What type of predator.

[clownychick]

Ugh. This just happened to me - and I know it was a &^% raccoon, because I've been having nightly standoffs with them in the tree right outside the coop! Varmints scoot up the tree and then laugh at me. Big momma and her two little ones. I've set a bunch of Haveaheart traps, but the mom uses her little varmint hands to jiggle the outside just enough to trigger the release without her in it. Woke up Sunday morning to a complete massacre inside the coop...they must have gotten in through the roof somehow, I'm still cleaning up. My beloved barred rock had her head ripped off, and my little white leghorn was barely more than a shredded carcass, half pulled through the fenced wall. The metal heat lamp that was hanging from the ceiling (used only when it's super cold in the winter, we're in northern VT) was on the floor completely mangled, bulb shattered, blood and glass everywhere. Such a giant mess that I've taken the coop down to the studs, raked out everything, sprayed it all down with Neem Oil and am now putting things back together - with an extra $200 worth of hardware cloth. I'm thinking of attaching a motion light to the outside as well, or some kind of alarm so at least I might be able to run outside in time if I heard it...

 

[spoikey]

Try a different bait in the trap. I use something strong smelling like sardines.

 

[aart]

Quote: Curious @Rock Home Isle ...what's your secret(s) to successfully trapping fox using a live trap?

 

[Rock Home Isle]

Try a different bait in the trap. I use something strong smelling like sardines.

Here Is my recipe:
1 tin of sardines
2 cups of vegetable oil

Mix the sardines and vegetable oil in a blender until puraid completely. Then in a 5 gallon bucket mix the slurry thoroughly with about 10 pounds of dry dog food.

This makes a very good bait for most any predator that feeds on chickens.

If you are having trouble catching the predator that is being overly cautious, and there are no malfunctions of the trap itself, wire the trap open so that it cannot trigger and let the target animal hit the trap each night for about a week. Check the trap each day to ensure that the predator is visiting the cage trap, re-bait as needed.

After week, remove the wire and ensure that the trap is properly set. If the predator is hitting the trap regularly, you should have your chicken killer the next morning.

This approach works great for even those very cautious predators like foxes.

 

[Rock Home Isle]

Curious @Rock Home Isle
...what's your secret(s) to successfully trapping fox using a live trap?

Looks like you and I were posting at the same time.

For cautious predators like foxes, the trap has to be perfectly bedded, no wobble at all or a fox will not enter the trap. The trap needs to be wel weathered, just leave them outside and nature will do a great job. When handling the trap, always wear gloves, try not to touch the trap with bare hands.

Cautious predators are very challenging to stop from killing chickens.

Most foxes that become chicken killers are the young of the year that are just learning to hunt and provide for themselves. Chickens are an easy prey item for young foxes...

 

[aart]

Quote: Got any pics of your setup and successes?

 

[Rock Home Isle]

Got any pics of your setup and successes?

Can those really be posted here at BYC?

I could easily take about 20 minutes and put together a tutorial on setting a cage trap. But showing catches, that could offend some people. I'll have to check with BYC admin on that last one.

But making sets with box traps...fairly easy and very effective once you understand the principles of making the set and the behavior patterns of the predator that is killing your chickens.

 

[aart]

Quote: Have seen many pics of dead and trapped animals here on BYC....no problem, except some PETAers might troll and flame.
How many fox, red or gray, have you live trapped?

 

[Rock Home Isle]

Have seen many pics of dead and trapped animals here on BYC....no problem, except some PETAers might troll and flame.
How many fox, red or gray, have you live trapped?

Using a cage trap, to date I've taken 17 red fox. Most of them were surprise catches....

It's not a common thing, there are much better methods. But given enough time and an uneducated fox, I can usually do it with a cage trap....otherwise I'll go to other methods.

When going specifically after canines my choice: snares as a #1 choice; after that either coil springs or long springs. Coil springs are much more compact and can be used in a greater range of locations than long springs.

Hey aart, I referenced you in another thread...chicken missing it's head. Read the post above mine in that thread, I'd be interested in your opinion. It doesn't sound like chickens killing chickens, it sounds like a predator to me.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/1114175/struggling-to-get-new-chickens-integrated-help

Bottom page 1.

 

[clownychick]

That's a great idea. I was using leftover raw tuna, sometimes wet cat food - but I like the idea of it feeling all safe & then WHAMMO!!! That tail is MINE!!!

I literally spent all day basically wrapping my coop in hardware cloth. Also bought a lock with a key for the gate to the run. Since it's not done, I've been bringing my girls in at night - one ~10 week old rhode island red, and 6 BBS Orpington pullets = three giant plastic tubs on the floor of my 'foyer', 2 per tub except for one with 3, with concrete mesh & towels over the top for nite-nite time. It'll be nice to get them back in THEIR home! But I'm thinking...before I put them in, I may put some supermarket raw chicken in the coop when it's done, lock it all up for the night & see if anything tries to get in. If it does, a) I'll know what I need to fix, and b) at least it won't be my live chickens that got eaten.