Chicken/egg question

[user 7704]

I have a lady missing. I think it is the old one that was having trouble walking.

She went to the elephant type graveyard.

 

[user 7704]

Finally caught him on camera. He is either a Raccoon or a really big rat. At night the pictures are black and white.

 

[DrHenley]

Finally caught him on camera. He is either a Raccoon or a really big rat. At night the pictures are black and white.

Can you see his tail?

 

[EastenerWesterner]

I have issues with this size trap and coons. 12x12x36. Works great for Fox. The coons showed up on the trail cam. Maybe bigger trap time.
I would rotate type of baits In case they are bait shy.

 

[Dani]

Can you see his tail?

That was going to be my first question too.

 

[EastenerWesterner]

That was going to be my first question too.

One time as the thumbnails were loading into my iPad, I thought I finally got a Mountain Lion.
Turned out to be my barncat.
Trailcams perspective can be totally weird

 

[user 7704]

Can you see his tail?

Oh, I was joking. It is a Raccoon. My husband thought it was a bear. The camera is 4 inches off the ground, so it is a very short bear. Plus, we don't have bears.

 

[user 7704]

Set 3 traps last night and Housing stripped 2 and never tripped the door.

And........it is a possum. Finally got a great pic last night. He is fat and how he is stealing the food without being caught is amazing.

I think I am going to stop baiting so that he just goes away. HOPEFULLY.

 

[DrHenley]

What kind of trap are you using Robin?

I've caught a number of possums using peanut butter in a HavAHart trap. I was actually trying to catch some rats that were too big for any kind of rat trap they make.

I took the possums a ways from the house and released them because they don't really bother me. One of them came right back within a couple of days and got caught again.

I also caught possums in a garbage can. They climbed in and couldn't get out.

Possums are some of the dumbest critters on earth, LOL

 

[user 7704]

What kind of trap are you using Robin?

I've caught a number of possums using peanut butter in a HavAHart trap. I was actually trying to catch some rats that were too big for any kind of rat trap they make.

I took the possums a ways from the house and released them because they don't really bother me. One of them came right back within a couple of days and got caught again.

I also caught possums in a garbage can. They climbed in and couldn't get out.

Possums are some of the dumbest critters on earth, LOL

I have caught lots of critters in these including a cat. I call them live traps. They have the pressure plate that triggers the door to slam shut. I have 3 different sizes with 3 different hook types. One is spring loaded and the other two are variations of the hook barely sliding into the door slot.

Sorry if i am too technical for you.

 

[DrHenley]

Sorry if i am too technical for you.

Not at all. The one I have, which is probably 20 years old now, is 7" wide by 8" tall by 24" long and has worked well for possums large and small and for large rats. I put at small bowl of peanut butter near the back, but not close enough to the sides that they could get to it from the outside.

Some of the holes in the wire are 1"x1" and some are 1"x1/2". So you know how big the rats were - they could not squeeze through a 1" square hole!

 

[user 7704]

I'm heartbroken. The little ******* took the baby. The mom is so sad and I think a little injured. I held her and she mad sad noises. I cried a little. There aren't any signs of a struggle either. Looks like 2 huge roosters would have at least put up a fight. I have been walking around and there are zero feathers or body parts.

I slept with the window open and neither dog barked nor did I hear the chickens.

 

[user 7704]

Leon likes to chase the chickens around the perimeter of the fence. He is on inside. He was running and the chicken hit the fence then hit a tree and I grabbed her and the possum had broken her wing and blinded her in one eye.

I put up a motion detector and hopefully fixed the possum's entrance.

 

[user 7704]

Not at all. The one I have, which is probably 20 years old now, is 7" wide by 8" tall by 24" long and has worked well for possums large and small and for large rats. I put at small bowl of peanut butter near the back, but not close enough to the sides that they could get to it from the outside.

Some of the holes in the wire are 1"x1" and some are 1"x1/2". So you know how big the rats were - they could not squeeze through a 1" square hole!

You know I was joking don't you? They say if they can get their head in, they are good to go.

Question....... do you think he has figured out that if he flips the cage, he can get in and not trip the latch? The cages are always on their side.

 

[user 7704]

Had a chicken missing and found her out back in the woods. This one seemed blind, deaf or dazed. She could not find her way home so I chased her for about 30 minutes and finally threw a net over her. After she realized it was me, she just lay in my arms and relaxed.

I fixed the gate with traps, nets, fencing, etc. I'm also sleeping on the couch with the window open so that surely Leon or Zeus will hear something.

I have my gun, big pointy stick and flashlight at the ready.

 

[EastenerWesterner]

Want to borrow the Boxer?

 

[user 7704]

Well, the plot thickens. We have a tandem tag team. One night possum and the next raccoon. Have a great pic of him, mask and all.

Killed another chicken (one of my speckled sussex) and I was right here. No noise, no messed up fence and he didn't trip cages. This is getting old. Leon was right here too and the chickens were quiet

He didn't break into the same spot because the wire is still in place. This is getting very old.

 

[GeorgiaPeachie]

Sorry to hear you’ve lost yet another hen. It’s time to forget the traps and secure your hens at night. They will keep this up until you don’t have any hens left.

 

[user 7704]

After my daughter's birthday lunch, I am going to go crazy with security.

Question...... would it be better to leave their door open so they can at least have a chance to get away. The way it is, they are in an 8x8 death box with no chance of escape.

 

[DrHenley]

Question....... do you think he has figured out that if he flips the cage, he can get in and not trip the latch? The cages are always on their side.

That would be beyond a possum's mental capacity, LOL. Probably turned it over trying to get at the bait from the side. You need to secure it somehow.

 

[Mountain trapper]

After my daughter's birthday lunch, I am going to go crazy with security.

Question...... would it be better to leave their door open so they can at least have a chance to get away. The way it is, they are in an 8x8 death box with no chance of escape.

Is your coop critter proof? If it is, lock them up at night. Maybe consider an auto door, close at dusk and open at dawn. At night time the chickens won't leave the "safety" of their coop.
We lost a hen the other day. It was day time and not a mark on her. Right now our hens only have access to the garden and orchard, same as the ducks.

 

[joel]

I know one guy poured a 6" wide X 12" deep concrete footing on the main pen.
Another guy buried 2x4 wire at a 45 degree angle, both where to stop coyotes from digging in.
Every other part of the pen was covered with chicken wire, before the boards were nailed to the frame.

 

[Mountain trapper]

In all the time that we've had chickens on this place we only lost 1 hen to a coyote. We never lock the chickens in at night and they free range all day, right now they're in the garden. I've seen coyote tracks in their run and have watched bears walk by and look in the coop window. Never a problem. Since I don't want to keep pushing my luck I'm going to add an auto door to their coop.
I'm in the process of building another coop that will house some broody hens and a rooster. They will be for future replacement hens.

 

[user 7704]

Is your coop critter proof? If it is, lock them up at night. Maybe consider an auto door, close at dusk and open at dawn. At night time the chickens won't leave the "safety" of their coop.
We lost a hen the other day. It was day time and not a mark on her. Right now our hens only have access to the garden and orchard, same as the ducks.

The bottom of the run is critter proof and human proof. The top is covered with netting for the hawks. I am adding another layer of netting today and going back to the drawing board on the wire covering the vents at top of coop. That is where they are getting in. Once they have an initial kill, they keep coming back. Plus, I am bringing in more cages.

Is your coop critter proof? If it is, lock them up at night. Maybe consider an auto door, close at dusk and open at dawn. At night time the chickens won't leave the "safety" of their coop.
We lost a hen the other day. It was day time and not a mark on her. Right now our hens only have access to the garden and orchard, same as the ducks.

 

[user 7704]

So , even if the monsters come, the chickens wont start running and screaming if they can? I am seriously thinking of leaving door open

 

[DrHenley]

The bottom of the run is critter proof and human proof. The top is covered with netting for the hawks. I am adding another layer of netting today and going back to the drawing board on the wire covering the vents at top of coop. That is where they are getting in. Once they have an initial kill, they keep coming back. Plus, I am bringing in more cages.

Time to find somebody with coon dogs and hunt them down where they live relentlessly.

 

[user 7704]

For the last 4 hours, I have nailed, wired, netted etc. I don't know if I will be able to get inside tonight.

I decided to close the door tonight to see if I have been successful in my repairs.

 

[GeorgiaPeachie]

So , even if the monsters come, the chickens wont start running and screaming if they can? I am seriously thinking of leaving door open

Bad idea. Really bad idea. They can’t see in the dark and won’t move. You could lose them all.

 

[Mountain trapper]

If your box traps aren't working on the coon, go get some dog proof traps. Bait them with marshmallows, syrup, and or honey. There's also some very good commercial coon bait available. Its virtually impossible for a dog to get caught or even a cat in one of these traps. They really work good on coon. They usually have DP traps at most feed stores and many sporting goods stores too. I think Cabelas carrys them and I know Sportsmans Warehouse carries them too. What do you have to lose, except more chickens.

 

[user 7704]

I've moved the couch in front of the window so that I have a clear view if the motion detector trips. Window is open for any noise.