The Old Folks Home

[ronott1]

I'm just old at heart. Born in the wrong generation. 45 is still young.... yup it is.....

Yes, I am young too. 53 is the new 30 right?

 

[bamachicks8]

I'm just old at heart. Born in the wrong generation. 45 is still young.... yup it is.....

x2

 

[Chickies-duckies-etc]

Then if I were you I'd try the human urine method. Pee outside, or if the houses are too close, pee in a cup and transport outside. Cover the perimeter with urine.

You can try a Have-A-Heart trap, but I wouldn't think that a fox would fall for that, and you'd likely get other critters you don't want (skunks).

Lastly, animal control might be able to put up traps for you, but I hate calling them. I don't like them nosing around in my business.

I live on the edge of a very small community (ghost town) and have a full city block. Only two houses, the church, and the fire house are within sight, but with roads along all four sides, anyone could be on a road at any time. So until I can get more trees and bushes planted, I feel like I am in a gold fish bowl.

Does the pee really work when the wild critters are so used to humans being so close? One night I was catching some chickens that had roosted outside the chicken house because the door had blown shut before it was dark. I picked up the roo and of course he started screaming like a girl and would not stop. I was aware of movement next to me, figured it was the cats that were following me around, turned and looked and it was a coyote standing two feet away from me focused on that stupid roo. I screamed at it, it bounded a little ways away, and stood looking at me before disappearing.

I plan on getting a live trap, but honestly do not know what I will do with it if I catch it. Will have to hope that the neighbors with poultry and also do a running battle with the predators will "take care of it". Yep, when I have set traps before, I have caught chickens, and cats, no predators. But there are possum and skunks that need to go also.

I would call wild life agents before the animal control here. There has been so much stink created by one family because of dogs that animal control is a joke. But, for the most part no dogs run loose either. Would rather take care of it quietly if possible.

 

[superchemicalgirl]

I live on the edge of a very small community (ghost town) and have a full city block. Only two houses, the church, and the fire house are within sight, but with roads along all four sides, anyone could be on a road at any time. So until I can get more trees and bushes planted, I feel like I am in a gold fish bowl.

Does the pee really work when the wild critters are so used to humans being so close? One night I was catching some chickens that had roosted outside the chicken house because the door had blown shut before it was dark. I picked up the roo and of course he started screaming like a girl and would not stop. I was aware of movement next to me, figured it was the cats that were following me around, turned and looked and it was a coyote standing two feet away from me focused on that stupid roo. I screamed at it, it bounded a little ways away, and stood looking at me before disappearing.

I plan on getting a live trap, but honestly do not know what I will do with it if I catch it. Will have to hope that the neighbors with poultry and also do a running battle with the predators will "take care of it". Yep, when I have set traps before, I have caught chickens, and cats, no predators. But there are possum and skunks that need to go also.

I would call wild life agents before the animal control here. There has been so much stink created by one family because of dogs that animal control is a joke. But, for the most part no dogs run loose either. Would rather take care of it quietly if possible.

I think the urine is more of a danger smell than regular human smell. It's worth a shot, right? I mean, besides being kinda gross, there's really no "risk" to it if you transport it. If it doesn't work you're not out a hundred dollars, just a few extra minutes and some pride.

With exception of housecats and the occasional bobcat, what goes into my trap doesn't come out alive. They get lead poisoning. Skunks are my lot in life... that's all I seem to catch but they've been after my chickens and my eggs, so they need to go, too. I prefer the "from a distance" approach especially with skunks. Because I know after I shoot them that's the worst they're going to smell.

I wasn't too pleased when I first caught a skunk and called animal control and was told "you caught it, you take care of it." I won't be calling again, thank you.

 

[Chickies-duckies-etc]

I think the urine is more of a danger smell than regular human smell. It's worth a shot, right? I mean, besides being kinda gross, there's really no "risk" to it if you transport it. If it doesn't work you're not out a hundred dollars, just a few extra minutes and some pride.

With exception of housecats and the occasional bobcat, what goes into my trap doesn't come out alive. They get lead poisoning. Skunks are my lot in life... that's all I seem to catch but they've been after my chickens and my eggs, so they need to go, too. I prefer the "from a distance" approach especially with skunks. Because I know after I shoot them that's the worst they're going to smell.

I wasn't too pleased when I first caught a skunk and called animal control and was told "you caught it, you take care of it." I won't be calling again, thank you.

Yep, well worth the spray. Only probem with that is getting the perimeter of 2+ acres is going to take a while, and the ducks and geese need to bebp in the pasture long before that happens. But maybe that is a thought to drive out what ever has made that interesting tunnel in the pasture. I am really concerned about what might have made that. Someone on anothert forum has said probaby badger. I am still investigating it.

I found out calling the sheriff in an "emergency" is rather pointless. A local teen hit a coon with her truck thinking it was rabid. Didn't kill it and it went into the tall grass in the field across the road from me so she let me know. I called around to warn others of the situation and was still outside talking on the phone when it got dark, then I heard a hiss, jumped up and turned the light on. My cats had gathered on the sidewalk close to the chair I had been sitting in and the dog was a couple of feet away from them and in the middle of the cats was a huge coon standing in a "halloween cat" pose over the cats. THEN the dog barked, the coon ducked under a bush, I turned the dog loose and The Night of the Coon began. Dog barking at coon, coon moving around the yard, even when I shined a light on it it would just look back at me. Not normal coon behavior. I called the sheriff's office and was told an officer would be right out. That was about 10 at night. The coon went to sleep in a corner of some junk, the dog would go past it every so often with a burst of barking, the coon would just look at him and go back to sleep. Not wanting the coon to wonder off to some unknown place I stayed up waiting for the deputy that was to be here at any time. The deputy arrived just as dawn was breaking - said "they" were guarding the little town 10 miles south from looters (half the town had just been wiped off the map by a tornado) He looked at the coon, still sleeping, and said he would send out the animal control officer when he came on duty. This was after he stood talking boastful talk about all of his guns he had. Was he really trying to impress me? Ha He left and I decided if no one else cared if a possible hurt rabid coon was a threat, neither did I and went inside. Just started a cup of coffee when he knocked on the door and said animal control had the day off. He shot the coon and was then able to see the wounds the girls truck had caused and did not think it was rabid.

It all turned out ok, but if that had been a rabid coon chasing an old arthritic lady around her yard it could have been different and that is the info the sheriff's office was told. I think that if there were more than one officer at the town, one could have come the 10 minutes away to check things out although I am sure their donuts and coffee were probably good. I found out later by my DD, that works at the health dept; that the lady in charge of the dept that deals with rabid animals, takes any report of a rabid animal VERY serious. I could have caused the sheriff's dept a bit of trouble with that one. I know now for next time.

Living in the country can be interesting.

 

[Bunnylady]

Well, I am officially bummed.

Some friends of mine lost a miniature horse a week ago. She'd colicked almost a week previously, had seemed to have recovered, then a few days later developed other symptoms and was transported to the Vet school in Raleigh. Sadly, she passed away without them figuring out what was going on, and the necropsy was inconclusive.

I've just learned that they lost a second mini a couple of days ago. This one went from acting perfectly normal to dead in about 24 hours. They are thinking now that it looks like some kind of poisoning, possibly a toxic plant; they are watching their remaining mini very closely. The one they have left has had an ongoing problem with locking stifles; they have a farrier that comes about once a month to put glue-on shoes on his back feet to help his stride. They only got these minis about 6 months ago; they've had more than their share of frustration and heartache in a short time.

 

[Cynthia12]

SCG, do you have water in that bucket? You are supposed to put more water in it for the rats, or they can jump out. I thought that picture of the rat, was him/her, standing on the can. I was thinking..what? That is supposed to spin around. But I take it he was sitting on the wire? Ron is right, tonight!

Ferrets. Ferrets were the problem in the country area where we used to live. Had a whole flock killed, not eaten. They just kill and leave them. Not sure why they would think of a chicken as a contender for meals. If, that's why they do it.

 

[Stumpy]

Bunnylady, so sorry about your friend's minis. I hope they figure out the problem.

 

[ronott1]

SCG, do you have water in that bucket? You are supposed to put more water in it for the rats, or they can jump out. I thought that picture of the rat, was him/her, standing on the can. I was thinking..what? That is supposed to spin around. But I take it he was sitting on the wire? Ron is right, tonight!

Ferrets. Ferrets were the problem in the country area where we used to live. Had a whole flock killed, not eaten. They just kill and leave them. Not sure why they would think of a chicken as a contender for meals. If, that's why they do it.

Ferrets drink the blood and will sometimes eat the soft parts. I have read posts where all the chickens in the coop where dead in the corner, whole with bloody necks.

Quite sad and wasteful.

 

[gryeyes]

Skunks are also vampires - they will bite the throats of their victims and suck the blood, but leave the carcass. My former landlady had three full-grown geese killed this way. The skunk raised a family under her house until she was able to secure all the openings. (Poor woman, the smell permeated her clothing during mating season until the skunk family was eradicated.)

But as "cute" as skunklets are, they grow up to be varmints.