critter killing my hens

[bolo]

just eating the head.i'll hang up and listen

[Mr.Swine89]

That's a raccoon. Get you a live trap and put a few marshmallows in there and catch it.

[Mr.Swine89]

Raccoons are very clever and smart, so your trap may need to be as well.

How are your hens housed at night?

[bolo]

Raccoons are very clever and smart, so your trap may need to be as well.

How are your hens housed at night?

they are in a pen, a coon could get in pretty easy

[bolo]

ihave a few traps, i will catch the little motherfather

[Mr.Swine89]

Good luck. Marshmallows or seafood will draw them in easily. Make sure when you dispose of the animal that you release it a long way away from your house or it will just make its way back. If you kill it, be humane 👍.

I had a momma coon for months just hanging out causing no issues with my birds. Then one night, she killed 4. I trapped her and hauled her off about 2 miles down the road to a creek. She was back in a month and tried the same crap again. This time, an electric fence put the fear of God in her and she hasn't been back. Other problem coons I've had to just shoot. They're pretty unique little creatures.

[theFlyingHog]

Good luck. Marshmallows or seafood will draw them in easily. Make sure when you dispose of the animal that you release it a long way away from your house or it will just make its way back. If you kill it, be humane 👍.

I had a momma coon for months just hanging out causing no issues with my birds. Then one night, she killed 4. I trapped her and hauled her off about 2 miles down the road to a creek. She was back in a month and tried the same crap again. This time, an electric fence put the fear of God in her and she hasn't been back. Other problem coons I've had to just shoot. They're pretty unique little creatures.

I had a young coon trying to figure out how to get at my ribs on the smoker one day. Called the Agfc dispatcher and he told me to shoot it. Asked if he would vouch for me shooting a gun in city limits and he paused and goes "got a bow?" 

[Tigerloather]

Be careful!  I've seen skunks do this as well.

[HawgWild]

Years back, when I had chickens, I remember going out and finding only their feet. Never came across what you've described.

[AcornHunter]

The following makes me say possum:

A few years ago I was fattenin some young roosters in a cattle panel enclosure with no top on it.  I had clipped the wings to keep them from flyin out.

On into the fattenin, I started to lose birds.  Only the head was missing.  I sat a double-door live trap just outside the pen.  Next morning I had Mr. Possum.  The bait was a fishy bait; I can't remember just what, but probably cheap sardines.

[Wayne Watson]

A mink or a weasel will only attack the heads...

[AcornHunter]

The old country saw:

Everything likes chicken, even chickens, sho nuff be true.

[JIMMY BOARFFETT]

You need to arm your chickens.  Get 'em a set of those Mexican Fighting Spurs."  Do that and your roosters will be walking around looking for trouble and that weasel will get his comeuppance.

[bolo]

The following makes me say possum:

A few years ago I was fattenin some young roosters in a cattle panel enclosure with no top on it.  I had clipped the wings to keep them from flyin out.

On into the fattenin, I started to lose birds.  Only the head was missing.  I sat a double-door live trap just outside the pen.  Next morning I had Mr. Possum.  The bait was a fishy bait; I can't remember just what, but probably cheap sardines.

this sounds likely

[Wayne Watson]

The following makes me say possum:

A few years ago I was fattenin some young roosters in a cattle panel enclosure with no top on it.  I had clipped the wings to keep them from flyin out.

On into the fattenin, I started to lose birds.  Only the head was missing.  I sat a double-door live trap just outside the pen.  Next morning I had Mr. Possum.  The bait was a fishy bait; I can't remember just what, but probably cheap sardines.

You can make a text book dirt hole set or any other set and a possum will be the first thing you catch.

[DeltaBoy]

Any updates.

[bolo]

i caught a possum and the killings have stopped

[twistitup]

i caught a possum and the killings have stopped

Did you eat it? It's a bit like getting your chickens back.

Eat the animal that ate the chickens.

[bolo]

Did you eat it? It's a bit like getting your chickens back.

Eat the animal that ate the chickens.

lol

[Großer Kriegschwein]

Did you eat it? It's a bit like getting your chickens back.

Eat the animal that ate the chickens.

Opossum is really greasy.

[twistitup]

Opossum is really greasy.

It is... that is the only negative. Tasty but greasy. A young coon is my preference but possum works in a pinch.

[PonderinHog]

It is... that is the only negative. Tasty but greasy. A young coon is my preference but possum works in a pinch.

I've never had it, but according to family lore, catch 'em live, and feed 'em grain and fresh buttermilk for a week or so (no tellin' what they've been eating) and they'll taste better.  But still greasy.

[DeltaBoy]

I've never had it, but according to family lore, catch 'em live, and feed 'em grain and fresh buttermilk for a week or so (no tellin' what they've been eating) and they'll taste better.  But still greasy.

My Great Aunt did that

[Großer Kriegschwein]

My great great grandfather used to love opossum.

Granny made him cook it outside.

I saw a opossum crawl out the ass of a dead cow once... Ruined me for opossum forever.

[micali]

Sounds like an opossum.  Coons will literally eat the entire thing.  Owls will eat only the head if it gets the opportunity.

[leroyhawg]

That's a raccoon. Get you a live trap and put a few marshmallows in there and catch it.

Skunks do that as well

[bondhue]

I've never had it, but according to family lore, catch 'em live, and feed 'em grain and fresh buttermilk for a week or so (no tellin' what they've been eating) and they'll taste better.  But still greasy.

There for a minute I thought I was reading on an Arkansas sports forum.