PROTECTING POULTRY FROM PREDACIOUS BIRDS 



sprung. . This will enable the trap to hold the larger birds but will 

 permit the escape of such smaller ones as arc not disabled when 

 struck by the jaws of the trap. 



Indiscriminate killing of various small birds is the greatest fault 

 of pole traps. If the traps are kept set at all times, a number of 

 small birds will be killed for every hawk captured, and flickers, red- 

 headed woodpeckers, kingbirds, and bluebirds will be found dead 

 in pole traps. Such destruction of innocent birds not only constitutes 

 unnecessary cruelty but also is wasteful of useful bird life and in 

 most cases is in violation of Federal or State law. Killing small 

 birds by pole traps can be avoided, in part, by setting the traps too 

 " heavy " 3 for such birds to spring them, This is done by regulating 

 the depth in the notch to which the 

 trigger of the trap is adjusted or by 

 putting under the pan a twig, a light 

 coil spring, or a pad of cotton that 

 will yield under the weight of a 

 large bird but not under that of 

 a small one. Both legal and humani- 

 tarian considerations require that 

 the use of pole traps be carefully 

 regulated. If they are not used with, 

 moderation, legislation entirely for- 

 bidding their use may be expected. 4 

 As soon as the need of protecting 

 poultry has passed the pole traps 

 should be removed so as to end 

 danger to innocent birds. 



Because of their selective destruc- 

 tion of the less harmful hawks, and 

 their danger to bird life in general, 

 pole traps should be replaced as 

 rapidly as practicable by traps that 

 capture birds alive, so that harmless 

 species can be released. Such a trap 

 is shown in figure 4, and a commer- 

 cial " basket " trap is illustrated in 

 figures 5 and 6. 



A cage with a live hawk or owl in it attracts other birds of the 

 same kind, and may be placed near a pole or basket trap to decoy any 

 of these birds that visit the farm. 



Crows and magpies feed on the eggs and young of poultry when 

 they are given the opportunity, especially during their own breeding 

 seasons. Methods of reducing the numbers of these birds are de- 

 scribed in Technical Bulletin 24, The Magpie in Relation to Agri- 

 culture, 5 and Farmers' Bulletin 1102, The Crow in Its Relation to 



Figure 4. — " Basket " trap for hawks. 

 A live chicken or pigeon is kept in 

 the lower part of the trap as bait. 

 A hawk endeavoring to strike the 

 fowl depresses the wire-netting floor 

 of the upper part of the trap and 

 releases the weight, which pulls over 

 the top of the trap the rolled cur- 

 tain shown at the left. 



3 A trap is set " heavy " when considerable force is needed to depress the pan ; it is set 

 " light " when it will spring at the least touch. 



4 Pole traps are now outlawed in New Jersey; traps that suspend captives alive are 

 illegal in New York; and there are restrictions on the use of steel traps in Massachusetts 

 and in South Carolina. 



5 For sale at 10 cents a copy by the Superintendent of Documents, Oovernmeut Printing 

 Office, Washington, D.C. 



