Posted: 6/13/2011 6:48:56 PM EDT
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We have a moderate flock of chickens that we keep up, about 20-25. They have their own building that locks securely. Their coop opens up to a fenced area, fence is chain with 4x4 wood poles.
6 nights ago something killed 5 chickens, ate most of one 1, killed 1 and took three. 2 nights ago we lost another 3. I'm not sure what it is but its fairly big. Tonight i went out to lock them up and as i approached something ran back into the woods. It was fairly big because it broke some big branches on the ground and caused a fair amount of noise. Not sure what to do. Last night i stayed out at a distance with a rifle and waited for it but nothing showed. We have killed 3 possums in the past but they never touched the chickens, just the eggs. Live trap doesn't work and this thing appears to be too smart to get caught by us. Any help or comments appreciated. I think it could be a coyote, coon, possum or wild dog. No idea. |
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My bet is a coon.
A friend of mine has had chickens for many years; his coop has s/s chicken wire around it on five sides (overhead is fenced). the reinforced bottom of the fence is hurricane fencing buried 1 foot in the ground. I was visiting him one day and he showed me where a coon had been biting the fencing overhead trying to get into the coop; it widened the chicken wire quite a bit. He shot it off the top of the coop several nights later. |
| I have watched captive coons squeeze thru holes you would never imagine they could get thru. This is a good possibility. The biggest thing I had trouble with while living near a river in KY was wharf rats! They would come up at night pull one off the roost and eat the heads and legs. Nasty creatures. |
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What is the animals point of entry?
If using a single door set your live trap on an edge (fence line , bush line , side of the coop , garage etc). Make sure its firm and has NO WOBBLE. place the bair in the rear of the trap. If the animal is a bait stealer zip tie or wire it in. if using a double door set the main door as you would. do not set the back door. Drop door latch into place and bend the metal tabs around it. Then do the same as a single door. The sucess rate of theese traps is much lower than a true single door. They are shit and when customers give them to us I usually smash them so they arent usable and throw them in the dump. Atleast for us doing this as a business they are an utter waste of time and money As for bait. I personally use sardines in oil. You can drip a great scent trail with them, they are cheap and dont get washed out as bad from a light rain. The ring tab also makes them easier to wire or zip tie into the trap. Another bait that works well is marshmellows with a dab of penut butter on them. They are bright white and a good visual. I sometimes use them to sweeten a set. Another choice canbe to throw some old freezer burned chicken thighs into a pot and simmer. then reduce the broth and pour it in bottle with a squeeze top for doing a scent trail. If its climbing to get the birds its most likely a raccoon. If he has made a hole and your chickens do not have access to you can use a Conibear trap. It is a body grip trap. I run mostly 220s they are a double spring and I would reccomend purschasing a setter with it. As the springs need to be compressed. Saftey catches put on the springs then the trap needs to be set. places and safteys removed lastly. The trap needs some clear swing area and they are VERY DANGEROUS. Do not set one when home alone and make sure who ever is home knows how to use the setter tool and put the saftey catches on BEFORE you mess with it. They can and will break bones. You WILL NOT be able to get it off yourself alone. Men have died setting larger conibears for beaver alone. Ofcourse as stated sbove you can use a tried and true leghold trap but if you are not proficiant you wount have much sucess. Another Option.. which I have never used but they have been around for years is an egg trap. Little prick sticks his paw in it to get the food and it catches him. |
| Our neighbor had a raccoon problem with his coop a few years back. He rebuilt the run using hardware cloth instead of chicken wire. It was simply too tough for the predators to chew through even though they tried. He set it 12" underground fastened to T posts. Our soil is rather rocky so critters don't like tring to dig in it much. Certainly something they couldn't get throuigh in a night. The raccoons finally gave up after a few weeks and never returned. |