| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| twzlrwho |
Posted - Apr 29 2009 : 07:01:58 AM
I am so frustrated today. I lost a Wyandotte roo to a predator last night. Grrr. I know it's a cat. It wasn't big enough to carry it off. I had a problem with strays running around last year but that all subsided after I brought home my rottweiller ;). However she will eat chickens too so I can't let her gaurd them. I am so sick of people turning their cats loose instead of taking them to the pound. What is with these people? They just let them go and they aren't even spayed. Running around making more chicken killers. Carrying god only knows what kind of diseases around. I am going to see if I can borrow some traps from the pound. I don't know what else to do. I know what I would like to do but I have too many animals that might stumble upon it. Now don't get me wrong I like cats. I have 2. Inside the house like they are suppose to be. Not running amok causing losses to livestock.  Other than traps does anyone have suggestions?
 Christina
Work like you don't have to, love like you've never been hurt, and dance like nobody is watching :) |
| 14 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| rhondacate |
Posted - May 04 2009 : 07:41:40 AM
We put electric netting around our chickens, which protects them from the foxes and other critters that prowl around hoping for dinner.
This works quite well for us because it is easy to move and pretty temporary so we can move our chickens to new pasture in just a few minutes. The net just hooks up to a car battery and we either recharge the battery every few weeks or have a solar charger on the battery.
My sister-in-laws chickens were about 50 feet from my chickens in a fully enclosed pen. The foxes dug underneath the wire and killed all of hers, while mine were quite safe inside the electric netting.
~Rhonda
http://rmfo-blogs.com/rhonda |
| milkmaid |
Posted - May 03 2009 : 4:34:03 PM
Oh it makes me so mad when something eats my chickens. We had a hard time keeping things out of the chichenhouse and the first year we had chickens I lost 175 in about three weeks it was like there was a sign for free organic chicken dinners and all the preditors in a 5 mile radius came! We got a LGD and we haven't had as much of a problem I did loose two goslings to a hawk last week and they were a gift for my birthday from a dear friend.. GRRRRRR!!!
http://goodfarm.blogspot.com/
Farmgirl #542
Mother to five awesome kids, wife of 17 years and milk maid to two beautiful cows. Living the good life!!! |
| shepherdgirl |
Posted - May 01 2009 : 10:14:52 AM
I think Opossums are loners-- except a mom with babies. We find them in our barn a lot, but they never hurt anything because my LGD keeps them at bay. They are AMAZING acrobats those critters! They can even climb up the BARN WALL!!! We've seen it with our own eyes. They're like the "Spider Men" of the Marsupial world! And they get BIG! BIG! BIG! Your guy looks a little puny (LOL!!!), or is it just the picture? Hopefully he didn't tell his friends about his hunting grounds and your chickens are now safe! ~~~Hugs~~~ Tracy
Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away. ~~ George Carlin |
| twzlrwho |
Posted - Apr 30 2009 : 09:20:50 AM
Thanks everyone! I hope this is it. Are these a "pack" animal?
Christina
Work like you don't have to, love like you've never been hurt, and dance like nobody is watching :) |
| Alee |
Posted - Apr 30 2009 : 07:30:17 AM
Glad you caught it!!
Alee
Farmgirl Sister #8
www.awarmheart.com
www.farmgirlalee.blogspot.com
www.allergyjourneys.blogspot.com
Put your pin on the farmgirl map! www.farmgirlmap.blogspot.com |
| kristin sherrill |
Posted - Apr 30 2009 : 05:53:33 AM
I am so glad you got the little ugly bugger. I hope there are no more.
Kris
Happiness is simple. |
| twzlrwho |
Posted - Apr 30 2009 : 05:25:40 AM
Tracy, I am sorry about your chickens and turkey. I never would have thought..a rat. Man that had to have been a crazy rat. I always thought turkeys would kill them. Did you catch it?
Thanks for the encouragement everyone. Woohoo I got this bad boy. Everyone was right it wasn't a cat.
He would be kinda cute if there wasn't a chicken is that belly...LOL
DH is going to drive way out and let him go and I will set it up again tonight just in case there is another one.
Thanks for your support ladies. I don't know what I'd do without ya'll.
HUGS
Christina
Work like you don't have to, love like you've never been hurt, and dance like nobody is watching :) |
| Alee |
Posted - Apr 29 2009 : 8:40:42 PM
Just wanted to wish you good luck with the trap tonight! I hope you catch whatever it turns out to be!
Alee
Farmgirl Sister #8
www.awarmheart.com
www.farmgirlalee.blogspot.com
www.allergyjourneys.blogspot.com
Put your pin on the farmgirl map! www.farmgirlmap.blogspot.com |
| shepherdgirl |
Posted - Apr 29 2009 : 8:23:17 PM
Hmm.... I don't think it's a cat Christina, unless the chickens they are eating are very small. I have ALWAYS had cats and chickens (and stray cats around as well) and only ever lost the very YOUNG chickens to them. It COULD very well be a skunk. They do strange things to the "bodies" (like biting off the heads, only eating the stomach etc...) and will often leave the carcass behind. You also won't SMELL anything most of the time, unless you happen to be outside near the chicken house/yard when they're bent on their dirty work.
It could also be RATS!!! Last year I had a couple rats commiting mass murder on all my chicks (72 of them!!)-- they were even attacking larger birds that were several months old. (I've also lost a FULL GROWN Turkey to a rat!) If the birds don't roost high enough they are more prone to attack from all kinds of predators. Last year I didn't have ENOUGH cats to combat the problem. Once more cats arrived, the rats were taken care of. I haven't lost a chick or bird from the chicken house since.
Hopefully, WHATEVER the culprit is, the answer will be found in the TRAP! Good luck Hon. I know JUST HOW YOU FEEL!!! ~~~ Hugs ~~~ Tracy
Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away. ~~ George Carlin |
| kristin sherrill |
Posted - Apr 29 2009 : 8:10:42 PM
Good luck catching the culprit. I am sorry it got your roo. I just went out and checked on my momma and babies and shut the door. I never shut the door but I guess I need to start doing it. Most of my chickens and all the guineas roost up high in the trees now.
Kris
Happiness is simple. |
| twzlrwho |
Posted - Apr 29 2009 : 11:31:42 AM
Thanks Alee.
Sheri, I am pretty sure it is a cat. We were overrun with strays last year (they were even having kittens under the house) and I have seen a few lurking around in the past few days. I love the netting idea, however, I would have to net an acre. Just not feasible. A dog can't get in the fence. I have dogs that are chicken hungry so it had to be dog proof. The only other thing it could be is a skunk or opossum judging by the way it was eaten. It didn't touch the head just the abdomen. But usually all the stray cats keep those away and I would have smelled a skunk. I am just at a loss. All I know is I am setting the trap tonight and by the grace of all existence hope I catch it.
Oh I forgot to mention. The day before yesterday I woke up to feathers everywhere. Looked around and all my chickens were ok.(I just thought the roos had a scuffle)They must have faught it off. Not so lucky the next night :(
Is there something I can spray around the yard that deters these kinds of critters? Thanks for all the ideas. HUGS
Christina
Work like you don't have to, love like you've never been hurt, and dance like nobody is watching :) |
| Sheep Mom 2 |
Posted - Apr 29 2009 : 11:05:50 AM
Are you sure it's a cat? I have my neighbors cat go in my chicken yard to mouse all the time and has never bothered the chickens at all. I don't know if you have raccoons but they will kill chickens and not take the carcass either. My mom had a raccoon kill half her flock in one night. My neighbors dog used to sneak under the fence and kill them occasionally as well. If it's a cat going over the fence, you might try stretching bird netting over the top of your fencing. We used to do that when we had small chicks as the crows would come and swoop them up. Hope you solve the problem.
Sheri |
| Alee |
Posted - Apr 29 2009 : 09:27:20 AM
I hope you can catch the cats. There must be quite a few in your area if they are hunting your chickens. Sorry for the loss of your bird! *hugs*
Alee
Farmgirl Sister #8
www.awarmheart.com
www.farmgirlalee.blogspot.com
www.allergyjourneys.blogspot.com
Put your pin on the farmgirl map! www.farmgirlmap.blogspot.com |
| twzlrwho |
Posted - Apr 29 2009 : 08:25:29 AM
Just got back from the pound with a trap. We will see. I can't wait to trap it. Between my dogs killing my chickens and an extra fence these chickens I have now are worth about 75 bucks a piece. Wish me luck.
Christina
Work like you don't have to, love like you've never been hurt, and dance like nobody is watching :) |
