What predator am I dealing with?

So sorry for you, Kari. Nothing more heartbreaking than to find your flock like this.

This sounds to me like either domestic dog, or weasel. Either one will kill, and then not eat their victims. Weasels can be problematic, as they can squeeze through extremely small gaps in fencing. Narrow hardware cloth will keep them out, but anything else they can get through.

Dogs can be the worst, though. When I was a young kid my parents lost our flock of Pekin Ducks to just one dog. It killed every one, but ate none of them. So in your case it could be either one. Both are clever, patient, and persistant.

After I had predator loss a few years back, I mounted motion activated lights, and trail cameras around my coops and run. Light helps discourage many of the predators, and cameras will let you know what is coming around, and what time. The predators are like human crooks - they case your place for a while, before they strike.

Once you ID what this is, you have the right way to deal with it. Shootin' iron, and a good dog.
I agree wholeheartedly.The only thing that kills for sport is a dog and weasels get so excited they'll kill everything too.I've heard Fisher cats and Minks are just as bad...
 
The cameras don't have to be too complicated or advanced. TASCO makes a simple 8MP trail camera that is sold at Walmart or on Amazon. At $28.88 it's a bargain, and you can pair it with a 32GB SD card that will only set you back $7.28. I started with wireless IP cameras, then went to more expensive trail cameras that promptly died during the first Tropical depression that came through. Then I settled on the TASCOs, and have used them without a problem for 2 years. The TASCO is simple, but bulletproof, due to the sealed one piece chassis design. The battery life is 6 months, shutter speed is 1 second, and recovery time of 5 seconds prevents multiple photos of the same image. Quality is HD. Many of the local hunters love them, due to simplicity, and the price. If it breaks, gets lost, or gets stolen, then you aren't out $100 dollars or more. They are also great in the coop if something is going on at night that you want to figure out. Come with a strap to hang them, which makes it easy to relocate them to different areas.

You do have to wade through the photos in the morning, but you get good at clicking quickly through them.
I'm so sorry for your loss Kari! I'm on a tight budget myself and will be picking up one of these myself.I hope you do too.If you live near water you likely have minks and weasels too They're basically the same thing (in the same family)Weasels are smaller depending on the species.They can squeeze thru a hole the size of a dime.
 
young fox will also kill for sport. I had fox issues a few times. Though when I found all my birds dead after being gone for a overnight camp highly suspect the neighbors dogs. They promptly moved, problem solved.

Sorry for your loss, it feels very devastating.
 
I have electric wires around my coops and pens and nothing has gotten past the hot wires. I realize you have kids but they will learn either to not touch the wires or you can put the electric wires on a timer to go on and off at a certain times. You're lucky you have not lost any birds while free ranging. I have lost some over the years so no longer free range but I have nice large pens for my birds. I love my cameras. Good luck...
We are experiencing a very determined animal. Tunnels into the run under the 2ft sunk hardware cloth every morning. No one hurt yet, but I am not sleeping. Could you please share your hot wire set up?
 
We are experiencing a very determined animal. Tunnels into the run under the 2ft sunk hardware cloth every morning. No one hurt yet, but I am not sleeping. Could you please share your hot wire set up?
We are experiencing a very determined animal. Tunnels into the run under the 2ft sunk hardware cloth every morning. No one hurt yet, but I am not sleeping. Could you please share your hot wire set up?
Curious what the diameter of the holes are .Are we talking small tunnels or big ones? Rats make tunnels too and could be looking for food.
 
It could be a fox, coyote, bobcat, dog. All will dig. I also have several game cameras up on my property. Mostly pointing towards the coops and pens. I see predators on at least one camera most nights. Lately it's been a fox.
 
We are experiencing a very determined animal. Tunnels into the run under the 2ft sunk hardware cloth every morning. No one hurt yet, but I am not sleeping. Could you please share your hot wire set up?
This is one side of my pens. I use poly rope wire and a good powerful AC fence charger. I have my ground rod in a drip line next to one of the coops. I do have a cut-off switch at the coop under the fence charger so I can turn off the power there but usually just unplug it where it's plugged into the barn which is right behind the coops. It will hurt when touching the wires but that is the idea. I want predators that touch the wires to hurt so they will remember. I actually think the adults teach their young that a bird isn't worth getting zapped for. Good luck...
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