The Old Folks Home

[vehve]

No need to censor out "bunny".

Yeah, the personal space thing varies a bit... In China people come pretty close, luckily I'm tall enough to not be bothered by it.

 

[superchemicalgirl]

Another young Campine gone today. None of the traps were touched, the coop was locked up, and it still got in and killed a bird. I feel certain that it must be a young coon that can squeeze in through the 2x4 wire on the outside of the coop. I have gone over the entire exterior and there are no holes or gaps any bigger than that. I can't cover the entire outside with hardware cloth or other wire right now, I don't have the money. I am mulling over options. I am thinking of covering the outside with bird netting, waiting until it tears a hole in that, then setting a large rat trap under that hole. I am also thinking of chaining my big lab out by the coop to see if that will help. It would only be temporary, unless he killed whatever it is. I am getting really frustrated with this varmint. I will get it, one way or the other.

Wisher, you should get a game cam. At least you'll know what you're dealing with so you can make your trap as specific as possible (if your state laws allow that). If it was up here and squeezing into the small spaces into a coop I'd say it was a weasel family member. They're like a hot dog with legs and can pretty much fit through anything.

It was good to see Maddie's cute face this morning, I've missed her updates.

I took the day off today, hopefully I'll finish up the last of my "pre-winter" chores so I can spend the cold, rainy (and maybe snowy) weekend indoors curled up with my sewing machine. BF will be at work

(as much as I love him I won't have to feel guilty cheating on him with fabric)

 

[Wisher1000]

SCG - The kills don't look like I would expect from a mink (open at the neck and otherwise unmolested.)

The fleshy parts, breast, thighs, were eaten and a hole was opened into the body cavity. The internal organs were picked over. I would say a young possum, small enough to get in, but not big enough to take the larger birds. It could have been a young coon, but they usually eat the head. I suppose that if it is young enough, it may not be capable of crushing the skull, yet.

All the birds killed so far have been very small, but one. That one was not eaten at all but was stowed a short distance from the coop, but I think that was a different predator, a large coon that we got a pic of a few days ago. I have seen no evidence that the small predator is interested in the carcass once the kill is no longer fresh.

I have a game camera set up on the pop door and the traps. Nothing on the pics so far, except the coon. I will move it tonight. I mentioned to DH that I may have to put it inside the coop. Right now, I am keeping the chickens up because the traps are set. I plan to free range them tomorrow and put the traps inside the coop.

 

[Bunnylady]

Wisher, I hope you get this sorted soonest. Though we all know that occasional losses are just about inevitable, repeated losses to the same predator is crazy-making!

 

[superchemicalgirl]

Wisher is it happening by day or by night?

 

[chickadoodles]

Wisher I think your lab would get it if you left it out by the coop. It's their instinct to get those critters. I'm sorry you are losing your birds. I know how hard you have been working on them.

Keeping Maddie in my thoughts and prayers!

Hey everyone!

 

[bamadude]

Hi chicka

 

[hennible]

I definitely couldn't go to that haunted house. I have enough trouble going Christmas shopping without decking somebody - this would get me arrested for sure!  

 

[tnspursfan09]

Hi chicks! Morning dude.
I slept late this morning...didn't want to leave the warm blankets. Got woken up by DH slamming the door a dozen or so times. Apparently the cat spilled her water all over the floor and he slipped in it and busted his hiney. He was not a happy camper.
Sorry about your predator problems, wisher. I know how much those campiness mean to you. The only predators I've seen here are hawks. We have a few pairs that seem to stay in the area year round and more than a few migrating through right now. There are coyotes somewhere nearby because we can hear them singing at night, but I never see them.

 

[hennible]

Hi chicks! Morning dude.
I slept late this morning...didn't want to leave the warm blankets. Got woken up by DH slamming the door a dozen or so times. Apparently the cat spilled her water all over the floor and he slipped in it and busted his hiney. He was not a happy camper.
Sorry about your predator problems, wisher. I know how much those campiness mean to you. The only predators I've seen here are hawks. We have a few pairs that seem to stay in the area year round and more than a few migrating through right now. There are coyotes somewhere nearby because we can hear them singing at night, but I never see them.

Your DH is lucky it wasn't cat pee...
At my house DH always slips in ferret pee...