Relocate or Retaliate?

[amazondoc]

Quote:
Oh no, both relocation and killing will tend to spread disease. Keeping the population stable (as in simply excluding predators from coops rather than either killing them or relocating them) will tend to discourage the spread of disease. Which is one reason I keep harping on the concept of exclusion/prevention strategies.

 

[WisconsinChick]

Quote:
As I take a LONGGGGGGGGG deep breath to prepare for the beating I am about to take. There is no shortage of humans in the world either. I believe in either trying to relocate or finding a way to live in harmony with the wildlife around you. There will NEVER be a time you eliminate all predators from your area. They will always come back. Rather than kill every living thing in sight, I beleive in a secure chickie haven and peaceful co-existence.

I agree 100%

 

[midget_farms]

OK this thread has gone on long enough. I withdraw the question.


Thanks for all the responses.

 

[nautical_bouy]

Quote:
This is where we get back into the subject of disease spread.

If you kill predators, then more predators will move into the empty space left behind. That increased movement of animals from one place to another actually INCREASES the spread of diseases such as rabies (references supplied on request). So by killing predators you are actually increasing the spread of rabies instead of decreasing it.

I have to disagree, rabies can have a long incubation period and once symptoms are present death will occur within 3 to 4 weeks, thats a long time to walk around spreading it.

When I started my removal program this spring, I was busy, now the traps go untouched, tracks on the creek and lake bank are few and far between, no trash cans are gotten into, and for me the tell all is my corn is untouched, coons love to pull down the ears then eat the tips.

I would agree that if you defensivly remove one dominant animal from an area and do not become offensive,,you open up territory for another to freely move in,however we are after them seven days a week and are winning by keeping our area unsafe for predators.

 

[Miltonchix]

Quote:
This is where we get back into the subject of disease spread.

If you kill predators, then more predators will move into the empty space left behind. That increased movement of animals from one place to another actually INCREASES the spread of diseases such as rabies (references supplied on request). So by killing predators you are actually increasing the spread of rabies instead of decreasing it.

I have to disagree, rabies can have a long incubation period and once symptoms are present death will occur within 3 to 4 weeks, thats a long time to walk around spreading it.

When I started my removal program this spring, I was busy, now the traps go untouched, tracks on the creek and lake bank are few and far between, no trash cans are gotten into, and for me the tell all is my corn is untouched, coons love to pull down the ears then eat the tips.

I would agree that if you defensivly remove one dominant animal from an area and do not become offensive,,you open up territory for another to freely move in,however we are after them seven days a week and are winning by keeping our area unsafe for predators.

Contrary to what the "trap and neuter" crowd say, after dispatching all the feral cats the only cat to return belongs to the new renters next door. They've been put on notice.

 

[LSU2001]

Kill the coons and eat the evidence
Tim

 

[thewarriorchild]

Opposums are completely docile and easily moved.


Ummm not any I have come in contact with! THey are scary hissing and those beady eyes!!

 

[luvmychicknkids]

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Yes, EVIL creatures!!!!

Sorry, I couldn't resist. I KNOW, there is a difference.

 

[thewarriorchild]

eww chills! Where did that one come from?

 

[paul65]

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I would never give a beating for an honest opinion. That is why I asked the question.

I have a very secure tall fence with an electric wire around the top and 2 feet of buried wire around the bottom. I close and lock the coop every night and generally believe in the live and let live theory. If you take out a major part of the ecosystem then things are out of balance. That said - I have completely replaced my chicken flock twice and any weekend away when I can't close the coop I lose them. The expense has changed my mind about raccoons. That & the 4 baby chicks I raised from an egg that were eaten.

I was just wondering what people out there do when they have this kind of problem.

Oh, I didn't necessarily mean by YOU...just there are some who would.

My mother has chickens and 8 (yes, 8) raccoons who come over every evening to eat.

They killed one chicken several months ago and she just made things more secure, added a baby monitor to the coop to listen for any trouble, and there have been no problems since.

Good luck whatever you decide.

I tried adding monitor to coop to listen for trouble it caused me to stay up all nite listening to monitor it was not fun. lol