Worst predator for the south?

[TajMaChicken]

I'd have to agree with dogs as well. I lost three of my chickens in broad daylight to dogs. It makes me so mad. I own two Labs, one of which is a trained duck hunter. He knows the difference in the wild ones and his "siblings". My labs stay on my property and don't attack my neighbors pets, kids or anything else for that matter. If only my neighbors, kept control of theirs. Poor Evi, Betty & Henrietta! I miss them. Now it's only free range time when we are out in the yard.

 

[Chicken0Boy]

Thx all of you!

 

[ericsplls]

I also Vote dogs. I lost five hens last year in one attack. I obviously didn't have the door secure and when I saw it open when I got home I knew it was going to be bad. Five dead and one missing for a week. Bad thing is knowing they will be back. Just hoping I will be here when it happens. I did warn the neighbors that my property would soon be the land of no return for any dogs caught being aggressive toward the chickens. They must have believed me because I haven't seen alot of dogs lately.

 

[MaggieRae]

Dogs, hawks (I love the crows for keeping them away mostly, but I don't love the crowing competitions they get into with my rooster. Both are big, black birds and they both think they make the correct sound.

), coyotes, skunks(Come by a lot, but so far haven't been able to get in. I resist shooting those for obvious reasons), raccoons(mostly the mountain lion keeps these down) and... Well, I think I've named everything I've seen. I know there are others around, but I haven't seen them.

 

[A.T. Hagan]

I'd have to say a toss-up between dogs and coons. Coons are the harder problem to deal with.

.....Alan.

 

[ericsplls]

Coons can be tough to deal with. It's hard to get them to walk in a cage trap for a little corn or peanuts when there's a warm meal waiting on the roost.

 

[ruby]

The weasel families are the worst for me. There is no protection for them and they are hard to shoot. The worst loss I had was a mink, and a wild pig. the mink took six of my girls and the wild pig took them all but two. we shot him too! With a BIG gun. I also lost some teenage chicks to big rat snakes. I told all my neighbors when I built my pen, and made it clear if their dog came on my property I would shoot to kill. They all understood. One neighbor and I had a system, he let his dogs (5) out in the morning, and put them up in the afternoon and my girls enjoyed the afternoon. No problem.

They love my eggs too!

 

[ruby]

But I have caught in a live trap, raccoons, opossums. Had to shoot the coyote, that was sad. killed poisonous snakes, re-homed many rat snakes. My neighbor loves to put them in his barn. Just couldn't catch the mink, saw him though. And we had one young eagle roll a hen, no damage except to his ego.
The best bait I found to catch coons was wet smelly cat food. Caught 4 that way.

 

[nolable88]

Here in Pasadena CA I see raccoons, and possums in my back yard. How would i get rid of these? If i trap one what do i do with it

?? If they start getting too close to comfort i have no prob using my Smith & Wesson..

 

[Chicken0Boy]

Hoiw should I go about getting rid of these?