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- #11
Sigh. You're right, @DuckWhisperer06 .
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Okay but ... GRAPHIC.
Apparently we caught the culprit mid-crime. The body was lying on the near side of the fence, right up against it. It appeared to have been decapitated. I picked her up and realized she was still limp and warm, and as I moved her air came out of her lungs and she made a sound like a cross between a cluck and a long moan. I knew she was not alive, I have heard this sound from decapitated roosters before. Her neck was scalped of feathers but her head was still attached, though on the other side of the fence. The hole her head had gone through was bloody and had feathers on it, as though there had been quite a struggle. The bird did not fit through the opening as her wings would have prevented her going through.
As I said elsewhere, this is our second loss in three days. I have 23 birds left. I can borrow a shotgun if I have to.
Eta: I don't want to take a shotgun to a skunk! We didn't smell skunk. We also have possum in the area.
If you were withing easy traveling I would come and do the job for you. Missouri is a long walk from here, especially carrying all my tools.@Shadrach the problem is it's an old fence, with vegetation, even trees growing up around and even through it. This ain't gonna be an easy fix.
Thanks, Shad. Your tribes would miss you! I think the elimination solution is going to serve us best. Dagnabbit,* we have not lost a hen in three or four years, and in 8 years have probably lost only 3 to ground predators ... we lost a couple of hatchlings to hawks last year but there's not much one can do about that. Thanks for your support.
*forgive my strong language, I don't often swear, but this just makes me mad and frustrated and sad.
The fence is about 4' high.
My question is, what predator is small enough to fit through 2x4" welded wire fencing, is about a foot tall, and strikes at twilight? This predator was unable to get the bird back through the fence.
As I said elsewhere, this is our second loss in three days. I have 23 birds left. I can borrow a shotgun if I have to.
Eta: I don't want to take a shotgun to a skunk! We didn't smell skunk. We also have possum in the area.
I think someone that traps all the time like @roosterhavoc or @OhZark Biddies would be better suited to answer your questions/give you suggestions.I guess I will sit outside in the run around roosting time to see what I can see and run "it" off, whatever "it" is. Rather discourage it than shoot it anyway. So far my poll is running 50-50 raccoon vs fox, with only two votes.
@Wyorp Rock , what do you think?
@Henriettamom919
@Shadrach opinions please? Who else?
@OhZark Biddies
it's a fairly enormous run ...he would have to run a quarter of a mile ...
It really sounds like a raccoon to me.I guess I will sit outside in the run around roosting time to see what I can see and run "it" off, whatever "it" is. Rather discourage it than shoot it anyway. So far my poll is running 50-50 raccoon vs fox, with only two votes.
@Wyorp Rock , what do you think?
@Henriettamom919
@Shadrach opinions please? Who else?