Saw the "bobcat" again...

[Ursuline Chick]

When we caught the bobcat that killed our birds years ago. At first I thought it was a Florida cougar or panther. I didn't notice the spots either. I'm pretty sure this is the same cat I have been seeing on my cameras recently. I put electric wires around my coops and pens, good heavy duty netting covering my pens and concrete under the gates. I don't free range anymore due to losses from predators in the past but the birds have nice large pens. I think the cat knows the electric wires are there. Good luck...
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This is the one that killed 14 of my birds one night. It made the mistake of coming back.
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Beautiful pelt.

 

[AslanDressageHomestead]

Lost 25 birds in three nights to a bobcat… secure coops (raised three feet, locked closed at night, hardware cloth covering ventilation opens between roof and walls) within a 6’ no climb wire fence… we also have motion security lights outside both coops. added the lights last year when he showed up and seems to fix the problem. He tore the chicken wire and wedged into the coop somehow… Super disappointing, I think adding a few electric lines may be the only thing to add short of closing the birds into a metal shipping container overnight

 

[McChooky]

Lost 25 birds in three nights to a bobcat… secure coops (raised three feet, locked closed at night, hardware cloth covering ventilation opens between roof and walls) within a 6’ no climb wire fence… we also have motion security lights outside both coops. added the lights last year when he showed up and seems to fix the problem. He tore the chicken wire and wedged into the coop somehow… Super disappointing, I think adding a few electric lines may be the only thing to add short of closing the birds into a metal shipping container overnight

Did he wedge himself between the hardware cloth and the walls of the coop? If so I need to add a heavier gauge wire over top of my hardware cloth as I thought it was safe...

 

[AslanDressageHomestead]

Did he wedge himself between the hardware cloth and the walls of the coop? If so I need to add a heavier gauge wire over top of my hardware cloth as I thought it was safe...

Unfortunately yes he did… I had the 1/2”hardware cloth screwed down every 6” or so and it was pulled back enough for him to climb in

 

[McChooky]

Unfortunately yes he did… I had the 1/2”hardware cloth screwed down every 6” or so and it was pulled back enough for him to climb in

Thank you! I used wood lathing and metal strips with screws over top of the staples to hold the hardware cloth pressed down flat on both the Coop and run but the new extension only has staples in most places. I just hope they're enough to hold it down tight until I can buy and cut more lathing to attach it over top of the staples like I did before.I'm sorry for your loss!

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Lost 25 birds in three nights to a bobcat… secure coops (raised three feet, locked closed at night, hardware cloth covering ventilation opens between roof and walls) within a 6’ no climb wire fence… we also have motion security lights outside both coops. added the lights last year when he showed up and seems to fix the problem. He tore the chicken wire and wedged into the coop somehow… Super disappointing, I think adding a few electric lines may be the only thing to add short of closing the birds into a metal shipping container overnight

I'm so sorry to hear this. Surely electric fencing will be an effective deterrent.

 

[McChooky]

Alternating the wires might help. Bob cats are more likely to jump and climb up the sides.