Western Canada Poultry Swap
Would you like to react to this message? Create an account in a few clicks or log in to continue.
Western Canada Poultry Swap

Forum dedicated to the buying and selling of quality heritage poultry in Western Canada.


You are not connected. Please login or register

wolverine?!?!

5 posters

Go down  Message [Page 1 of 1]

1wolverine?!?! Empty wolverine?!?! Wed Jun 17, 2015 6:48 am

DCChick

DCChick
Full Time Member
Full Time Member

I have some kind of sneaky predator around here.  I caught a coyote with a chicken in his mouth Monday morning and chased him off, so he is my prime suspect.  However others say no.

A few weeks back a broody hen set up house in an open A-frame type cage and had at least a dozen eggs.  One day I noticed a bit of dirt dug away from the edge and a few egg shells.  A few days after that same thing and ALL her eggs were gone.

Night before last I rounded up my mother duck and her five nearly grown ducklings back into the same A-Frame.  Something dug under (these are very small holes, like maybe 6 inches wide and 2 deep) and ate my mother duck all but her head. How it got her out that little hole I do not know ( my ducks are bantam breeds, so smaller)

This morning I see that they have spotted a wolverine in the city about 10 km from here.  I am in southern Alberta.  Common predators are coyotes, fox, raccoons, skunks... The only one I have seen around here in nine years is a coyote.

What are some thoughts on an possible ID on my predator?

2wolverine?!?! Empty Re: wolverine?!?! Wed Jun 17, 2015 6:38 pm

mirycreek

mirycreek
Golden Member
Golden Member

yikes .....weasel???

http://www.feathers-farm.webs.com

3wolverine?!?! Empty Re: wolverine?!?! Wed Jun 17, 2015 7:23 pm

DCChick

DCChick
Full Time Member
Full Time Member

I've thought that too (forgot it in my predator list) but could a weasel eat a duck completely? I thought they just sucked out the blood like tiny vampires...

On a side note, my daughter chased away a coyote with my little Silkie in his mouth this afternoon.

4wolverine?!?! Empty Re: wolverine?!?! Thu Jun 18, 2015 8:18 am

mirycreek

mirycreek
Golden Member
Golden Member

oh dear...well thats one culprit for sure but you could also have several predators...what about raccoons? they re sneaky and have narrow little arms???

http://www.feathers-farm.webs.com

5wolverine?!?! Empty Re: wolverine?!?! Thu Jun 18, 2015 9:55 am

niglefritz


Active Member
Active Member

My mom said that a fox can get through a 2" hole. They dig. You may never see them either except by chance.

I might also suggest a rat...but I don't know if one would eat most of a duck like that.

If you are already thinking wolverine, I would maybe look into other smaller members of the weasel family...fishers, mink even skunk...is there any smell? Did the thief leave any tracks? Perhaps make some mud around that area to catch tracks...or a small trap?

6wolverine?!?! Empty Re: wolverine?!?! Thu Jun 18, 2015 9:59 pm

DCChick

DCChick
Full Time Member
Full Time Member

I''m thinking of a trap, but I am not sure what I'd do with it after I caught it! Today I kept everyone in lockdown and only let them out for a few hours.. Maybe the thing will forget about my place after finding nothing to eat for a while?? I hope. ( that's the easy way out

7wolverine?!?! Empty Re: wolverine?!?! Fri Jun 19, 2015 6:54 am

niglefritz


Active Member
Active Member

Once something finds easy food, even if there is a break in access, it always comes back. Sad

We have continual issues with foxes, so we can't free range. We put a 1 1/2' skirt of hardware cloth around our A-frame this year. We know there are big hungry kits already as we have seen some elsewhere. We still have all our birds at this point so far.

Keep in mind that if it is a fox, that they can easily climb too.

I was wondering, how is the coyote accessing them if they are contained?

8wolverine?!?! Empty Re: wolverine?!?! Fri Jun 19, 2015 7:01 am

DCChick

DCChick
Full Time Member
Full Time Member

I thought about the hardware cloth or some kind of wire on the ground.  I think I will do that as my son has his rabbits living in similar a frames ( except they are on grass.  The duck A Frame was on dirt)

Most times the coyotes grab a chicken that is free ranging. The Ducks were in the frame and whatever it was dug a tiny depression not even big enough for the duck to fit out! I don't know how it worked, but it did. There were a bunch of feathers with a bit of blood and her head laying by the cage the next morning.

9wolverine?!?! Empty Re: wolverine?!?! Fri Jun 19, 2015 7:22 am

niglefritz


Active Member
Active Member

To me, it sounds fox like. Our fox would dig a hole only large enough to get in and not be able to pull the runner through. It did this on two different enclosures.

10wolverine?!?! Empty Re: wolverine?!?! Mon Jun 22, 2015 6:58 pm

Bessie


Member
Member

I had raccoon issues so I hot wired the fence around the chicken run with a standard horse fencer.  There are three wires - one about 4" off the ground, one about 15" from the ground, and one on top, leaning outwards.  So far, it has kept the raccoons out.  Of course, it doesn't help when the chickens are free ranging, but they will run for the nearest bush, or a horse, if available.

11wolverine?!?! Empty Re: wolverine?!?! Thu Jul 02, 2015 2:30 am

DCChick

DCChick
Full Time Member
Full Time Member

A clucking hen woke me out of a good sleep about 2a.m. I went out and opened the coop door ( the gate to the run was closed for the night) and saw a cute little skunk waddling across the floor. I closed that door FAST!!!

I grabbed a shovel and banged a bit on the walls and door, and looked around. There he was in the run! I looked at him ( from a safe distance) and he looked at me. After a staring contest lasting about 45 seconds, he conceded defeat and waddled away. The pop up doors to the coop are now closed.

He would eat eggs right? But what about a whole bantam duck minus the head? Also, I have hens brooding week old chicks. Yesterday I found one dead on the floor. He'd snack on the chicks too?

12wolverine?!?! Empty Re: wolverine?!?! Thu Jul 02, 2015 7:11 am

Ruffledfeathers

Ruffledfeathers
Golden Member
Golden Member

Oh skunks are bad too. Good thing you were able to get a look this time. No your enemy. My neighbour has had skunks for yrs with oodles of damage and yet ( knock on wood) I have never seen any. But you never get use to the gunshots

Sponsored content



Back to top  Message [Page 1 of 1]

Permissions in this forum:
You cannot reply to topics in this forum