Predator problem

[Guest]

I\'ve lost 5 Plymouth Rock bantams over a period of a month.  The attacks occur at night time.  All that\'s left in the morning is a partially eaten carcass.  Sometimes head is missing and internals are gone.  There are no entries from the outside big enough for a raccoon, skunk, or opossum to get into the pen.  However, I suppose if one of these critters were clever enough; they could climb to the top of the barn doors, go up to the rafters, crawl over and go in that way; the pen is open about a foot from the roof.  I\'ve set live traps, but, haven\'t caught anything.  The only other critters I could think of were weasels or rats, but the scene of the crime doesn\'t fit those... thanks for any input or suggestions.  

Mark

[bryngyld]

You know, I had an young great horned owl that ate like that.  He also often ate the breast only.  One morning he was sitting on the roost with the other chickens.  He was rehomed.  ^_^

[Guest]

It very well could be a weasel/mink. And you wont catch it very easy. You should use mink or weasel lure. And they like fresh bait.
 Raccoons climb very well, but there noramlly easy to catch with sardines.
 Use a steel leg trap 1-1/2 duke. Dont put the bait right on the trap. Put the bait in a corner and the trap before the bait, about 5\" away or set this leg trap somewhere around a small creek if there is one near your home, hopefully other pets wont be caught useing this method..
Sorry to here about your loss..

Best of luck
Charlie

[Johnny Parks]

The best thing you could do for yourself to handle this problem is to go to The Home Depot and purchase a live bait trap big enough to catch a raccoon.  I paid less than $50.00 for my trap.  I had the same problem, just about wiped my flocks out.  This was the best thing I could have done to save my birds.  I\'ve had the trap for about two years now and I have relocated 15 raccoons, close to 90 possums, and about 13 skunks.  My statistics show that I had a possum problem mainly.  This has solved my critter problems!!!  I had to shoot the skunks through the wire trap with a 22 rifle.  That was not a pleasant experience at all!  Luckly, this all happened far enough away from the house.  Oh yea, when baiting the trap, I\'ve found that \"fried bacon\" or any scrap meat can not be resisted!!!  Gets them ever time.  Hope this idea helps!  I bet the possums are the main culprit, and yes they can climb well enough and are \"smart\" and hungry enough to get into the opening you spoke of in your e-massage.  Good luck!  

[Guest]

As for useing live traps, depends on where you live.
Some states dont allow release of trapped animals just anywhere or at all..  
You may also be giving some one else a problem by releaseing them somewhere else..  depends how far you release if you can, they may return..

Use your judgement..

Best of luck
Charlie

[John]

I agree with most of what Johnny said, but believe the .22 should be used on all of them and relocate them to holes in the ground.
I lost 18 birds one night a few years ago to coons.  The coop and pen were momma coon proof, but the youngsters climbed up, over and thru.  What a mess.  
There are some predators that Big Brother wants amnesty for.  In these situations don\'t relate the stories, remember - Shot, Shovel and Shut up.

[Guest]

Update:  At 1:00am in the morning, I went into the barn and found my kid\'s small cat prowling around the pen.  I had caged all of the bantam Rocks in display cages the day before.  The cat was sticking its paws into the cages as the birds slept.  As I look back, the problem started about the time my daughter brought the \"kitten\" home.  Anyone else think that a young cat could take out a bantam chicken that is bigger it is?  Incidentally, none of my large fowl Leghorns or Hamburgs were touched; just the Rocks and 2 young Rhode Island Reds.  By the way, thanks to everyone for your suggestions, I am taking extra precautions just in case it isn\'t the cat.  

Mark

[Guest]

The solution we tried as an expermant has worked for 6 years now without any further preditor loss in the shed, Have had a few dog attacks outside). we put a light in the shed not a bright light, but one that lets the hens wake up enough to move away from preditors, (thye are sucessfull in attacking the birds at night because fowl are sound slepers and don;t move even when disturbed in the dark.), the light alows them to wake up enought o just walk away from the problem...plus has the added bonus of sustained egg production in winter. Our birds are pastured, and go out even in winter if the chose, but at night the usualy return to the shed to sleep, drawn by th light, and perhaps the recognise it as a safty measure too. only the turkeys refuse to go in in good weather, but as soon as the snow covers their roose, they too submit to the shed safty.

[Guest]

One way to stop attacks is to close your coop up every nite.
As we do,
 however my wild pheasants and turkeys are in flight pens and will not enter a coop.
So, i always keep my steel set and keep fresh bait out. I lost a few mutation pheasants in the summer months and finally put the traps out and ended the problems. Now i plan to always keep some steel set around my property year round.

Charlie