Something's eating my birds

[paulsharvey]

Don't forget either stray or neighbor dogs. Where I live, there are paved roads, many vacant lots (well, less and less every year), and dead end roads. People take their unwanted animals and drop them off, and we end up with random strays around.

Could also very well be a fox. We had a full grown turkey vanish one night, no sign. Few days, maybe a week later, checking deer camera, notice a big pile of feathers in woods from the turkey. My best guess is coyote, but could just as easily be dog, or even a fox.

We have also had issues with snakes and chickens, and killed a handful of them through the years.

 

[Jstpssng]

We have coyotes, raccoons, bobcats and hawks.

I have all of the above, plus fox, weasels, and the occasional Canada lynx; and have lost birds to all except the two cat species.
. Chickens depended on what killed them. The oddest was when a hen disappeared in broad daylight, while I was working a couple hundred yards away. My dog was great at finding them. Yet he would go to where there were a few feathers, stop and look at me as if to say "Where did it go?" Then he would backtrack, follow the scent to that spot and look at me again.

Even when a pack of coyotes got my turkey I still found the kill site, and a bunch of feathers. It takes a big animal to grab one and walk off with it.

Is there any chance it was a two legged vermin which took it?

 

[ericm979]

I forgot we have foxes too. And mountain lions.

We had a hen disappear from inside the fenced chicken pen a few months ago. No feathers or other sign but the other hens were acting nervous so we don't think she got out on her own. Eventually my wife found a few feathers well outside the pen. She thinks it was a hawk, though it's a tough lift to heft an adult hen over a 6' fence. I think it was a bobcat. We re-installed netting over the top that'd been destroyed when a large branch fell on the pen, and no more have disappeared.

 

[Molalla1]

I've lost more chickens to feral cats than any other predator. I've also lost them to coons and even an owl one night, but feral cats were the worst. We have bobcats in the area now, that's new thing around here.

Our chickens, we only have 8 now, are in an enclosed A frame cage now and we haven't lost any to predators for years.

It may be a blessing . . . bobcats may thin some of those feral cats.

 

[gstrom99]

This is not a bad thought. I'm not prepared for that yet, It will take me a few days to get everything set up to make that happen. I am going to set up a cage trap baited with tuna tonight though. If I can find my game cam I'll set it up around the pin also.

Sardines (in oil) is my bait-of-choice. 22lr for dispatch.

 

[LittleBittyBigJohn]

The turkey is safe! She was back home this evening like nothing happened. Maybe she was visiting a neighbor?

 

[Jstpssng]

The turkey is safe! She was back home this evening like nothing happened. Maybe she was visiting a neighbor?

Maybe she found a boyfriend!

 

[nyone]

Everything eats chicken...get use to it.

 

[LittleBittyBigJohn]

Maybe she found a boyfriend!

Hopefully! Turkeys have been my favorite. Before we got birds I thought ducks would be the most fun and the chickens would just be stupid. My experience is the opposite, the ducks have no personality, don't interact with people, and they are super messy until they can be released out on their own in the pond. But, they are still fun to watch doing their thing at the pond. Chickens are inquisitive, have little personalities, and interact. The turkeys turn that up a notch more. The one I posted the picture of comes running to me every time she sees me, looking for treats or scritches.

 

[Eagle1]

Hopefully! Turkeys have been my favorite. Before we got birds I thought ducks would be the most fun and the chickens would just be stupid. My experience is the opposite, the ducks have no personality, don't interact with people, and they are super messy until they can be released out on their own in the pond. But, they are still fun to watch doing their thing at the pond. Chickens are inquisitive, have little personalities, and interact. The turkeys turn that up a notch more. The one I posted the picture of comes running to me every time she sees me, looking for treats or scritches.

Try some Muscovy ducks nothing but personality and will interact a lot like chickens. They also don't quack (they hiss) and fly everywhere.