Surveillance camera?!

[stephdbarb]

Hey all!
What's everyone's favorite surveillance camera for a coop? Preferrably cheap. We have had quite a bit of critter activity around- thankfully not in the coop and can't seem to figure out what we're after. Thanks!!

 

[thomasboyle]

I have a pair of Browning trail cameras that I use. They take great pictures, and cost $90 or so. I keep one mounted on the coop covering the chicken yard, and have one just past the lawn about 25 feet in the woods. The one in the woods gets the most pictures. Thankfully the one covering the yard gets nothing of interest.

 

[stephdbarb]

Thanks Thomasboyle! You've been very helpful! We've double walled our coop and re set the electric fence. So far no more attempts on the coop and yard but now the trap hubby set up was sprung and about 10 yards downhill from where we set it and bait was half gone. No fur or any evidence. I feel like we're chasing a ghost! I'll look into those cameras thank you!

 

[thomasboyle]

What type of trap, and what bait did you use? If you are trying to trap raccoons, I take an empty tuna can and punch two holes in the bottom of it, and zip tie it to the bottom of a cage trap. Then stuff the tuna can full of marshmallows - 5-6 of the large ones. Raccoons love them, and I nab one everytime I set the trap out.

 

[stephdbarb]

We used marshmallows for a few weeks with no activity and then switched to chicken giblets, skin, and leftover carcass just to see what would happen. That sat for a few days until it got sprung. Not sure if it was just by chance or the bait change made a difference.
Here's the sprung trap it looks similar to yours.

We haven't reset the trap yet. Hubby's looking to borrow a bigger one from a friend. We're also making a trip into town to look at game cameras today Our daughters room is on the coop side of the house and she's on high alert about the chickens and constantly bugging us at night about the noises she's hearing. Of course in her mind everything's after the coop. It will be nice to see what the heck - besides a ton of deer is out there