Had a visitor at the chicken coop last night.

[GBOUTDOORS]

Jane and I fell asleep on the back porch last night early after dinner and wine. Woke up to a god awful sound at about 11:00. Jane put the back lights on as I started toward the chicken coop yelling . Got there found one of the girls dead and a young fisher cat stuck in the pen.

Ran back to the house got out the Ruger 17cal. two shots later and this young of the year fisher found out why the older fishers stay away from farmer Greg's girls. I told jane this would not have happened but for the wine as I always shut the coop door at dark. Jane says no more wine for me. Crap the hard suff cost so much more.

 

[RoMad]

If you drink your wine earlier in the day, maybe with lunch, it should wear off before time to close up the chicken pen and you would probably only need one shot with the .17 :laughing:
I am not familiar with fisher cats but it looks like it would be hard to keep them out of a chicken pen. I'll bet they can squeeze through some tight spots.
We have coyotes and skunks to worry about keeping out of our chickens, but so far keeping them out thanks to a very sturdy pen and keeping them close to a house.

 

[vic4news]

A fisher cat got on of my chickens last month. I hadn't closed up the coop that night. A buddy of mine said that he installed an automatic door opener/closer in his coop. I had never heard of such a thing before. I ordered one from Amazon and installed it. I also added a 3 volt blue led light that I can see from the house that goes on when the door is closed, so that I wouldn't have to worry that the door didn't actually close.

Vic

 

[GBOUTDOORS]

A fisher cat got on of my chickens last month. I hadn't closed up the coop that night. A buddy of mine said that he installed an automatic door opener/closer in his coop. I had never heard of such a thing before. I ordered one from Amazon and installed it. I also added a 3 volt blue led light that I can see from the house that goes on when the door is closed, so that I wouldn't have to worry that the door didn't actually close.

Vic

Thanks I will look into getting one.

 

[MotorSeven]

I'm going on two years without any losses [in the coop]. When I built the new coop I put a solar electric fence charger w/4 strand of hot wire around the base of the coop. Just like you letting the chickens out & putting them up every day was not working for us, so they are free to fly down in the morning and up at night without worry of being eaten while sleeping:
http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/rural-living/199912-solid-cedar-predator-resistant-chicken.html

I considered the door route, but no door and electric is pretty much fool proof.

We have lost one rooster and several girls during the day because they free range. Best guess is 'yotes and fox.

 

[Stimw]

Don't care for the Wine, I prefer Moans!!

You need to skin that thing and sell the fur. Those guys in Alaska are sell'en furs and buy snow machines and dozers and airplanes and rifles and all kinds of expensive stuff!

 

[s219]

I hear they can be quite vicious when cornered.

 

[daveshoot]

Nice shooting!

I would have mixed emotions but would shoot anyway, under your circumstances. Fishers are cool animals, but they are formidable predators. We had them back in Michigan. Sometimes, there is just one too many.

 

[GBOUTDOORS]

Nice shooting!

I would have mixed emotions but would shoot anyway, under your circumstances. Fishers are cool animals, but they are formidable predators. We had them back in Michigan. Sometimes, there is just one too many.

Dave they are so mean that they can't even stand each other. Look it up fishers will not tolerate another in a 1 sq. mile area but for breeding of course even then he is smart enough to case her off after!!!! No sense in sharing the bounty in his area .

 

[GBOUTDOORS]

I hear they can be quite vicious when cornered.

Lets just say she had a few choice words for me before she hit the ground. I have many pictures of a much larger fisher around the house but it has never gone after my girls. I think this one may have been its young from this year.