PREDATOR killed my chickens

itsbob

itsbob

I bowl overhand
Baja28 said:
Tell me what you're trying to do (electrical) and I can analyze it, make suggestions and tell you if what you have will work. I don't have time to do the install but will stop by and inspect the installation.
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You should inspect my work, make BadGirl feel better about her house not burning down!!
 
ArkRescue

ArkRescue

Adopt me please !
Here are a few of the chickens that survived the carnage. The 2 buff colored ones are rescues (Buff Orpington crosses I think) and the zebra looking one is barred Plymouth Rock, the gray one is a Blue Andalusian, and the black one is a Black Jersey Giant.
 

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ArkRescue

ArkRescue

Adopt me please !
idiganthro said:
Pretty!!
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I seem to have a passion for chickens. Interestingly I don't come across rescue chickens often, I wonder why?

We are still trying to find someone with carpentry/farm knowledge to help fix the pens up better. You'd think with the bad economy we'd be able to find people more easily looking to make some extra cash? I'll add a picture of Sweetie too. Sweetie is a Brown Leghorn.
 

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J

jedi2814

New Member
ArkRescue said:
I seem to have a passion for chickens. Interestingly I don't come across rescue chickens often, I wonder why?

We are still trying to find someone with carpentry/farm knowledge to help fix the pens up better. You'd think with the bad economy we'd be able to find people more easily looking to make some extra cash? I'll add a picture of Sweetie too. Sweetie is a Brown Leghorn.
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Despite what the other idiot said if you have chickens you will have predators and if AIR can get in your pen they will eventually find a way in. Since you mention it ate the egg you left that points to racoon or possum and since you haven't caught it yet I'm thinking racoon. They are VERY difficult to trap; if you've caught them in a cage trap before you were lucky. Possums are pretty stupid and trapped easily. Usually once the offending animal is neutralized you are ok for a time. My chickens now roost at night in houses with floors and I close them up, but you still have to have ventilation so there are windows which are pretty high off the ground. It doesn't happen often, but there are times when a racoon gets in the house through one of those windows(may be once a year). The offending animal is neutralized and we have no more problems for a long time. My best defense has been my dog who barks at every noise!! Real carnage happens when I forget to close them up (which after one night of total losses I don't forget any more!!)

Can't believe DNR wants to know the animal BEFORE you trap it, LOL! Oh well..... I don't remember them asking me that...
 
ArkRescue

ArkRescue

Adopt me please !
jedi2814 said:
Despite what the other idiot said if you have chickens you will have predators and if AIR can get in your pen they will eventually find a way in. Since you mention it ate the egg you left that points to racoon or possum and since you haven't caught it yet I'm thinking racoon. They are VERY difficult to trap; if you've caught them in a cage trap before you were lucky. Possums are pretty stupid and trapped easily. Usually once the offending animal is neutralized you are ok for a time. My chickens now roost at night in houses with floors and I close them up, but you still have to have ventilation so there are windows which are pretty high off the ground. It doesn't happen often, but there are times when a racoon gets in the house through one of those windows(may be once a year). The offending animal is neutralized and we have no more problems for a long time. My best defense has been my dog who barks at every noise!! Real carnage happens when I forget to close them up (which after one night of total losses I don't forget any more!!)

Can't believe DNR wants to know the animal BEFORE you trap it, LOL! Oh well..... I don't remember them asking me that...
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I believe the reason the predator is no longer getting in (after eating the egg) is that it doesn't see/smell them in there at night? Why work at getting in if there isn't anything to get. I bet if I left them in at night that predator would get in again.

I am trying to predator-proof a 13'x26' pen with a roof. Not just an enclosed roosting area for them to sleep at night. I think the chickens do better roosting in open air Spring-Fall. So part of my problem is that the pen is so large that materials for hardware cloth alone can be high.

Hopefully soon I'll have the trail cam to SEE what is coming by. The fact that they want to KNOW what it is before I trap forces people to a) stay up all night waiting to see what it is, b) install a trail cam to see what it is, or (more likely) c) trap it then call to say they SAW a raccoon, all the while they have the raccoon in the trap, then they have to wait until the next day to say come get the raccoon? So the critter stays in a cage for potentially 2 days (or more) which is unfair to the critter (and probably illegal).

Only caught stray/feral cats the first 2 days then nothing. Stopped setting the traps. I don't want to LURE wild critters to my property by providing baited traps.
 
J

jedi2814

New Member
ArkRescue said:
I believe the reason the predator is no longer getting in (after eating the egg) is that it doesn't see/smell them in there at night? Why work at getting in if there isn't anything to get. I bet if I left them in at night that predator would get in again.

I am trying to predator-proof a 13'x26' pen with a roof. Not just an enclosed roosting area for them to sleep at night. I think the chickens do better roosting in open air Spring-Fall. So part of my problem is that the pen is so large that materials for hardware cloth alone can be high.

Hopefully soon I'll have the trail cam to SEE what is coming by. The fact that they want to KNOW what it is before I trap forces people to a) stay up all night waiting to see what it is, b) install a trail cam to see what it is, or (more likely) c) trap it then call to say they SAW a raccoon, all the while they have the raccoon in the trap, then they have to wait until the next day to say come get the raccoon? So the critter stays in a cage for potentially 2 days (or more) which is unfair to the critter (and probably illegal).

Only caught stray/feral cats the first 2 days then nothing. Stopped setting the traps. I don't want to LURE wild critters to my property by providing baited traps.
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....and that's my point -- air can pass through any caging material you use and therefore the predators will find a way in eventually. The only luck I've ever had is enclosing them at night. My chickens houses have high windows for ventilation when it is warm at night. At dusk they go in to roost on their own and all I do is close the doors. I let them out early in the a.m. and they seem very happy and uneaten.
 
ArkRescue

ArkRescue

Adopt me please !
jedi2814 said:
....and that's my point -- air can pass through any caging material you use and therefore the predators will find a way in eventually. The only luck I've ever had is enclosing them at night. My chickens houses have high windows for ventilation when it is warm at night. At dusk they go in to roost on their own and all I do is close the doors. I let them out early in the a.m. and they seem very happy and uneaten.
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I will have to construct a "safe house" for them to roost in after this experience. I need to find a design I like that is simple (a carpenter I am NOT).
 
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