What would do this kind of damage? UPDATE POST #65!

[adgcountrygirl]

I don't know where you live, but I'd bet it's a wild hog. I'm from North Central Texas and the hogs around here are worse than when I was in high school. If my oldest dog is barking and growling in a "hateful" tone, I can promise you it's a hog he's smelling. Swine are strong and LOVE eggs. As a matter of fact, I had a hog hunter ask to buy 5 dozen eggs a day for hog bait for his traps. I nicely told him to bite me... He can buy eggs from the store. My girls work hard to provide food for people... not wild hogs!!!! I don't know how many hens he thinks I have, but it's a lot less than 5 dozen!!!

ANYHOW!!! Here's a picture of some wild pigs.... Look at the shape of them and compare them to the picture that was enhanced. That's about what they look like when they are trotting across a pasture. I could be wrong, because the animal is further away, but that would be my bet.

 

[zazouse]

I troo am from texas and hunt wild hogs and i assure you that is not a hog of any kind.

 

[Coop de Grille]

This is my neighbors dog. I'm pretty certain he is the blurry image in my other post. I don't think he is the one harrassing my chickens because my dog knows this dog well and wouldn't react that way towards him. But, he is the only thing I have caught on the cam so far.

 

[hokankai]

Oh yeah, that's a dog. And it looks like the previous picture so yeah it is a dog. But that isn't your predator, because that dog was out at 8pm and animals usually come out much later than that.

 

[animallover505]

MY cat is afraid of my chickens

 

[Phyrst]

This is my neighbors dog. I'm pretty certain he is the blurry image in my other post. I don't think he is the one harrassing my chickens because my dog knows this dog well and wouldn't react that way towards him. But, he is the only thing I have caught on the cam so far.

So the mystery continues and still no idea what is coming around. I hope you keep us posted - we're all so curious! Any word from the neighbor with the trap? Any more damage to your pen? Do you think a dog was to blame? I can't help thinking whatever it is will keep trying. I know wild hogs are reportedly all over now-a-days but I don't think they're a big pest in your area of South Carolina. Please keep sharing any pics you get on your trail cam.

 

[CluckyCharms]

That's definitely the dog in the previous cam snap, I agree. That's not a standard JRT though, unless perhaps it's a RCJRT? I've seen those in several shades.

I agree it's not the predator, especially if your dog is familiar and friendly with it.

I wonder though - perhaps the predator that keeps rousing your dog is also alerting your neighbor's dog and he too has begun coming over for inspection? =/ I'm thinking it's either a coon or an opossum (your troublemaker, not the snapshot).

 

[chestypuller]

boy maybe you should set out some snares and string it up! would like to see a good pic of it dead whatever it is.

i had a cat try to walk into my chicken run, i opened the house door to put it down and it took off like a rocket.

 

[Coop de Grille]

I moved the cam to a different tree to see if I can get a better pic. It seems like Odie comes around at the same time each night. My baby pen is on the left, you can see two of them roosting in there. The only other thing on any of the pics was my dog.

 

[Coop de Grille]

Something got one of my girls I came home today and noticed on the opposite side of the pen something dug up under the fence and there is a pile of feathers nearby. I got my SD card out of the game cam (which is on the other side of the coop) to see if I can find out what did it. I found this picture of one of my girls OUTSIDE of the pen, with Odie. He doesn't seem to be paying any attention to her, which is how he is when my girls are out free ranging. An hour later the cam got another shot of my chicken in the same spot. I really don't think it's Odie, but something definitely dug under the fence.



Innocent bystander or chicken thief??