Predators!! Help!

[Leslie Joline]

Welcome! Your priority must be to have a predator proof coop for them at night, and lock the birds in every night as soon as they go in for the evening. Then, a secure run, for all the times that they can't be roaming your yard, and only feed in the secure run or coop, so there's nothing laying around outside at night. Then live trap and shoot any raccoons, etc that you trap next to the coop. Don't trap and release! We all have 'varmits' that show up wanting a chicken dinner, and you can't manage the local feeding stations that are out there. Maybe public health would assist with the school dumpster issues; calling them may be worth a try. It's very tough to loose birds that way, I'm so sorry. Mary

 

[Leslie Joline]

I sprayed mixed peppermint and water and threw mothballs around my pen to keep rats and snakes away. Also went on amazon and bought predator lights that flash when varment come within 30 feet. So far I have not seen anymore. Also I planted spearmint around the coop to keep rats and snakes away. I also have a ultrasonic siren that goes off loud when they come around.

 

[cacknballs]

sorry for your loss.

i'd recommend getting a game camera with a no-glow IR flash and setting it up in the area you think your predators are frequenting. it wouldn't hurt to set out some bait directly in front of the camera. this will let you now exactly what you are dealing with.

from there, for me, a suppressed rifle with subsonic ammo and a green kill light (https://www.wickedhuntinglights.com/) has never failed. granted you have to hide-out and wait for the villain, but sipping cold beer and napping helps pass the time.

after you have ventilated the culprit, gut it, skin it, run the carcass through a meat grinder, and feed it to your birds as sort of a celebratory meal in memory of the recently departed. your birds will love the meat, and you will have a great sense of pride and accomplishment.

best of luck to you, and as others have mentioned, build a secure coop.

 

[6PeckinChickens]

I sprayed mixed peppermint and water and threw mothballs around my pen to keep rats and snakes away. Also went on amazon and bought predator lights that flash when varment come within 30 feet. So far I have not seen anymore. Also I planted spearmint around the coop to keep rats and snakes away. I also have a ultrasonic siren that goes off loud when they come around.

Peppermint works great to keep the snakes away. But the mothballs do nothing for the snakes and mice. Mothballs are toxic to use on the ground, they can contaminate the soil, the water table and are toxic animals that could come into contact with them! It is illegal to use mothballs in any other way than what it is intended for. I understand that you are trying to keep your flock safe, but it is also important to be safe in doing so. http://npic.orst.edu/ingred/ptype/mothball/regulation.html

I have not used peppermint yet, are you mixing peppermint oil and water? How often do you have to reapply?