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Post by mountainmama Thu Jul 04, 2013 8:20 am

First it was a dog. Then a fox. Then coyotes. Hawks. Crows. Raccoons. Rats. Now we've been hit with a fox that is apparently smarter than humans. So far this week it has taken 9 of our two-month old chickens. Short of sitting outside with a gun or getting a double mortgage to pay for more/better building supplies, we are at our wits end.

The big coop is safe but not big enough to house the newbies, plus the older ones would pick on them. Tonight we brought in several and will keep them in the stock tank that served as their brooder. We'll let them out in the morning. It appears they are now safer out in the open rather than in their pen, as the fox learned to scale the walls and somehow bypass the netting on top.

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Post by 12acrehome Thu Jul 04, 2013 10:00 am

Solar fence charger $90 to $150, run five strands around the pen, about 8 inches from the pen. Bottom strand should be 6 inches off the ground, top strand should be set in and run right around the top of the pen, about two inches from the outside edge. Attach existing poultry fence to the ground side of the charger, as well as a ground rod. Anything caught in this will learn to leave chickens alone.
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Post by mountainmama Thu Jul 04, 2013 10:04 pm

OK, thanks. We definitely need a solar charger as there is no electric out there.

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Post by mountainmama Tue Jul 09, 2013 10:28 am

Well, it appears it's NOT a fox this time, but bobcats. Hubby and dd1 were working on the chicken pen tonight when dd1 spotted a baby bobcat right by the house! It was not afraid in the least. Pretty soon a second one joined it, also not afraid. We didn't see the mama, but I'm sure she was watching our every move. I got the dog out and let her bark at, but not chase, the cats. They only went a few yards further up the hillside.

Hubby did his best on the pen with the limited materials we have. I'm almost afraid to go out in the morning, dreading what we might find--missing chickens or worse.

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Post by PATRICE IN IL Tue Jul 09, 2013 10:39 am

Sorry to hear that, can you relocate them for the night to someplace like the garage or barn?
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Post by Sonshine Tue Jul 09, 2013 11:41 am

OUCH! Sorry to hear what you're going through. We've been blessed. So far having the chicken wire across the top has prevented any losses, although we came close once with a neighbor's cat that managed to loosen the top wiring and got inside the coop. Fortunately the chickens were already locked in their house for the night. The next day we set a trap and caught the would be thief. He won't be a problem any more.
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Post by Farmfresh Tue Jul 09, 2013 12:28 pm

Even a bob cat will get bit with an electric fence and learn to think twice.

As bad as those bob cats seem it could be worse. My aunt lives in Kansas and arrived home after a late shift at the nursing home where she works. She ended up spending the night in her car because there was a MOUNTAIN LION in her back yard!!
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Post by PATRICE IN IL Tue Jul 09, 2013 12:53 pm

Yikes, I think I would have called the police to scare it off.
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Post by 12acrehome Tue Jul 09, 2013 1:30 pm

I'll trade ya...We found a dead, half eaten calf today, and cougar tracks around it and the barn...




Likely they are raising somewhere close. If possible set a live trap, borrow one from your fish and wildlife department, or ask for someone to trap and remove them
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Post by Guest Thu Jul 11, 2013 1:06 am

Went to a wonderful little get together on the 4th at one of the new neighbors only to hear a sweet story of how she feeds the foxes. During our cookout one walked out of the woods and stood watching all of us. Reminded me way too much of the movie "Gator." Where Betty White was a character who was feeding the alligators. Anyway, to make a long story short we need to be ready for them to try to get at our chickens. So far it hasn't been a problem. Don't feed the wildlife. It can cause all sorts of problems.

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Post by 12acrehome Thu Jul 11, 2013 1:41 am

mom12700 wrote:

...
 Don't feed the wildlife.  It can cause all sorts of problems.

It is actually harmful to feed the cute little animals that frequent the woodlands around our homes. Feeding wildlife causes them to be dependent on humans to feed them. If food is not readily available in their natural habitat they will move to where food is more plentiful, or the population will be held to a level that the habitat can support. Feeding these creatures keeps their numbers artificially high. If food is withdrawn for even a few days the animals will become desperate. This is when things get real bad for everyone.

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Post by Guest Thu Jul 11, 2013 3:24 am

Exactly! Well put.

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Post by Guest Thu Jul 11, 2013 3:26 am

Please don't take what I said wrong. I love all of our neighbors I just don't think they realize the problems it can cause for not only our livestock but our domesticated animals as well.

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Post by mountainmama Thu Jul 11, 2013 7:50 am

I understand. We have a sweet little elderly lady on the hill next to us. She's never married, no kids, lives alone. When the coyotes started running around our house at night, we found out she was "feeding the animals" with her leftovers and hamburger grease, etc. We haven't seen the coyotes this summer, but the bobcats were on the hill between our house and hers.

So far I haven't had the heart to tell her she's calling them in, but after losing 11 chickens, it's getting frustrating.

We can't afford electric wire right now, but dh made the pen with wood pallets and stapled the wire all around and over the top. The bobcats still managed to get inside. They ripped the staples out and got in between the slats of the pallets.

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Post by dizzy Thu Jul 11, 2013 8:32 am

Not only do they become dependent on humans, but it can also cause health problems for them. I'll admit to having mixed feelings about even feeding the birds.

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Post by PATRICE IN IL Thu Jul 11, 2013 11:07 am

Maybe you could just rig a charge to the wire at night. Keith any ideas for just adding a battery and connecting it to the chicken wire on the cheap? I've heard of people running a jump wire off a battery or battery charger to run a hot charge to fencing.
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Post by 12acrehome Thu Jul 11, 2013 1:32 pm

hmm

fence chargers operate at 20,000 to 60,000 volts, they pulse the output so it is not DC or direct current like a battery would put out.

buy several mouse traps, and some .22 cal blanks...or some cap gun caps.







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Post by 12acrehome Thu Jul 11, 2013 1:33 pm

Oh by the way, your neighbors will hate you at 3 am
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Post by PATRICE IN IL Thu Jul 11, 2013 7:06 pm

I was thinking of a direct current only used at night. Once the bobcat gets zapped he won't be back. Something easy to hook up/disconnect. Wouldn't something like that work?
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Post by 12acrehome Thu Jul 11, 2013 10:55 pm

not likely, if you use a car battery as an example put one layer of clothing between you and the battery terminals and you are perfectly insulated, in fact most mechanics I know can lay their bare arms across the terminals and not get shocked as long as they are dry. Critters like a bobcat are well insulated from shock by their coats, winter coat is even thicker and a better insulator.

A fence charger charges up to a high voltage, and sends that pulse down the fence. If anything is touching the fence the sudden zap of the high voltage (and low current) causes muscles to contract and induces pain by nerve stimulation. The lower powered battery, cannot do those things...

http://www.ehow.com/how-does_5038662_electric-fence-chargers-work.html
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Post by Farmfresh Fri Jul 12, 2013 3:12 am

You don't need to spend a lot on the fence charger anyway.  Many are under $30.00
Click Me Fence Charger Amazon
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Post by mountainmama Fri Jul 12, 2013 8:43 am

Thanks for all the suggestions. I will show these to my dh.

For now, we're putting the young chickens in the broody hen's pen, and putting the broody (now a mama) and her chicks into the closed in nesting area at night. The mama hen is none too happy, and the young chickens are overcrowded, but it's only at night and it is a temporary solution, at least until dh can fix things this weekend. That kept everyone safe last night, although there's evidence the cats are trying to pull the rabbit wire off that pen, too.

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Post by 12acrehome Fri Jul 12, 2013 9:29 am

a pack of Jack Russell Terriers would also keep the cats out, but they are very high energy, high maintenance dogs.
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Post by PATRICE IN IL Fri Jul 12, 2013 10:12 am

I have the exception to the high energy Jack Russell, she LOVES her nap time as much as her momma. Smile
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Post by 12acrehome Fri Jul 12, 2013 2:07 pm

PATRICE IN IL wrote:I have the exception to the high energy Jack Russell, she LOVES her nap time as much as her momma. Smile

LOL that's a first. My in-laws have two that are absolutely insane pretty much around the clock.
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