Caught the &*#!@%! Whoohoo!!

[Secuono]

BTW mods, we really need a predator/pest section. This kinda doesn't fit anywhere...But!



I caught the {insert all known cuss words here} predator!

Yesterday or the day before, we smelled a skunk late at night and I was worried I had caught another skunk. I forgot about the trap until today and went over to see if the 'skunk' was still alive to release it.

And what did I find in the trap??!?!!?
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A medium sized raccoon!!!!!

A round for everyone on me!
:drinks:
:banana:
:YMPARTY:


So happy I finally caught one of them! I'm guessing by the size, though, that there are more for sure. Need to figure out how our shotgun works, never fired a 'real' weapon. I like doing my fighting/killing close range and not wimp out and use a gun, but for these fricks, a gun it is.
*sigh*
One down....who knows how many more...
Still wanting to get a Game Camera to see if they pass the hot wire fencing or not before I start letting rabbits back on pasture. Anyone know of a good cam for under $100? Seems to be all of them up through $70 always fail. Either worthless battery system, poor flash, poor resolution or they just up and die.

 

[AngelsGirl]

WOOHOO!!!!!!!<br /><br />__________ Mon May 14, 2012 6:46 pm __________<br /><br />You are helping us chicken raisers out ALOT!!!

 

[Secuono]

I've got chickens and ducks to protect, too.
I did him in, wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. Tossed him over the far rear property fence. Maybe his friends will see him and stay away...<br /><br />__________ Tue May 15, 2012 2:19 am __________<br /><br />fox got in through the electric and the duck pen. killed 4-5 ducks, 2 severely injured and dieing. Idk how he got back out, he kept coming back over the hill, but I can't see him now. Pouring down rain, flood light is dead. I think I'm gonna loose my mind....

 

[MaggieJ]

Unfortunately, CnB, you will continue to lose livestock to predators unless you find a way to exclude them. It doesn't matter how many you kill... more will come and you will be involved in a constant war with them. Sure, you will win some battles, as with the raccoon, but the war will go on. I know you are working on better safeguards and I hope you find something that really works.

 

[Secuono]

Went out and bought three more bags of 25ct insulators. Working on adding 3 more lines to the whole fence.
Also got garden weed fabric in hopes of slowing the danged grass down. Mainly since I added one line 3-4in above the ground, then another at 6in, 12in, 18-20in and so on. Dog zapped himself again...he's not so bright...

 

[MamaSheepdog]

Supposedly the (higher voltage?) chargers made for longer distances don't short out as often if the grass touches them.

I was so happy to hear you'd caught a coon- what a bummer that you had a fox attack right after! Sorry for your losses.

 

[Secuono]

It's a 2 mile charger, 8,000 volts is what it's reading. But I'm wanting the grass to just not be there. Cutting that long strip so close to the ground and wires, even if it's just once every 2 weeks is a huge pain and a little rough on the wires.
Well, the new insulators are up, wondering how high I should add them...
Haven't added the wire yet, want to put down the weed fabric first.

 

[ollitos]

We have a huge fox problem. They decimated our laying flock. Killed almost 40 pullets in a month. Huge financial loss. And it was heart breaking.

For poultry and birds, electric poultry netting really is worth the investment. We used 3 or 4 strand electric wire and found it just didn't cut the mustard. Our charger pulsed and the foxes learned when they could get through.

A good trail camera is worth the money. Fortunately, I got one for $35 new in the box from someone who bought it for surveillance at his job but never used it. I like it. It's a StealthCam. Try eBay and look for NIB (new in box) cameras. We put the camera up by our feed lot and got some great pics of bucks, does and wild turkeys. When I put the camera in with the chickens to see any predators in action, we found this creature lurking around.....

Hahahahaa!! My boyfriend's brother-in-law. Cracks me up every time I see that pic. Okay. Done laughing. Maybe. *giggle*

Anyway, a trail camera is totally worth the money.

You may need to look into a livestock guardian dog. They are NOT cheap but they are very reliable if you are choosy about the breeder and trainer and if you're willing to put the time into training the dog for your farm. Or you might want to try these http://niteguard.com/

 

[Secuono]

The solar lights are worthless, people need to stop falling for them.
We bought two and 3 night later, the attacks started. We move them every day, have them at two heights for each predator and still does squat. Not worth a cent.

I'll be putting up 3 strands to my original 3, so 6 total.

Also getting a puppy, even if the fence works, I don't want them to get through when the fence breaks down.

 

[MaggieJ]

CnB, I had an idea about keeping the grass and weeds down under your electric fence. Why not use strips of old carpeting... Mow once and lay down the carpet and you should not have to deal with the grass and weeds for several years. Watch at yard sales and on CraigsList... You can often get old carpet for free.

 

[Secuono]

Yea, thought of using siding for houses, but couldn't figure out if the price listed was for each panel or a box...
Thinking of pouring concrete, could use carpet, but the things people do to used carpet is not something I want anywhere near me or my car.

 

[MamaSheepdog]

Tar paper would work. The problem with any long term weed barrier is that leaves and dirt will blow onto it, creating a soil layer for plants to grow. You could use salt if you don't mind ruining that area for plant growth.

 

[rittert3]

I agree on the gardian dog, great pyrenese work great and can be had starting at $200, I see alot of males for free but females do a much better job. Also wanted to add that used motor oil kills grass and inhibits any regrowth, my dad dose this along one of his sheds and the grass never gets over 2 inchs after oil has been poured there.

 

[Secuono]

I can't pour anything along it, we have a farm and a well system, I can't have anything contaminating the soil and the water just because I don't want grass in a certain area. It's also mostly a hill and lots of water run off, so salt would also not work, since It would just spread and kill everything.

 

[Diamond]

Very gratifying to catch one of the bandits, isn't it?

Coons and weasels are very crafty. They will dig under (especially weasels) most fences given a good motive. Not sure how much area you are fencing in. We bury triple-layer chicken wire or/and old tin (cut into 12" widths) under our poultry fence at a 10- 12" vertical depth. The old roofing/ siding tin is a new thing we have recently discovered. It is abundant here in farm country. Coons will also use adjacent trees, etc to climb and 'drop in' on their dinner.

The problem with getting a livestock protection dog is that the dog needs to be fenced into the area you are protecting and allowed to patrol 24/7, or it just won't work. Dog also can't be sleeping in the house at night as the favorite family pet. And dog needs to learn not to eat the poultry and livestock it is protecting. Certain breeds are instinctually protective of livestock but these same breeds make poor pets and take a skilled owner to properly train. They can be dangerous around small children. But they do a darn good job of killing coons, big cats, other dogs, rats, weasels, and other vermin.<br /><br />__________ Thu May 17, 2012 7:43 am __________<br /><br />......we have llamas that patrol the farm and alert us to predators. They do stay in an electric fence very well and don't eat much - one flake of hay a day in the winter, grass and brush all summer. They are fun to have around, a good llama is a laid back and friendly creature. Shy and a little standoffish by nature, but they develop strong bonds with their environment. They will 'tell on' anything that enters their pasture by making an alarm call and staring it down. Gives you time to get your shotgun and practice your best shot. We've taken out a few raccoons this way.

 

[MamaSheepdog]

LGD's need to be raised from birth or soon after with the type of animal they are meant to protect so they believe them to be their "pack". They are notoriously hard to train, since they have been bred to work on their own initiative. Most are not trustworthy around poultry until they are at least 2 years old, and some never are. They also have definite ideas on where certain animals are allowed. Our Pyrenese will kill cats if they enter the area he is guarding, but if he escapes into other yards, he ignores them. Several years ago when he was in the pasture with the horses and goats, I had a couple of roosters that I decided to free range in there for fly control on the manure. He killed one of them since they were in a zone he considered off limits, and he would have killed the other if I hadn't rescued it. The cats were not allowed in there either.

You might be able to find a suitable dog being rehomed- the lady I sold our pony to shuffles LGD's around to appropriate homes. Our Pyr likes to wander, and she had a placement for him on a large sheep ranch that would have been ideal, but Hubs didn't want to part with him.

You might consider some other breeds that are more easily trained. Australian Cattle dogs (aka Queensland Heelers) are tough dogs and effective ratters. Jack Russells are fearless, and noisy when "on" something. Despite being bred to go after small animals, you can train them to respect yours. My JRT Chase leaves our cats alone, but if a stray shows up when our cats are in heat, he chases them off, and I am sure he would kill them if he caught them. He has gotten pretty close a couple of times.

Whatever you decide, two dogs are better than one.

 

[Secuono]

Total of 340ft that needs to be covered to kill grass. It's a 100ft square yard, roughly, back is to the house, driveway and dog yard. It's a tiny area for a wandering breed, that's why I was hoping to get the electric to work. There's no trees on the outside for coons to get in from.

__________ Sat May 19, 2012 5:26 pm __________

Put up a new pool for the survivors. Adults loved it and won't come out. Thought they deserved something.

<br /><br />__________ Sat May 19, 2012 5:51 pm __________<br /><br />http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php ... 8112194036