Who ate the chickens?

[alexroussos]

Some one recommended DON'T use have a heart, I will see if I can find a link to one of the threads. Not the same predator maybe, but still good recommendations. Are you prepared to dispense of the of the trapped predator properly, which does not include relocation? And make sure the hardware cloth is secured properly or not with staples to be more specific.

Thanks, I was planning to staple but I just checked out some other threads on here about using screws + washers or a piece of trim over it. I assume that's what you're talking about but correct me if not.

My plan is to euthanize it with CO2 since I already have tanks of it for my beer fridge. I'll check the local regs first but that sounds like the most humane method.

 

[alexroussos]

I've been reccomending not to use Havahart brand cage trap, or even that style of cage trap. If you already have the Havahart trap, then by all means use it. But if you need to buy a new trap, then get a better designed cage trap.

Here is the reason: I had a big killer raccoon push out of a Havahart cage trap. Once that happened, every animal after that was able to push out of the trap...I had to throw that trap away. I finally caught that raccoon, but he was very trap shy after being caught and it took along time to solve that problem. When I finally htrapped im, he weighed in at ~50 lbs, and Barely fit into a cage trap. That animal taught me to catch them the first time, and use the best quality trap that you can find.

True it was only one animal...but it was a very destructive animal before it was finally caught. I spent way more time dealing with the critter than I needed to, had I used a better trap to begin with, the issue would have been resolved much sooner.

This design right here Is the trap that I use now...I have never caught a raccoon that could push out of this design....even that big bruiser raccoon could not push out of this trap.

Jeez that's a big trap. Guess you need to have room to make sure the raccoon is all the way in before it triggers so the door can close. Do you remember the brand? I'll do some poking around on the forums tonight since I bet there's a good bit of knowledge out there on these

 

[Rock Home Isle]

I read your post right after you made it this morning and I've been pondering it all morning.

It actually looks like it could be a mink or weasel....but there is too much of the chicken eaten. It is something big...bigger than either of those two.

Then I read the Fisher suggestion, and that would fit.

If it is a Fisher and you are using a cage trap, you will need to catch it the first time. If it gets out of the trap and escapes...it'll never go into another cage trap. They become trap shy very quickly.

But that's OK...if it happens, then you get a 110 conibear, and I'll explain how to make a tree set designed to take Fisher & Pine Marten. It's a simple set, and it's off the ground, so pets, kids and chickens will stay out of it. But the set will kill whatever gets into the trap...

 

[Rock Home Isle]

Jeez that's a big trap. Guess you need to have room to make sure the raccoon is all the way in before it triggers so the door can close. Do you remember the brand? I'll do some poking around on the forums tonight since I bet there's a good bit of knowledge out there on these

The trap pictured is a medium sized cage trap, 30" X 12" X 12". Duke makes a comparable trap...it's their heavy duty model...let me find a link and post it.

 

[Rock Home Isle]

Here's a site that has the Duke trap...not cheap, but quality never is...if you look around, you'll probably find it for cheaper.

http://www.flemingtraps.com/duke-animal-trap--large-heavy-duty.html

I got rid of my Havart traps, garage-saled them long ago. I replaced them with 15 of these traps, they have never failed me ever.

I even caught a couple badgers, and they stayed till I arrived. Very surprised to see a badger in a cage trap. They can really destroy a set location.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Thanks, I was planning to staple but I just checked out some other threads on here about using screws + washers or a piece of trim over it. I assume that's what you're talking about but correct me if not.

My plan is to euthanize it with CO2 since I already have tanks of it for my beer fridge. I'll check the local regs first but that sounds like the most humane method.

Yes, that's what I was talking about with the staples.

I read some Co2 stuff, what I wonder is .... it's actually carbon monoxide that kills easily, does carbon dioxide also do that?

 

[Rock Home Isle]

Take a big empty trash can and pump the Carbon Dioxide (CO2) into the container...it has a higher density than air and will fill the container. Forcing the atmospheric air out.

Drop the critter in the container and they will asphyxiate in short order. When you are done, knock the container over to allow the CO2 to disperse away.

You absolutely do not want to keep this stuff around in a container if you don't have too. If a child were to jump in there....OMG!!!. So dump it when you're done with it.

Here's a nice trick...

Even if a predator is trap shy and will not enter a trap....a lot of times they will still go right up to the mouth of the trap, they just won't go in.

If I think this is happening, but the ground is hard or there is too much leaf litter to allow me to check for sign, then I'll dig a shallow depression in front of the cage trap, right at the mouth, maybe 13 or 14 inches across and fill it with play sand. Any critter that comes by will leave their prints in that play sand. You'll get perfect animal tracks, and it's easy to erase, just smooth it out each day.

This will work around the coop and run as well, when you are trying to figure out how the heck are they getting in...or what the heck is killing my chickens. Play sand at key locations will give you all you need to identify the perpetrator.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Take a big empty trash can and pump the Carbon Dioxide (CO2) into the container...it has a higher density than air and will fill the container. Forcing the atmospheric air out.

Drop the critter in the container and they will asphyxiate in short order. When you are done, knock the container over to allow the CO2 to disperse away.

You absolutely do not want to keep this stuff around in a container if you don't have too. If a child were to jump in there....OMG!!!. So dump it when you're done with it.

Here's a nice trick...

Even if a predator is trap shy and will not enter a trap....a lot of times they will still go right up to the mouth of the trap, they just won't go in.

If I think this is happening, but the ground is hard or there is too much leaf litter to allow me to check for sign, then I'll dig a shallow depression in front of the cage trap, right at the mouth, maybe 13 or 14 inches across and fill it with play sand. Any critter that comes by will leave their prints in that play sand. You'll get perfect animal tracks, and it's easy to erase, just smooth it out each day.

This will work around the coop and run as well, when you are trying to figure out how the heck are they getting in...or what the heck is killing my chickens. Play sand at key locations will give you all you need to identify the perpetrator.

So is that really any different than drowning them? (asking sincerely, not rudely.)

 

[Rock Home Isle]

So is that really any different than drowning them? (asking sincerely, not rudely.)

In my opinion, probably not...though it less stressful on the animal than drowning. They don't struggle, they just go to sleep. It is, however, the only method of dispatch approved by the Humane Society...if that means anything.

 

[chickengeorgeto]

I discovered the remains of two chickens yesterday. Here are the facts (and some photos, sorry they're a bit grisly).
- 2 chickens (out of 6) were killed on the same night (I discovered them 2 days later so it could've been one each night, but mother-in-law later said she hear "animal fighting sounds" on one night so I'm assuming it all took place then)

- The chickens sleep up in the rafters of the coop so I believe whatever attacked them was able to climb and get them out of the rafters
- Only wings and feet were left in the yard, no heads, neck or chest. Something picked the wings/feet clean on site and then ran off with the remainder of the carcass. Bones were broken in half (see photos)
- I found several paw prints on one of the windows (see photos). The windows tilt inwards at about a 45 degree angle forming a sort of ramp once you climb the cedar shakes on the exterior. I can only see 4 toes on any of the prints and no claw marks. They are small, maybe 1" across. The way the toes are almost in line with one another to me suggests something cat-like, whereas dogs and foxes tend to have the outer toes set back more (based on a little googling, not any actual expertise).
- I live in Bedford NY. We're abutting a wildlife preserve so it wouldn't surprise me if there were a lot of wild animals in there but I haven't heard of there being any large cats.

After typing this out, I'm starting to lean less towards raccoon/opossum and more toward a cat... What do you guys think?

Notice that the bones are still connected or articulated and that the flesh has been stripped off the carcass. That is a sure sign of a hawk or maybe a great horned owl..