Which Way to go?

[rlshepard]

I'm losing birds to predators. Early on it was Opossums and Raccoons, I installed an automatic chicken door for the coop and lit the perimeter with two strands of electric fence. that seemed to solve that problem, not losing birds in the nighttime anymore. Now I have a new problem and I haven't figured it out.

I thought it might be owls or hawks, seen both around, and it's getting dark earlier. whatever it is, it's devastating my flock, down to 4 birds (had 7 last Friday) what ever it is, I can see where it climbed the fence with an 6 month old brahma hen in tow, I'm guessing owls or hawks would just carry her off... whatever it was it was committed cause she was not small and didn't quietly. there was a trail of feathers...

I thinking predator urine is the way to go? anybody have any experience with this? Should I post a trail cam and try to figure it out? or is there a single predator urine sent that will cut a broad swipe through the mid sized predators? at this point I'm thinking it must a feral cat or fox but we've had bobcats in the area and I maybe a racoon or opossum got hungry enough to power past the electric fence.... I hate the idea of penning the birds up, love to let them range but I'm tired if feeding the predators.... I leaning towards buying a game camera unless there is a simpler more universal solution.

Let me know your thoughts.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Buy a game camera than you will know. My guess would be a coyote if it's in daylight. How tall of a fence is it going over?

 

[Folly's place]

So sorry! A trail cam would be great, and meanwhile, keep your birds locked in their safe coop, and set live traps, and be ready! Mary

 

[Howard E]

Are you sure your electric fence is still hot and working properly? If built right, and it is working right, no predator is going to be able to ignore it. No chicken is worth that.

 

[centrarchid]

Picture of two strands showing spacing and distance from ground. I use a minimum of three strands. Then make certain fence hot. Some predators like Red Fox, Coyotes and my dogs can jump over fences with little trouble if they are encountered enough and there are obvious rewards for doing it. My students can do it with no reward other than feeding ego.

Picture of tree and its proximity to fence needed.

Hawks, nor Great-horned Owl, likely to be able to pack off a 6 month old Brahma pullet as too heavy. Feather trail associated with struggle and bird being packed off most consistent with fox or sometimes raccoon. Raccoon usually do not pack a carcass far but there are exceptions.

 

[Howard E]

To the OP, please clarify. These losses are during the light of day? And while birds are out and about, ranging around? But inside the protection of an electric fence during the day? If so, please describe or photograph (or both) your electric fence setup and/or wherever route it was the predator used to escape with the bird.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I agree we need more information on when the loses occurred, what the fence looks like (height, fencing materials) and how the electric wires are connected/grounded. Do you have a tester, how hot is it?

Setting up a trail cam would be a great way to identify the predator. It's always a lot easier to deal with something if you know what you are dealing with. You said it climbed the fence with that Brahma. Ho do you know that it climbed instead of jumped over? For something in Missouri that could climb a fence with a 6 month old Brahma pullet my first thoughts go to a bobcat or maybe fox but it's not always good to assume.

Another way to possibly identify it are by tracks or scat. If you can locate scat there are several internet sites that can help identify it. Maybe you can get clear tracks by sprinkling flour on level ground or some surfaces.

 

[rlshepard]

Thanks for all the responses guys.

The primary fence is 6 ft chain link, around the outside are two strands of electric fence the first about 6 inches off the ground and the second about 10 inches above the first, it off the chain link about 10 -12 inches. Not against going with another stand further up but no confident it will help.



I hate to take out that tree that is grown into the fence, the girls love to hang out under there during the hot summer, I might just have to remove it and build them a tent or something....

Whatever is doing this seems to be doing it in the twilight morning hours, when I leave about 6:30am all is fine, when my wife looked out this morning about 8am we'd lost another bird, and trail of feathers leading to the same spot of the fence and feathers all up and down the fence. The interesting part is that I can find no evidence of the carcass, no blood, no bones nothing but a pile of feathers.

I don't think it's Racoons, it just doesn't seem like that, I've delt with racoons and they don't tend to be this methodical, what ever is doing this seems to be waiting for the chicken coop door to open and then plucking one chicken and then taking off.

Trail cam will be here tomorrow, until then the coop door will not be opening the buffet is closed....

As far as scat goes, I have chickens, turkeys and goats in the yard so no shortage of scat, not finding anything unusual in that regard, and nothing out side the fence for a good distance its very mysterious whatever this beast is...

I have a feeling its some kind of feline...

 

[Ridgerunner]

So whatever it is (I still think bobcat first, fox second) is getting in at the tree. You know what you have to do there. My guess is that it is somehow climbing the tree and not getting grounded when or if it touches a hot wire.

How is the wiring set up on the electric fence? Have you tested it to see that the hot wire is hot and the chain link fence is a proper ground? Are you sure it has not shorted out? To shock the animal you have to complete the circuit. The animal has to touch the hot wire and the ground at the same time.

Their fur could possibly insulate them so they may have to touch both with a part that is not covered with fur. That would most likely be the nose, tongue, or the bottoms of the feet. I use electric netting, not hot wire like you are doing so I’ll ask Howard and the others that use a hot wire, is 10” too far out? Should the hot wire be closer to the fence, assuming the fence is the ground?

 

[Howard E]

The tree/brush growing in that fence presents a difficult problem. All trees that span over a fence create a problem for you if they form a canopy that enables the varmint to get past the fence by going up one tree, over the fence and down the other tree into the protected area. Your predator may be doing exactly that, although in the bush photo, I don't see the electric fence wires, so can't tell how they are getting past them.

If you were to cut down the outside bush/ tree, so it has to climb the chain link fence, then have a hot wire at the top outside.......about 6 inches or so off the chain link fence.....something it will either have to step on or grasp to get over, or else try to squeeze past......that may get them shocked while still on the outside of the fence. Or maybe 2 hot wires at the top......one 2 inches away from the chain link fence and another 6 inches or so off that. It would likely then try to crawl through two hot wires while clinging to the chain link fence and getting zapped in the face in the process. To take any mystery out of it, go ahead and tie the fencers ground wire to the chain link fence so you know the chain link fence is a direct ground to the hot wire. That won't hurt a thing and will greatly enhance your ground connection anyway.

Also, don't know about yours, but on my chain link fence, all manner of varmints are able to go under it.........it only takes a dip of a couple inches to do so........I've seen them go under it so fast they barely slow down. It may be possible they are going under it as well as over it.

On my large fenced in area, one side has a woven wire livestock fence on it. I had the option of hanging my electric fence on it, but didn't. Instead, I moved the electric fence 18 inches or so inside the fence and put the 4 wires on step in posts inside the livestock fence. Lowest is only 5 inches or so off the deck and highest about 20 or so above the ground......no option to get past it other than to jump over it. Creates a double fence or a small tunnel between the two. Any varmint that comes through.....they almost always crawl through it.......the livestock fence gets trapped between the two and will get hammered multiple times as it tries to find an escape route.

BTW, taking a single bird and leaving only some feathers......no other trace.....is usually the work of a fox. But I can't see a fox climbing a tree/fence like that, so a bobcat also seems likely. The game camera will help. If your game camera shoots video, you may want to aim it at the bush to see how it is getting over. Also, since it has been trained to be present with the door opens, you have a good idea as to the time it arrives. Either be present to watch and video or setup a sniping position nearby to take him out.