Predators in New River Valley of Virginia

[critters]

Does anyone live in the New River Valley Of Virginia?? More so
on the Blue Ridge Parkway section near North Carolina....

I am asking if you know what predators we have in this area??

I live in Ararat, VA, 2 miles off the parkway and have had way too
many guinea, duck and chickens killed or missing...some left
behind with their heads off....or chunks bit out and left...
I have 'lost' 8 chickens, around 22 ducks and 25 guineas..

Really unsure what is around and my spy-cam has only
picked up a coyote once....so?? anyone know???

 

[PeepsCA]

Wow that's a lot of losses... do you coop/pen your birds at night? I think after loosing that many birds I'd have a coop that resembled Fort Knox!
I'm not in your area, or even your state but here owls are the most commom predators that typically don't eat much of their kill... but to me chunks missing and heads bitten off sounds like it could be any combo of owls, raccoons and possibly minks or weasels. Larger predators tend to carry off their kill, leaving only a pile or trail of feathers

Maybe this link will help you narrow down some of the losses?

 

[critters]

PeepsCA you always reply to my problems...thank you even though you don't live here in Virginia.
I am a transplant from California myself.....

I checked out that link...it was interesting, thanks!

I have a guinea coop...and a chicken coop....
half my guineas share the coop with my young muscovys and get along fine... am hoping to get
all the guineas to move into the coop from their tree...we'll see! my misc.ducks and muscovys
sleep at the pond but hope like last year they will stay closer to the house in some pens set up
for them during the winter..

just wish I knew what is getting so many of my birds...yesterday I lost 2 chicken hens...

I think it goes in spells...might be safe for a week or so...
Just trying to keep my eyes and ears open.

Again, thanks for your input....

 

[leonphelps]

try nitegard. a cheap experiment that has worked for me. the cats even have not come to look in the coop for a while.

 

[Balefire]

What's about to set a Wildlife cam up?

 

[livenwpeeps]

I live in Virginia but up north closer to Washington DC. and closer to the bay. My preditors are owls, hawks, bald eagles, foxes, dogs, coyotes, stray cats and vehicles. I haven't lost a guinea to preditors in about a year now but I also lock mine up in their coop at nights. The first year I had them, I lost the entire flock to preditors because they stayed in the trees at night. So I learned my lesson the hard way. Are the peditors getting into your coops or are these birds staying out at nights? Once a peditor finds an easy meal, they keep coming back. I'm sorry you have lost so many and hope you can figure out what is going on so you can stop them. Good luck.

 

[critters]

I have a wild life cam set up already...only seen a coyote and a couple stray dogs in it HOWEVER
most of my losses have been during daylight here as of late especially. A handful of the ducks
were 'lost' during the night hours. I also have solar animals where the eyes glow at night, close
to and under the guineas' tree. Each coop has several solar lights for them too set up outside
of them. I have had no losses from the coops themselves....

 

[livenwpeeps]

I had a hawk pounce on a guinea not more than 10 feet away from me and during the day. Scared the you know what out of me!! I ran at the hawk and tried to kick it to get it off of my lavender guinea. It took off before I could get a good kick in and I thought the guinea was dead because it never moved. Then it just popped up and went on it's way. It had some missing feathers but that was all I could find wrong with it. It's still with me but it has never been right since then. Kinda like a death wish. It plays in the street a lot.

 

[fizz]

It's still with me but it has never been right since then. Kinda like a death wish. It plays in the street a lot.

Sounds like the run in with the hawk has made the guinea an adrenalin junkie!

 

[casuarius]

Im in NC, 35 mins from the VA border. Minks and Weasels are horrible for doing what you described, as well as coons and possums. I hear Coyote's often, but never lost anything to them. Since I put electric fence wire around all of my pens, I havent lost anything. Horned Owls are bad too, but will carry the birds off usually. Foxes and Coyote's will carry them off as well, you may see some feathers but wont find the remains in most cases. I would say you are having a Mink, Weasel, coon, or possum issue. The easiest way to tell what is coming in at night is to sprinkle flour or powder lyme around your pen lightly. You'll see foot prints in it the next day. You really need to concentrate on getting rid of whats coming around, go to tractor supply and get a cage trap, or the easiest way is to get some tuna or sardines and mix antifreeze in it...problem solved, just make sure you animals cant get to it.