Stumped by a predator. Help!

[kittycat1356]

Sounds like it may be a raccoon or fox, you could put canned cat food or marshmallows in the trap.

Could you possibly put the trap inside the coop? If you catch the predator you should put it down, or find someone who will. Releasing the predator will only put the problem onto someone else and it will be a trap-smart animal.

 

[abraga]

Coon or possum would be my quess..i set up cameras..was shocked to see how many of them that we had around. I once had a possum taking 2 chickens at a time..it would decapitate them..was a hugh male. I set a trap to catch it. U can sprinkle flour around ur coop to identify footprints of the culprit. If u use a trap..a can of stinky fish flavor cat food will be lure it n2 the trap. I purchase 12" wire stakes and drove them into the bottom all the way around my fenceline plus buried the fence several " deep.

 

[kmh502]

Sounds like it may be a raccoon or fox, you could put canned cat food or marshmallows in the trap.

Could you possibly put the trap inside the coop? If you catch the predator you should put it down, or find someone who will. Releasing the predator will only put the problem onto someone else and it will be a trap-smart animal.

Putting the trap in the coop is a good idea and might show us how they're breaching the fencing and netting!

 

[kmh502]

So when you say it shredded her inside a coop...do you mean it was actually locked up inside of a coop? If so, it was probably a raccoon. If you said coop, but meant run or just a bin then it could be lots of things. Raccoons can climb and come in from the top, dig and come in from the bottom or (as was my case)...pull the dog kennel chain link apart with it's hands and walk in and kill. Raccoons use their hands to open anything. I was finally able to stop the raccoon by putting hardware cloth on the outside of the dog kennel chain link (and btw, it was my rabbits it killed....so far they have never gotten into my chicken pen). I'm a big believer in game cameras. You can see whats roaming your property at night and it can help in your predator proofing.....however, it's the predators that teach me that I haven't outwitted them yet.

She was locked in her coop for the night. Whatever it was dug underneath the coop and got her inside. We're going to borrow a game camera from my parents since so many folks have suggested it and still try setting a trap. We don't want to buy anymore hens only to put them in danger so we've got to figure this out. Thanks for the reply! We're thinking a coon is probably a likely suspect. Do you think they would come out during theday though? That's what's making me question racoons and possums since the first one was killed mid day. I suppose it could have been two different predators though.

 

[kmh502]

Coon or possum would be my quess..i set up cameras..was shocked to see how many of them that we had around. I once had a possum taking 2 chickens at a time..it would decapitate them..was a hugh male. I set a trap to catch it. U can sprinkle flour around ur coop to identify footprints of the culprit. If u use a trap..a can of stinky fish flavor cat food will be lure it n2 the trap. I purchase 12" wire stakes and drove them into the bottom all the way around my fenceline plus buried the fence several " deep.

Thanks for the tips! I didnr even thinking about sprinkling flour for prints. Makes total sense!

 

[kittycat1356]

I've had a possum kill my chickens around dawn and after.

I know foxes have hunted during the day, and I saw one on my property about a week ago before dusk, around 6pm.

Raccoons rarely go out during day light, so I'm not sure. Might be a dog?

The flour trick could help a lot too, if you put it outside your coop.

 

[Leighe]

Coon or possum would be my quess..i set up cameras..was shocked to see how many of them that we had around. I once had a possum taking 2 chickens at a time..it would decapitate them..was a hugh male. I set a trap to catch it. U can sprinkle flour around ur coop to identify footprints of the culprit. If u use a trap..a can of stinky fish flavor cat food will be lure it n2 the trap. I purchase 12" wire stakes and drove them into the bottom all the way around my fenceline plus buried the fence several " deep.

Great suggestion on the flour!

 

[Leighe]

She was locked in her coop for the night. Whatever it was dug underneath the coop and got her inside. We're going to borrow a game camera from my parents since so many folks have suggested it and still try setting a trap. We don't want to buy anymore hens only to put them in danger so we've got to figure this out. Thanks for the reply! We're thinking a coon is probably a likely suspect. Do you think they would come out during theday though? That's what's making me question racoons and possums since the first one was killed mid day. I suppose it could have been two different predators though.

Rule of thumb on raccoons and skunks (maybe possums too, though I haven't heard them in this rule before).....if you see them out during the day consider them rabid (at least thats the rule here in Texas). They are either starving, diseased or rabid. Sorry about being confused on the coop....both my coops have solid wooden floors so I guess I'm not up to date on the type of coop you have. Good idea not to buy anymore hens until you know what you are dealing with.....and yes, you could actually be dealing with two different predators. The first two you talked about I immediately thought of a hawk (pulled the head off a hen sitting on a nest as my friend was standing outside her chicken pen talking to someone) and an owl (tore the chickens up and ate them in the pen, came through a very small space at top corner of pen). Both situations happened at my friends house.

 

[abraga]

She was locked in her coop for the night. Whatever it was dug underneath the coop and got her inside. We're going to borrow a game camera from my parents since so many folks have suggested it and still try setting a trap. We don't want to buy anymore hens only to put them in danger so we've got to figure this out. Thanks for the reply! We're thinking a coon is probably a likely suspect. Do you think they would come out during theday though? That's what's making me question racoons and possums since the first one was killed mid day. I suppose it could have been two different predators though.

Possums definitely will come during the day..i had them at all hours.so will mink and weasels and fox. I've seen coons come out in late afternoon.

 

[Leighe]

Possums definitely will come during the day..i had them at all hours.so will mink and weasels and fox. I've seen coons come out in late afternoon.

Yeah, late afternoon towards early evening you can seek skunks and raccoons. But mostly they are very active at night.