PREDATOR killed my chickens
- Thread starter ArkRescue
- Start date
cricketmd
Member
I would put money on Possums being the culprit. I've had this happen several times over the years. They leave half a chicken and move onto the next next. They are wasteful. Its bad enough they killed the chicken but its typical of them to leave the half eaten body around. "Opossums maul chickens beginning at the rear, while raccoons bite their heads off."
Appendix B: Control tips for common nuisance species in New York - Opossum
So sorry to hear about your chickens, Ark. That sucks. I remember when we lost about a dozen in one wack..but that turned out to be a dog that did it.
A 20 ga shotgun would be a good compromise for you, IMO. Enough load to quickly dispatch any predator, but without quite the kick of the 12 ga. My youngest started hunting with a 20 ga when he was only about 10 and weighed less than 100 pounds (skinny kid).
A 20 ga shotgun would be a good compromise for you, IMO. Enough load to quickly dispatch any predator, but without quite the kick of the 12 ga. My youngest started hunting with a 20 ga when he was only about 10 and weighed less than 100 pounds (skinny kid).
LordStanley
I know nothing
ArkRescue
Adopt me please !
I would put money on Possums being the culprit. I've had this happen several times over the years. They leave half a chicken and move onto the next next. They are wasteful. Its bad enough they killed the chicken but its typical of them to leave the half eaten body around. "Opossums maul chickens beginning at the rear, while raccoons bite their heads off."
Appendix B: Control tips for common nuisance species in New York - Opossum
These had their heads intact and the middle sections were eaten out. So maybe a possum huh? Darla was held down and eaten and she survived until found her and realized she was not going to recuperate so I killed her to end her suffering.
PrepH4U
New Member
ArkRescue
Adopt me please !
Oh I am so sorry
I'll probably lose 5 lbs due to this ordeal - I went to the grocery store and did not buy anything poultry at all.
ArkRescue
Adopt me please !
I believe I located and fixed 2 potential areas that a predator could get into the coop. I put a garden hoe and a step in post (has metal point to go into ground) in the coop for easy access in case it gets in again and I have to do battle with it. Hoping I can spear that sucker on the step in post?
I put trap cages all around the area and baited them with sardines and canned cat food (chicken flavor, hey it's what's for dinner right?). If it doesn't get sidetracked by easy food in the trap cages, I'm hoping one of the places I fixed was the access point so it gets frustrated not getting in and goes back to the trap cages for the easy food.
I will be checking and watching, believe me. If I hear even a peep in that coop, I will go in there and kill that thing. Since we all think it is an opossum, I need to be prepared to possibly get bitten as they are ferocious when cornered. I had a dog that was almost attacked by one he had cornered. I got there and pulled him away as the opossum was lunging at him.
I put trap cages all around the area and baited them with sardines and canned cat food (chicken flavor, hey it's what's for dinner right?). If it doesn't get sidetracked by easy food in the trap cages, I'm hoping one of the places I fixed was the access point so it gets frustrated not getting in and goes back to the trap cages for the easy food.
I will be checking and watching, believe me. If I hear even a peep in that coop, I will go in there and kill that thing. Since we all think it is an opossum, I need to be prepared to possibly get bitten as they are ferocious when cornered. I had a dog that was almost attacked by one he had cornered. I got there and pulled him away as the opossum was lunging at him.
thurley42
HY;FR
Hank
my war
Katelin
one day the dark will end
Think twice before you go trapping this time of year...many animals all ready have babies tucked away....
You trap and kill a momma fox, raccoon, you sentence the babies to death by starvation....a very painful and inhumane death.
Fix the holes in your coop, and lock up your chickens at night like many others do.
If you cant do that..go get a digital trail/hunting/remote camera from Wal Mart, set it up and SEE what is killing your chickens.
But for the sake of babies, don't go killing any females.
And shooting it is not going to solve the problem either.
Fix your pen and secure your chicks at night!
Hank
my war
Seriously.... Who cares if a fox, raccoon or a squirrel dies? They are diseased rodents!
Katelin
one day the dark will end
You really need to learn about the animals you live with...
Stick you hand in the face of an opossum and you WILL get nailed..AGAIN!
Opossums are the least aggressive of all ..
IF you find one, take a towel, toss it at its face, then as it tries to get the towel off, grab it by the tail, pick it up and move it away.....
It is a marsupial and you CAN pick them up by the tail without hurting them.
Opossums have 3 points of defense....
1. Open mouth and hiss and fluff up tongue, meant to scare you off..It is showing you its BIG teeth, all 50 of them!
2. Excrete green, nasty smelling liquid from anal glands..it smells so bad, you, the predator, wont eat it.
3. Plays dead, it now smells, it is drooling and you as a predator will not eat it..or even think about it!
Their brain is the size of your thumb, and they have a lousy sense of vision but an excellent sense of smell.
They LOVE eggs and will do what they can to get one or 2.....
So dont go killing one, just be smarted than one and MOVE it out of your way.
PS: They don't carry rabies..body temp is too low. So if you get bit, you should be OK.
You get rid of you local possum, skunks move in and they do carry rabies!!!
PrepH4U
New Member
So her chickens did not suffer a painful death? :shrug: Now I am not going to argue with you about wildlife as I know you have their best interests at heart.
But they are invading her habitat and endangering her livestock. We do not know if it is even a mom, it could be a male also.
I say she is within all rights to protect her property from the blood lusting predator. If my chicken coop developed a weakness and they got in and killed my chickens you can bet your sweet bippy I would be taking the predator out. She does not even know if it is a possum yet.
It is heart breaking to come upon a pet chicken that is still alive after it has been attacked. Been there done that!
Baja28
Obama destroyed America
Find whatever it is and KILL IT arkie!! ESPECIALLY if it has babies!!
ArkRescue
Adopt me please !
I will kill it. I had to kill my 5 year old rescue chicken Darla after finding her with most of her back and side eaten out while she was still alive
. I had to handle the remains of countless other dead chickens and another live one after these attacks. If I kill a female predator that has babies? I'm sure that some other critter will come along and eat those babies, isn't nature brutal yet wonderful? It's the cycle of life in the wild.
cricketmd
Member
I will kill it. I had to kill my 5 year old rescue chicken Darla after finding her with most of her back and side eaten out while she was still alive
I know where you are coming from. Many times over the years, I've had same thing. You think things are normal when you go out, then you go to let them out of the coop and see nothing but carnage. You're heart feels like its been kicked and your gut feels like it just dropped to the floor. *hugs* Its not a good feeling when you raise pet poultry! Good luck!! It can can only get better from here!
I'll be thinking of you and your pet chickens tonight!!