Something killed my chickens

[CSM]

Some kind of critter got into my daughters chicken coop last night. One chicken was totally devoured... nothin but a pile of feathers. Two others had their heads eaten off, but there carcasses were still in tact (mostly). And three lived through the attack. I'm assuming it was a opossum, so I set a trap to catch it. The last opossum that attacked our chickens had the misfortune of doing it while my wife was outside. She heard them screemin and ran down with the kids and our dog and scared it up a tree. I came down with a riffle and a flashlight which illuminated two eyes looking down at me from the top of the tree. I got lucky and managed to put a bullet through its nose with my first shot. 

Hopefully the trap will work and we won't lose any more tonight.

[Nate]

dang!

[South_GA_redneck]

I'm not sure what region you're in but is it possible it was a mink? I have run into problems opossums in the past, but thought they liked to start eating at the 6 not the 12...?

[Farmer Jon]

Something got a couple of mine too. They are just gone. No evidence. Found one duck torn up. Don't know what it was. My son set a live trap and what ever he caught got loose. He was closing up the birds and heard something growling.  By the sound of it he said badger. (He has been taking wild life management classes) Googled what a badger sounds like and he said that is what it was. No way I'm going after a badger at night.

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[Farmer Jon]

They say a possum won't kill a chicken. They just suck eggs. Any possum I see around gets lead poisoning. Yea they eat ticks bla bla. Nope not having them around.

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[Bob Smith]

Sounds like it is time for something better than a live trap. Just saying

[Wilbur]

Racoon maybe? I've heard of then killing entire flocks and only eating 1 or 2. That really sucks. Sorry that happened .

[Bear9350]

We had a fox carry a couple of my wife's chickens off a few years ago.  I saw it happen one time. Went out to the garage to get some tools.  On the way back heard the chicken's making a racket.  Looked over and saw a fox with a chicken in its mouth.  I assume that is how we lost 2 of them.  The other 2 we had at the time I think the neighbors dog ate.  Saw him running off with one in his mouth also.  Nothing but  few feathers as evidence for all of them.  She just restocked with another 12 chickens for this year.

[CSM]

Sounds like it is time for something better than a live trap. Just saying

The live trap is just so I don't have to be there when it comes back... it will still meet the same fate as the last one.

Something got a couple of mine too. They are just gone. No evidence. Found one duck torn up. Don't know what it was. My son set a live trap and what ever he caught got loose. He was closing up the birds and heard something growling.  By the sound of it he said badger. (He has been taking wild life management classes) Googled what a badger sounds like and he said that is what it was. No way I'm going after a badger at night.

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I'm in central Kentucky... about a half mile from the nearest good sized creek. Not sure if we have mink around here.

[CSM]

I guess I need to improve my trapping skills!  Score: Critter 3 | Me 0

First night, critter ate the chickens. Second night I set the trap, came down the next morning to find the trap was sprung and the bait was gone... but the trap was empty! Third night I set the trap, come down the next morning to find the bait was gone... and the trap hadn't been sprung!
Now I'm beginning to worry I'm actually training the critters to come to the chicken coop to get free food   

[EL TATE]

well you know he's coming back tonight. Sit on the trap and ventilate the sucker.

[Bob Smith]

well you know he's coming back tonight. Sit on the trap and ventilate the sucker.

    

[cudakidd53]

Sounds like critter is larger than the trap, and able to back out after tripping it the first time.  Load it again with top shelf bait and place a leg-hold or a coniber trap at the opening and you'll have your perp.

[CSM]

Chickens can breath a little easier tonight. I came down the fourth morning and found it was a possum after all...

[TexasRedNeck]

Awww he's so cute. Gonna make a pet out of him?


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[Flyin6]

Well fed lookin' critter!

[Sammconn]

Hope his brain case group was ventilated prior to release.

[CSM]

Hope his brain case group was ventilated prior to release.

Yep, no more chicken eaten for him.

[Sammconn]

We had a spruce Martin show up at the cabin yesterday.
He was into the bird feed...
Holly, our black lab cross treed him.
HH6 notified me, and his brain case was ventilated.

I generally don't do much with them, until they are in the yard.
They are good at keeping squirrels and mice down.
In the bush they are sacred...in the yard a target.