Who ate the chickens?

[carlf]

Use a .22. One note, fishers are a regulated and/protected species. Might want to check state regs and or try to get a predation permit

 

[alexroussos]

I ordered the Duke trap that Rock Home Isle mentioned. Just arrived and hopefully I'll bait it tonight. Whatever it is is still prowling and digging under the fence around the chicken yard.

 

[alexroussos]

One note, fishers are a regulated and/protected species. Might want to check state regs and or try to get a predation permit

You're right about that. You need a permit from the Dept of Environmental Conservation if you live in NYS according to their list of nuisance animals (http://www.dec.ny.gov/animals/81531.html). Guess I'll give them a call

 

[Rock Home Isle]

I'm very interested to see what it is that you catch...post images.

 

[alexroussos]

First night I set the trap, something triggered it and the trap was a few feet away from where I'd set it but empty. I think something didn't know how to get the bait (some slightly rancid summer sausage) and dragged the trap causing it to trip.

Second night I came out at about 10:30 PM (a little too late apparently) to shut the coop hatch and found this one dead. Different MO than before, something just ate the neck this time. I baited the trap using the head and neck of the dead chicken and put a bale of shavings on top to weight it down.



In the morning, I found this feral cat in my trap. Mysteriously, the ~ 1 lb of rancid summer sausage was gone. I'm surprised if it ate that much without getting sick (from rancidness but also from the amount of fat) but perhaps that's what it takes to make it as a wild animal. I can't imagine how something would've gotten the sausage out without triggering it so I guess it was the cat.


I have not caught anything the past two nights. Bait is currently a chicken thigh bone that I'd cooked a few nights ago and eaten the meat off of. May try some raw chicken or read up on the subject of baiting traps for various types of animals, as I have not had time to do any real research.

Will update next time I get something!

 

[carlf]

Given the neck injury, it very well could have been that cat.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

First night I set the trap, something triggered it and the trap was a few feet away from where I'd set it but empty. I think something didn't know how to get the bait (some slightly rancid summer sausage) and dragged the trap causing it to trip.

Second night I came out at about 10:30 PM (a little too late apparently) to shut the coop hatch and found this one dead. Different MO than before, something just ate the neck this time. I baited the trap using the head and neck of the dead chicken and put a bale of shavings on top to weight it down.



In the morning, I found this feral cat in my trap. Mysteriously, the ~ 1 lb of rancid summer sausage was gone. I'm surprised if it ate that much without getting sick (from rancidness but also from the amount of fat) but perhaps that's what it takes to make it as a wild animal. I can't imagine how something would've gotten the sausage out without triggering it so I guess it was the cat.


I have not caught anything the past two nights. Bait is currently a chicken thigh bone that I'd cooked a few nights ago and eaten the meat off of. May try some raw chicken or read up on the subject of baiting traps for various types of animals, as I have not had time to do any real research.

Will update next time I get something!

Where did you find that one dead and how were the rest of the birds acting? Are you sure the cat is feral? I have a hard time seeing in pics, but it doesn't look that raggedy. And I would expect it to have some kind of lethargy after gorging like that if it WAS the cat that ate the sausage. Did you dispense the presumed chicken predator?

The mystery deepens for me.... I will be following.

 

[AshlyMommaWard]

Following. Although I'm thinking you've got multiple predators and even more creatures causing around possibly messing with traps that aren't after birds.
No one else has come to this conclusion, but yes, if there were two days possibly between kills and discovery, the other birds definitely could have cleaned up those carcass a bit more.
I'm definitely not leaning towards cat for the first crime, it didn't rip limb from limb. Could have committed second, but a cat that Hungary would've eaten more.. probably small animal on second kill, larger animal first kill. Not chalking either up to that cat, but that's just my opinion.

 

[ellenscoop]

Oh that is awful, I am so sorry for your loss Have you used PoultryDVM's Poultry Predator Identification Tool yet? It was pretty useful for me, here is a link - http://www.poultrydvm.com/predator-identifier.php

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Following. Although I'm thinking you've got multiple predators and even more creatures causing around possibly messing with traps that aren't after birds.
No one else has come to this conclusion, but yes, if there were two days possibly between kills and discovery, the other birds definitely could have cleaned up those carcass a bit more.
I'm definitely not leaning towards cat for the first crime, it didn't rip limb from limb. Could have committed second, but a cat that Hungary would've eaten more.. probably small animal on second kill, larger animal first kill. Not chalking either up to that cat, but that's just my opinion.

I actually do think that's a possibility as well. Think the cat was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. They will usually go after smaller prey.