, in the rabbit cage, inside the chicken run. I would like to think if it hasn't gotten the chickens via that way then it shouldn't get the chicks, but now I am paranoid and might go bring them in for the night. My neighbor was nice enough to loan me a hunter's night camera to try and catch, on camera, whatever is eaten my babies. The 2 years I've lived here and no problems except for hawks. I'm blaming this on the drought.........

 

[Carolyn]

You can catch coons and 'possums in a live trap. Easy enough way to tell if that is what it is. Camera sounds great but it won't get rid of the predator.

 

[drumstick diva]

sure sounds like a raccoon - and yes, they sure can climb trees. Hunters with coonhounds" tree them ."I would use the camera, you may have more than one type of predator slaughtering your chickens - I think a coon and an owl., who ever gets to them first. If you have a run for them you need a top of it, to keep chickens inside and predators out. I've heard coons are easy to trap and loves marshmellows.

 

[chena16c]

My run has a top on it (which is why one of the hens slept on it. I think she was too fat to get into the trees with the others). You'd just think they would have gone after the easier hen, who was always inside the open coop, by herself.

I will be getting some traps, the camera was just a way of finding out what is coming into my yard at night to better help me know what I am dealing with.

Does animal control lend out their traps?

 

[aprophet]

grey fox will climb trees as well

 

[chena16c]

Well the night camera proved that I have both a 'possum AND a (good sized) raccoon. For some reason it won't upload the picture of the raccoon but here's the 'possum. Hope he's too big to fit through that wire gauge around the run 'cause I don't have the funds to purchase anything smaller right now.

I'll see if I can get an uploadable picture tonight of the coon. Oh, and he's coming out about 30 minutes before dawn (the next picture was of me coming out to let the girls out around 7am)

 

[Achickenwrangler#1]

There are alot of predators out there! Owls take em from the trees though, the same thing happened to me with a few that liked to roost in a really thick apple tree...the owl caught and killed meenie, at about 2 am, eenie mini and moe and little oreo all came running to me and from then on roosted in the coop, no argument.
Coons can climb trees no problem but are pretty heavy and have trouble getting out on the smaller branches the chickens like to roost on, it is most likely an owl who has no trouble snatching them from trees.
everybody has coons.

 

[chena16c]

But do owls leave a trail of feathers? The two bodies we've found basically have a trail around the yards, as if a sign of struggle.....about 3 different spots in both attacks in both yards. Then, in the end a big "pillow" of feathers. Though I guess if the owl killed it, ate it's fill, then the possum or raccoon might come by and do the rest. Basically their entrails have been pulled out. My neighbor said the one in his yard had the entrails pulled out and the breast meat, throat pulled out as well.

I know we have opossums....I've seen them run across the back fence. This is the first time seeing a raccoon in my yard though (I see them down the street off and on). I know they're around, just frustrating when something is taking down my chickens every other night. And knowing the raccoon is in the yard tells me that I need to reinforce the non-working locks I have on the coop door (the wood warped after I put them on).

I clipped their wings but Yesterday, and today they're hopping back up on the coop and trying to get back into the trees....I've got to be fast enough to have my dog help me herd them into the coop. Guess tomorrow they'll be staying in the run all day since I won't be home until after dark. (They'll be so mad! Free ranging all summer and all).

 

[Bear Foot Farm]

It really doesn't matter what predator it is.

Just lock the birds up securely at night and they will be safe from ALL predators.

Set live traps to catch what you can