Show off your Delawares! *PIC HEAVY*

[jeremy]

I just buried one of my original Delaware hens, that I've had since a chick over 2 years ago. I went out to do the nightly feeding and watering and found all of my hens lined up against the fence, hardly moving, literally looking depressed. Normally they charge the gate like the fatties they are waiting for treats. I opened the gate up to let them free range while I refilled, still wondering why they all looked so upset.

Well, I found one of my Dels headless, with her chest ripped open at the coop door. All four remaining original Dels were accounted for this morning when I did the rounds before work, so whatever killed her did it during the daytime. What on earth would rip her head and neck off and open her up and eat the insides, IN THE MIDDLE OF THE DAY? WHY does it always have to be your favorite birds??? I lost a Wheaten Ameraucana pullet over the weekend to an unknown predator and now one of my first babies is gone.

I feel for you Cetawin, I was fighting back tears while digging that hole underneath the plum tree in the backyard. These birds are more than just chickens, they're an extended part of our family. Most we hatch from eggs, raise from little fuzzy nothings and then care for them and love them as adults. It makes me ache with sadness to have seen my poor girl like that.

Now I'm terrified that I'm going to lose more, especially my teenagers. Stewart, Quasimota and the rest are in a run next to the main one that has a very makeshift coop for them. It's lockable but isn't exactly the most sound thing. I'm willing to bet if a raccoon or something really hungry wanted to they could get inside. What do I do?

I'm setting my live trap as soon as it starts getting dark. What's the best thing to bait them with for raccoons? I'm thinking that's got to be what killed my Del. What else could have removed her head and opened her up like that?

Some week, huh?

 

[speckledhen]

Gosh, Jeremy, I'm so sorry! This is the week we'd all like to forget. Just this week, my well pump and tank had to be replaced (big bucks), I was in the ER for a migraine, Shadow was eggbound, Isaac almost lost a toe, I had to rehome Dutch, we lost Thor and Holly, etc, etc.

 

[jeremy]

Thanks, Cyn. When it rains it pours, right?

 

[speckledhen]

And during all of this, we've had to deal with this brutal heat! I'm ready for Fall NOW!

 

[jeremy]

Quote:
Up until today it had been pretty mild this summer, temperatures were in the mid 80s though today. It's like the hot weather brings nothing but bad luck.

 

[kathyinmo]

My coops and pens are totally covered in shade. I noticed some of the birds were inside alot today, others were out in the timber shade. I have watering stations everywhere ! ! The heat really worries me. My meaties (Cornish Cross) were even actively foraging the timber line. I don't know what else I could do to make it more comfortable for them. Egg production was about 80% today, so some are affected, I believe.

 

[jeremy]

Any suggestions to what I should use to bait my live trap?

 

[joletabey]

Jeremy, sit out there with a gun or something!! I think you can bait it with wet cat food. It could be a coon, could be a possum- can you take Stewart and Quasi inside for a few nights till you catch your rotten nasty, hope it dies painfully predator?

I am SO sorry- this has been a horrible time for so many!

 

[kathyinmo]

Quote:
I caught 7 raccoons last year. For bait I used a marshmallow and tunafish, as recommended on the predators threads.

 

[speckledhen]

Coons like catfood and marshmallows, if that's what it is.