Sly varmits!

drobertson · April 08, 2013, 08:13:51 PM

Lost two hens inside two weeks, free ranging them in the afternoon, we have a pretty good gaurd dog, Missy, she is constanly after something with no results, I have no idea what this critter is, No sign of feathers, no sign of any kind,

WDH · April 08, 2013, 08:36:56 PM

Look to the sky.

drobertson · April 08, 2013, 08:47:33 PM

Are full grown buffs to big for hawks? did hear one screaching last week, and have seen them soaring, but never any swoops,

Jay C. White Cloud · April 08, 2013, 08:57:07 PM

Take your pick brother, big mature red tail, great horned, or even an eagle is possible these days. Just had a real big 2 year old "baldy" give'n my trout the fuzzy eye ball all after noon. So I caught one and through it on the bank, took it strait away and ate it right in front of me, didn't even share. Did say thanks by sticking around and chattering all afternoon, or begging for another, take your pick. They can all take a chicken, and the big sign is no feathers, though a fox can do the same thing real quick like.

clww · April 08, 2013, 08:59:41 PM

Completely agree with Jay.

drobertson · April 08, 2013, 09:05:10 PM

Well I reckon I will change my search, I have always considered them a hazard for the birds, just never have seen any attempts, now the owls are present as well, I actually call them in, but again, never any visual attempts witnessed. this is a challenging problem, I suppose time will tell, thanks for all the input, david

SwampDonkey · April 09, 2013, 05:27:00 AM

If you have any goshawks around, they are also known as chicken hawks. They snatch up grouse all the time on my woodlot. With row plantation, they just hunt for rabbits and grouse like shopping in the super market. :D

Also find a neighboring fox den. A neighbor that lives a 1/4 mile from my uncle's had some exotic birds that kept dwindling in numbers. We found the den about 1/2 mile from the pen with feathers from his birds around it and 4 fox pups. She excavated a ground hog hole.

chevytaHOE5674 · April 09, 2013, 08:48:18 AM

Last summer we lost one hen to a hawk and almost lost another but I came outside just in time to scare it away. Both attacks were from goshawks and in both cases the hawk was unable to carry a fullsize barred rock hen away. There were quite a few feathers around as the hens put up a pretty good fight.

thecfarm · April 09, 2013, 08:55:09 AM

Get some guinea hens. We had our chickens running all over the place. Once those guineas was having a fit. I was around the house and went out back to see what was going on. There was a small hawk in the tree. But the fox got the guineas. I heard the guineas and my dog having a fit. I looked down back just in time to see the guinea,fox and my dog cross the woods road,right on a dead run.

rooster 58 · April 09, 2013, 11:07:03 AM

My girl friend has guineas. She says they keep snakes away. I need to get her some more, cause the bobcats get them ;D

drobertson · April 09, 2013, 04:39:14 PM

cats are definitly on my mind around here as well, don't care much for the noise makers myself. ;D

chevytaHOE5674 · April 09, 2013, 04:48:32 PM

We have a few barn cats on the farm and all of them are scared of the chickens. The cats go out of there way to avoid the chickens at all costs. A couple of good roosters and a big flock of hens can inflict some damage on a cat or two. haha

drobertson · April 12, 2013, 10:08:29 PM

Hawks! no visiual kill, but they were Real close today!

red oaks lumber · April 12, 2013, 10:55:49 PM

i would say owls. last summer and winter i lost 40 hens and 3 roosters, slowly 1 by 1. some no signs others i would find the body missing a head.
now i have a completly fenced in range.

Bogue Chitto · April 12, 2013, 11:50:41 PM

I have a good watch dog. He will reward himself with a chicken every once in a while. :

drobertson · April 13, 2013, 09:23:12 AM

Gotta laugh on that one :D I have entertained the thought of Missy get'n one, but not the case, these red tailed hawks were just on the edge of the yard and timber line, on the ground, a pair of them, not sure how to handle it at the moment.

chevytaHOE5674 · April 13, 2013, 10:10:51 AM

Shoot, Shovel, Shut Up.......

SPIKER · April 13, 2013, 07:32:55 PM

My ole boss had bought 24 chicks & pen raised them to 3 months & put them out to help with deer ticks etc & had them partly penned with covered house & covered pen. Red tail would swoop down snatch one pick it up to 30 or 40 feet & drop them then pick up the dead chicken & carry it off. or grab a 2nd one and do same... :

Skunks and Mink & Coon also take them but often just eating the heads off 4 or 5 at a time...

Mark

clww · April 13, 2013, 07:45:05 PM

Don't forget bobcats, coyotes, and weasels. >:(

drobertson · April 13, 2013, 08:10:12 PM

I have seen many hawks, but this is getting crazy, lots to think about for sure, and more to keep quiet about.

clww · April 13, 2013, 08:28:18 PM

You may want to put out a game camera, or two. These don't need to be the high-dollar 25 megapixel ones to get some idea of what kind of critter you're up against.

drobertson · April 14, 2013, 09:28:46 AM

I have one, even thought about using it, might as well, its fun looking at things, thanks for the reminder,

Bogue Chitto · April 17, 2013, 05:50:21 PM

Deer feed varment.

beenthere · April 17, 2013, 05:55:52 PM

Bogue
Time for some coon-aid to thin that population down 4 or 3.

https://forestryforum.com/board/index.php/topic,61947.msg912763.html#msg912763
post #5

May be too late, if the camera time shown is correct.

Bogue Chitto · April 17, 2013, 08:54:53 PM

Quote from: beenthere on April 17, 2013, 05:55:52 PM
Bogue
Time for some coon-aid to thin that population down 4 or 3.

https://forestryforum.com/board/index.php/topic,61947.msg912763.html#msg912763
post #5

May be too late, if the camera time shown is correct. That time is wrong. I seem to never set the time or forget to set it.

Bogue Chitto · April 17, 2013, 09:03:57 PM

Here is a daytime photo. One will clime up and spin the spinner for his friends on the ground.

SwampDonkey · April 17, 2013, 09:19:22 PM

Is that what they call a three ring circus? :D :D

clww · April 17, 2013, 09:20:56 PM

Coons are very smart. Coons can also become a real pain in the butt, too.
Great photos !

drobertson · April 21, 2013, 01:58:01 PM

Haa haa :D crazy critters they are, very industrias, and a pain too, get the pelts, freeze and peddle when the time is right.

drobertson · April 27, 2013, 04:42:23 PM

Lost four more hens while in the hospital, these birds will be locked up for awhile, this time birds all over the yard, when we got home thursday,

drobertson · May 01, 2013, 04:39:08 PM

Pretty sure it's Wiley C, himself, I should say, herself, killed the male last fall, Christy saw here doing the creep on the fringe of the yard, before I could get the gun we lost sight, I hope no one will be offended when I post the kill, home on re-coup , docs' orders, this should be interesting,

SwampDonkey · May 01, 2013, 05:19:13 PM

A man's gotta do what he's gotta do to protect him farm. But it's not hard to also see why it happens. It's like going grocery shopping to the wild critters and easy pickens. When your always looking for something to eat you don't think so clearly.

chevytaHOE5674 · May 01, 2013, 06:43:23 PM

Gotta do what ya gotta do to protect your investment. This year I was issued a "lethal control" permit for wolves in case we have any "problems" during calving and although we haven't had any issues in past years that doesn't mean this might not be the year as we had a horse attacked 2 weeks ago.