Predator Sentinel Event...

jennyf

Songster
Apr 24, 2016
440
144
121
Missouri
400


Suburban St. Louis but yard backs to park. Have very secure coop and small run, but our six 15 week old chickens have access to a less secure chain link run when we open an additional trap door (during the day when we're home or not gone long). By less secure, I mean it's hardware cloth attached to the chain link up 3 feet, buried 12 inches, but top is only chicken wire to keep hawks out). Chickens have been in coop two months. This morning, husband found a gutted and beheaded adult rabbit carcass in the FRONT yard (dragged under my car and left). He said did not look like rest of carcass had been eaten. What does this sound like? I'm thinking it's too coincidental in terms of us getting chickens a few months ago--haven't ever had decapitated critters left around. We are going today to buy a trap but would like to have a plan of action if the culprit is, say, the neighbors cat as opposed to a raccoon. Haven't seen any foxes, raccoons, or feral cats but I'm sure they're around. Ideas on rabbit head eating and disemboweling predators please? Also attached pic of setup in case anyone has suggestions for reinforcements. No sign of anything digging around. Ugh.
 
Last edited:
That is unnerving to find so close to your chickens. I would say that a cat is a likely culprit. They are agile enough to take down an adult rabbit and are known to disembowel. A good way to catch the predator is with a live trap cage and a can of sardines. Crack open the can just enough to allow the smell out and not enough to be eaten and place it in the back of the cage. It is the most humane way.

You have the right infrastructure in place to keep your chickens safe. Just be sure that there are no seams in the chicken wire where it can be pulled apart. Zip ties are very handy to have around.

Good luck!
 
Thanks... Saw a cat around yesterday, so I'm betting you're right. I'm thinking it might be unusual for a wild predator to feel safe dragging something under my car to eat it, rather than taking it off to the woods...
 

New posts New threads Active threads

Back
Top Bottom