Jump to content

What Predator?


Recommended Posts

From a pen of 500 poults, I picked up 8 dead poults yesterday and 36 this morning. This is one hell of a blow to lose nearly 10% from one pen in 24 hours. Needless to say It'll be a late night tonight.

All seem to have been killed during the hours of darkness. Some have had their heads eaten, others had their heads and breasts removed, one or two walking wounded with bleeding patches on their heads, others have been killed for fun and intact.

We've had trouble with buzzards before, but this is not buzzards. All the poults were killed up against the inside of the fence. Some of the funnels on the inside of the pop holes have been trampled on as the poults were chased.

Have heard of Goshawks chasing poults on the ground killing indiscriminately, otherwise inclined to think polecat. Any ideas?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 77
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

I have in the past, before I learned better, had foxes climb up trees next to the pen and gain access that way. Once in they have no incentive to leave.

 

As I said it could well be a mink, little sod's they are.

 

If it was one of my pens I would gently walk it with a few trusted helpers with 12 bores just to put my mind at rest, you never know.

 

Put down a cage trap/tunnel trap or two in case it's a mink.

 

All you can really do then is to put down some wires and sit out with the rifle and a flask and hope to shoot the blighter.

 

Good luck.........

Link to comment
Share on other sites

if the heads are missing its definately a fox or possible badger

 

if you think it may be a smaller predator pluck one of the dead birds if theres lots of bruising then it will be a large jaw ie fox badger a mink stoat or polecat will have puncture marks around the back of the neck usually close to the head and a buzzard always leaves tallon marks either on the back and wings but sometimes on the breast also

rats will also take young birds if they roost on the floor but wont remove heads and cats are unlikely to kill in numbers

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'd say fox too.

Get down there because he'll be back for sure.

Take the dog around the area outside because they sometimes bury their surplus.

If you find any buried bits, put some snares around.

Use some of the dead birds to bait your own traps.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

id say fox a badger will only kill what it wants to eat a cat might kill a few but check the dead birds for signs like auto said bird predation ie buzzard is ovious if its a polecat etc you will pick it up in a fenn easily id be sat out looking if its a fox what you find dead will be o nly a fraction of the damage the poults that fly out of roost will be mopped up on the outside by anything thats hungry and its defo not a hedgehog they only eat the guts out of birds

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Despite being up all night, he managed to kill another 10 last night.

Two of the lads were out with rifle and lamp til 1.00am. They spotted one large fox about two fields away from the pen but didn't get a shot at it.

I sat up near the top of the pen where most of the kills were made on Sat night with no sight or sound of anything. 5.30am, as the poults were coming down from roosting, I walked around the bottom fenceline and picked up 10 poults still warm. In one area, 5 poults had been roosting on fallen brash, probably 3ft off the ground. All 5 were killed within 4yds of each other, just silently picked off the roost one by one.

Have found out where it's coming in. It's travelling through one of the pop holes and can squeeze through the anti fox grid. This morning, he'd tried to leave with a poult but couldn't get himself and the poult through. He goes over the electric fence without any problem. Tunnel traps not touched and despite the constant rain, no pad marks. One of the poults, when plucked was bruised the length of its neck. The neck was brokem and a single puncture mark through the skin of the neck (looks bigger than polecat / mink)

Baited cage trap now placed 10yds away from pop-hole. Fox snare at the funnel.

Waiting for him seems a waste of time as I'm unlikely to hear or spot him inside the wood with plenty of ground cover when it's chucking it down with rain before he picks up my scent.

Will keep you posted. I reckon it's a young fox.

 

Henry D.....This makes 54 dead out of 500 which is over 10% lost

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
 Share

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.

×
×
  • Create New...