well, after 2 years they found us-update-photo

[duck walk]

I have a very large raccoon and he has taken 3 hens in 2 nights...I saw him at 4 a.m. but the geese were in the line of fire and I could not shoot him...working at finding a trap today and will either be up all night armed and dangerous or setting a trap and sleeping with one ear open...the sob got Mattie, my Brown Leghorn hen who survived the dog attack and had 1 and 1/3 wings...she was very precious to me...I will get the raccoon and his entire family...it is on...

 

[Shiningfeather]

So sorry for your loss.

Happy Hunting!

 

[SilkieTime]

Mattie RIP so sorry

 

[duck walk]

located a live trap to borrow and am picking it up in the morning, which means I will be up tonight minding the flock...

 

[briana1975]

Good luck and I hope everyone is safe tonight.

 

[AngieChick]

So sorry about your loss.

I would say it's definitely time to go over your coop setup with a fine tooth comb to make sure it's predator resistant. If you need advice on this you can post pics of your setup, there are some amazingly knowledgeable members on this board and I'm sure there will be a method that will work for you in the long term.

Unfortunately, raccoons are pernicious and there will always be more to take the place of any killed.

 

[mychooks]

Yep, I was becoming complacent about predators. This AM, my new adult and very tame p cock was out there...headless. Must have been a fox. I was sure he would be roosting high with the others, aparently not. I have just been out there in the dark making sure that everyone is high up or shut in. There was me admiring a beautiful great horned owl the other day. The predators are worrying, 'specialy as I dont believe in killing them.....

 

[CityChook]

I'm no expert, but I think once they find an easy food source, they'll just keep returning until it's depleted. I'm really sorry to hear about the loss of your sweet Mattie.

With preds, my attitude is that these are MY CHICKENS and anyone that encroaches on that will pay a dear price.... in lead.

 

[chookchick]

Very sorry to hear about your loss, hope you get that coon and any of his cohorts. Could you please tell us how he got to them, educate us from your tragedy? I worry constantly about the coons around here, though I haven't had problems (yet!).

 

[duck walk]

holy moly...no 'coon but in four nights I have trapped 3 large 'possums...the total on dead birds is 11 over the past 2 1/2 months...when they got Mattie it was the end of the line for my passive attitude about sharing the ground with the natives...same with the snakes in the nest boxes with egg filled tummies...there are no flashing neon signs out there declaring this a diner for the natives...they can find every nook and crannie and I am spending lots of time and bucks making Fort Knox out there so I can keep my birds...I just did not think about having to have a fortress for them, but I am getting there...I am sure it is just a matter of time before the foxes show up to have duck dinner...they are in a large grassed lot at the moment but will be moving into the old dog kennels for the winter when there are no more greens and bugs to be had...then we go to peas and crickets...and rolled oats and duck food...they are so rotten but they are MINE and the wildlife can eat elsewhere...I am over run with wild rabbits...they can eat those...done ranting...