The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[Leahs Mom]

I've never seen the ztraps. I'm looking at the web site but I still haven't found something that shows how it snaps. Do you know of any video?

 

[Shan30]

After having gone several years without losing a bird to predators other than one here and there to hawks, I've lost a dozen during the last week.  Racoon that have been able to tear right through the chicken wire!  I've trapped and disposed of six of the SOB's so far.

I have a hav a heart trap which seems to work fairly well and a tractor supply one which no matter what I do, it either shuts the trap at the slightest touch or doesn't close at all.  I've tried dozens of little tweaking of the trip wire and tab, but no avail.

I probably should just build my own trap, I can design a better trip mechanism than what they have.

The coops are about 100 feet behind the house, I'm going to pitch a little tent with a sleeping bag and wait with the 12 gauge.  For effect, I wonder about using my .375 Magnum  (no, not a .357 mag pistol, my 375 Ruger carbine.  4,700 ft. lbs of energy.
Do I sound angry?

Jack

Ok some people will probably think I'm evil for giving out this...tip.

If you want to bring in the entire family of coons, catch a baby and don't let it go.

I know it sound awful but when I was a kid we lost all the chickens, ducks, a goose and then all the fruit and berries to raccoons in one week. At first we released them but soon realized that it wasn't working. Caught a baby in a trap and let it call in all the others. Dad got nine in one night.

 

[Scott H]

I've never seen the ztraps. I'm looking at the web site but I still haven't found something that shows how it snaps. Do you know of any video?

look on youtube...I can't for you right now. It's a spring like the Duke traps or Lil' Griz that just grabs their cute little arms

 

[hellbender]

look on youtube...I can't for you right now. It's a spring like the Duke traps or Lil' Griz that just grabs their cute little arms

Before I got back into farm dogs, about 20 years ago...I used snares...that grabbed their cute little necks. Sounds cruel but it's a war and one that coon and all the other usual suspects will wage ...to the death...

 

[Scott H]

The Z traps and others like it are pretty coon specific and dog proof...

 

[Scott H]

Here's one Leah's Mom......

http://www.ztraps.com/ztrap-videos.asp#prettyPhoto[videos]/2/

 

[wolfglen]

My dogs take care of land predators and birds of prey have never been allowed to feel comfortable in this mountain valley.

I lost my dog a couple of years ago (age 21). I need to get another one, but having back surgery next month, I'm putting it off until I am able .

 

[wolfglen]

Ok some people will probably think I'm evil for giving out this...tip.

If you want to bring in the entire family of coons, catch a baby and don't let it go.

I know it sound awful but when I was a kid we lost all the chickens, ducks, a goose and then all the fruit and berries to raccoons in one week. At first we released them but soon realized that it wasn't working. Caught a baby in a trap and let it call in all the others. Dad got nine in one night.

Will have to try that.

 

[wolfglen]

Yep, feel the same way about predators, that's what the Maremma are for. But when we practice we use .22 conversion kits - saves a lot!

I also had to dispose of an armadillo in the garden last night. They can uproot anything short of a sequoia if they set their mind to it.

 

[Scott H]

More Z trap vids....in the last one you can really see how they work....pretty simple yet effective.

This one is the best for understanding how it works......