Should I try and kill this bobcat?

[GingerRose]

Thank you all for your thoughts and input. Yep, just as I suspected - no consensus on the right thing to do!

I had the same struggle last year when the cat got our favorite hen (and probably one other, though we never did find her). I'm torn between defending the flock and their right to roam free, and the understanding that another predator will come along eventually, and the cat may well have kittens depending on her (saw small cat tracks in the snow alongside the large ones). I'm not concerned about bobcats becoming endangered, since they're on the "least concern" list and people have already been fighting with them over livestock for a long time.

I'll probably end up doing what I did last time - nothing, besides only free ranging the flock for a couple hours a few times a week when I'm outside almost the entire time. What can I say, I'm a bleeding heart.

I know exactly what you are feeling. My husband and I do NOT hunt at all. We don't allow hunting on our property. We relocate snakes. Use a live trap for mice, rats, squirrels, raccoons and opossums..
The ONLY time we WILL kill another animal is defending our animals.
We do eat chicken, just not ours. Same with pork and beef. We do not eat wild animal meat, we just don't agree with killing them, for food or sport.
I said kill the cat only because it does have other options for food. Your chickens are just too easy and it will bring its offspring with it soon (if it has any).
Then, you will, potentially, have a different situation at hand.
Here in Alabama, we have many bobcats. They are even in the larger residential neighborhoods. Not because their lands are being encroached upon.. it's because they are overpopulating...
Nobody wants to kill them.
I get it, I do.
I also get to have the RIGHT to defend what's mine, especially my defenseless chickens.
If I was in your situation, and I had mixed emotions about killing it. I wouldn't kill it, but, I would have someone else do it. They are just dangerous.
.....I'm off my soapbox..
Apologies

 

[The Buffest Orpington]

I know exactly what you are feeling. My husband and I do NOT hunt at all. We don't allow hunting on our property. We relocate snakes. Use a live trap for mice, rats, squirrels, raccoons and opossums..
The ONLY time we WILL kill another animal is defending our animals.
We do eat chicken, just not ours. Same with pork and beef. We do not eat wild animal meat, we just don't agree with killing them, for food or sport.
I said kill the cat only because it does have other options for food. Your chickens are just too easy and it will bring its offspring with it soon (if it has any).
Then, you will, potentially, have a different situation at hand.
Here in Alabama, we have many bobcats. They are even in the larger residential neighborhoods. Not because their lands are being encroached upon.. it's because they are overpopulating...
Nobody wants to kill them.
I get it, I do.
I also get to have the RIGHT to defend what's mine, especially my defenseless chickens.
If I was in your situation, and I had mixed emotions about killing it. I wouldn't kill it, but, I would have someone else do it. They are just dangerous.
.....I'm off my soapbox..
Apologies

Oh I get where you're coming from, 100%. Even though I feel for this cat - especially because I believe it may have kittens depending on it - I'm still not sure I wouldn't take a shot at it if I saw it in the yard again and I had the tool handy. I think I would. Just not thinking I have it in me to go out of my way to find/lure it in.

I grew up hunting deer and partridge with my dad every year, but only ever shot one animal, a partridge - and ended up feeling terrible about it, even though we ate it! Otherwise I went out of my way to NOT shoot anything, even when the shot was there. Getting out in the woods with my dad was the real joy of it for me.

So I have the means and know-how to remove this animal as a threat, but I think I'd only do so if the opportunity directly presented itself in the form of visible stalking / another attack. If the thing has any self-preservation instinct it shouldn't come back, since I did chase it across the yard and into the woods in my socks, yelling like a maniac! Then we had a staring contest for a good 10 seconds, which I won. Guess we'll see.

 

[The Buffest Orpington]

In related news, the black australorp (the one was was being carried, who's been limping around) is putting more weight on her leg, and has been returned to the flock. Watching for excess pecking due to her missing feathers, but so far so good!

Now if I can just figure out what's wrong with the buff who doesn't seem injured but now is hardly eating or drinking and seems too weak to move, we'd be in great shape.

 

[GingerRose]

Oh I get where you're coming from, 100%. Even though I feel for this cat - especially because I believe it may have kittens depending on it - I'm still not sure I wouldn't take a shot at it if I saw it in the yard again and I had the tool handy. I think I would. Just not thinking I have it in me to go out of my way to find/lure it in.

I grew up hunting deer and partridge with my dad every year, but only ever shot one animal, a partridge - and ended up feeling terrible about it, even though we ate it! Otherwise I went out of my way to NOT shoot anything, even when the shot was there. Getting out in the woods with my dad was the real joy of it for me.

So I have the means and know-how to remove this animal as a threat, but I think I'd only do so if the opportunity directly presented itself in the form of visible stalking / another attack. If the thing has any self-preservation instinct it shouldn't come back, since I did chase it across the yard and into the woods in my socks, yelling like a maniac! Then we had a staring contest for a good 10 seconds, which I won. Guess we'll see.

I, would not lure it in. I would shoot it if it was too close to my property again. Do you have neighbors that would protest? Maybe? Maybe not?
If so, speak to them.
Our smaller pets are easy targets because they are usually confined and not totally aware of all the dangers around.
We have no neighbors close to us, to consider, when it comes to fair/unfair handling of wildlife/predators. This whole community/town is farm land. We have all had to deal with Bobcats, Coyotes, Raccoons, Hawks, Weasels, Strays, etc..
I have no doubt what my husband or I would do to defend our animals. Only as defense though.
I know they have the right to live and eat, hunt and roam... We take our animals/pets into our lives, it's our responsibility to protect them.
....and not just to confine them to a coop....
Our pets have rights too

I would kill the cat if it gets too close.

 

[GingerRose]

In related news, the black australorp (the one was was being carried, who's been limping around) is putting more weight on her leg, and has been returned to the flock. Watching for excess pecking due to her missing feathers, but so far so good!

Now if I can just figure out what's wrong with the buff who doesn't seem injured but now is hardly eating or drinking and seems too weak to move, we'd be in great shape.

YaY

 

[McChooky]

In related news, the black australorp (the one was was being carried, who's been limping around) is putting more weight on her leg, and has been returned to the flock. Watching for excess pecking due to her missing feathers, but so far so good!

Now if I can just figure out what's wrong with the buff who doesn't seem injured but now is hardly eating or drinking and seems too weak to move, we'd be in great shape

Chickens suffering from shock can die from that alone left untreated. She should be placed in a warm room without bright lights or noise and offered scrambled eggs (and other food) Anything to make her eat .I would also put electrolytesin her water and see if you can encourage her to eat better.She probably injured herself running so hard and it may take a while to heal but the fact that she's doing poorly otherwise means something else is going on.Chickens can have heart attacks just like people.

 

[AGeese]

It sounds like the only option open is a LSG dog or dogs. If you're going to continue to free range and not doing anything to remove the Bobcat. As far as killing one and other returning, well that depends on the local wildcat population I would think. It also just maybe taking advantage of backyard chickens and so it may not be living anymore *naturally* preying off you and your neighbors easy pickings.

 

[The Buffest Orpington]

Chickens suffering from shock can die from that alone left untreated. She should be placed in a warm room without bright lights or noise and offered scrambled eggs (and other food) Anything to make her eat .I would also put electrolytesin her water and see if you can encourage her to eat better.She probably injured herself running so hard and it may take a while to heal but the fact that she's doing poorly otherwise means something else is going on.Chickens can have heart attacks just like people.

Yeah, I'm pretty concerned about her. She's been isolated in a large tub in a quiet basement for nearly a week, and is mostly left alone. I've been feeding her vanilla coconut yogurt from a syringe daily, going slow so she won't aspirate. She has water (with electrolytes and probiotics) and food in bowls next to her as well. I believe she has been drinking small amounts on her own, because we didn't realize she had an issue until almost a week had passed and saw her sitting in the same spot in the coop each time we checked on the chickens, and she didn't die of dehydration, so she must be drinking at least enough to stay alive.

I really don't know what to do with her. When I try to stand her up it's like her legs don't work, but I can't find any injuries and she ran back to the coop after the attack. I'm going to keep feeding her and making sure she's comfortable, but so far nothing has changed in over a week.

 

[Genene]

It never fails to amaze me when some think that it’s ok to kill a beautiful apex predator because it’s doing what comes naturally. In the grand scheme of things the Bobcat has much more value to the ecosystem than a dim witted chicken. It’s your responsibility to secure your birds. If you insist on free ranging despite all the risks than the consequence are you will suffer some losses.

 

[McChooky]

Yeah, I'm pretty concerned about her. She's been isolated in a large tub in a quiet basement for nearly a week, and is mostly left alone. I've been feeding her vanilla coconut yogurt from a syringe daily, going slow so she won't aspirate. She has water (with electrolytes and probiotics) and food in bowls next to her as well. I believe she has been drinking small amounts on her own, because we didn't realize she had an issue until almost a week had passed and saw her sitting in the same spot in the coop each time we checked on the chickens, and she didn't die of dehydration, so she must be drinking at least enough to stay alive.

I really don't know what to do with her. When I try to stand her up it's like her legs don't work, but I can't find any injuries and she ran back to the coop after the attack. I'm going to keep feeding her and making sure she's comfortable, but so far nothing has changed in over a week.

IT may be totally unrelated to the attack. An infection in her reproduction system could be compounded by the stress and injury following the attack.