Stalking my coop

[chickenmom1]

I've got three big piles of scat that keep getting closer and closer to my coop. I'm not sure but it might be coyote or fox. Tonight is the night, any suggestions. The scat is outside the yard of my coop.
J

 

[AllChookUp]

I wish I could help, cmom. I've lost a few hens on two separate occasions to foxes. My coop and run is pretty big and safe, so I've just been keeping them in there, not letting them range. I know they would be happier ranging, but until I figure out some form of predator control, I'm playing it safe.

Good luck! Hopefully someone can be of help.

 

[sgtmom52]

Try setting up a game camera in the area to see what may be out there at night.

I have 2 ~ one at the coop, which has only "caught" our dogs and cats so far and another which we have in the woods and see deer, fox and raccoons. We did have something eating peaches off of our young peach tree and set it up there expecting to see deer, however it was a fat raccoon climbing the peach tree having a feast!

 

[featherbaby]

How good is your aim?

 

[zazouse]

If you can post photos of the scat some of us here may be able to tell you what you are dealing with.

 

[chickenmom1]

 

[Gold Griffin Chicken Mom]

On one of these forums, a man mentioned he hung rags soaked with his shaving cream on his fruit tree and this year the deer left it alone AND he hadn't noticed the fox family around.

I went to Dollar Tree and gave my 8 y.o. son the job of finding the smelliest men's shampoo or body wash. After the rains stop, we drip drops of body wash all around the chicken coop, our backyard, and everything in between. I havent' seen as much poo in the backyard the last couple of days.

I can't tell you for sure that it is working. I believe the theory is the animal says "I SMELL the human but can't SEE (or hear) the human... where IS he hiding?"

My oldest daughter (15) walks around the baby yard and brushes her hair. I have in the past gone to get my hair done and asked for all the hair in their trash can. The hair is spread around your garden and the bunnies and deer shy away from it. The hair must be spread out new after each rain. It decomposes quickly if spread thin and the wild birds use the hair for their nests.

Also, if you have any friends that hunt, now would be a good time to invite them to camp in your backyard. I'd find out if I had a hunter-date first before spreading smelly stuff around.

 

[zazouse]

Quote:
Looks like pig poo, do you see areas around where the ground is disturbed?

We do not have bears here but i have seen photos that look like that from a bear.

Here is a photo of wild pig/hog pop

 

[noodleroo]

Quote:
Looks like pig poo, do you see areas around where the ground is disturbed?

We do not have bears here but i have seen photos that look like that from a bear.

I don't know what it is, but it isn't canine or coon....

 

[lynxs1981]

It looks like from some kind of herbivore, very grassy.