Lost a chicken

[jargo432]

I was down to 3 already.  Lately I've been letting them out when I went to work with no problem.  Today I had to work late and didn't get home till after dark.  Went out to check them and Lucy is gone.  Looked in all the trees to see if maybe she flew up there to get away from something and just stayed up there but no joy.

I guess it's time to give the last 2 away.  We don't really eat that many eggs anyway.

I just hate feeding the coyotes.

:'(

[LeeB]

The foxes always give us trouble this time of the year.

[shinnlinger]

I raise hundreds of meat chickens each summer in pasture pens I move daily.   The key to protect them is an electricfence/electronet.   

[thecfarm]

We use to let them run loose around here. We are right in the woods on one side. Other side are fields. We had a fox that would come in and catch them.We was right in the driveway and the fox grabbed one when we was standing there. Happened so quick,even if I had a gun it would not of mattered. He came out of the woods quick and back in as quick.

[chevytaHOE5674]

Got 70+ laying hens running around the farm and haven't lost any to 4 legged predators though I have lost 2 of them to hawks. We keep then closed in at night, then during the day there are usually a couple of cows, horses, or donkeys close by as well as me outside working and running all over the place so that tends to make lots of noise/commotion and keeps predators away.

I do shoot/trap "threats" as needed before they become an issue as well.

[drobertson]

We started waiting til an hour or two before sunset to let ours out as well, too many sneaky critters.  And they are quick to the kill, lost several last fall, still not sure what got them, Hawks, cotes, foxes, whatever it was no sign of anything,

[jargo432]

Well, It's early morning, we're all here in the house getting ready, making noise with the windows open and the chickens started going crazy.  Look outside and a huge coyote is trying to get my chickens through the wire.  I jump up and grab my shotgun while my wife watches the coyote.  She said when I racked the slide in the bedroom the coyote took off.  Man that's one smart critter.  I gotta do something.  I'm going to look for some big live traps today.  I've got a couple of leg traps I could use also.

[chevytaHOE5674]

That's why the guns need to be loaded at all times. ha

[jargo432]

Found a good home for my last two chickens.  After I take them to their new home tomorrow I'm starting a new project.

OPERATION PAYBACK

[red oaks lumber]

with the bait gone your problem will just move on down the road looking for his next meal.

[jargo432]

I've got some new bait  :D

I've got a predator call and a sniper rifle.

Did I mention I was a combat vet? Airborne All The Way.

[Alcranb]

Not sure I posted this right  : looks like they didn't even need bait 
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=6q2ZMTZxHxo

[LaneC]

Several years ago, my father in laws dog killed 14 of my chickens in about 30 minutes. Went to town and right back and he was just munching on 1. All the other ones, the dog just killed them to be killing them.

[reswire]

I lost a goat/kid this spring to a darn coyote.  My friend is an ex special forces guy, loves to shoot and hunt on my farm.  I sat out the other night with him, listening to the coyotes hunt and howl, when all of a sudden I saw one in the moonlight about 100+ yards from my barn.  My friend had a night vision scope on his ar, but when he turned it on the *DanG coyote ducked down close to the ground like a trained veteran.  When the night vision was turned off, he gradually raised his head.  Turned the scope on him again and down he went.  Found out from a friend of mine who hunts them all the time, that you've got to use green lights or anything that doesn't throw out a red light at all. The night vision spooked that coyote as if you screamed at him.  They are definitely the ultimate small predator.  Smart as hell.