6 chickens dead

[lanaples48]

Any advice would be appreciated.. I have had my girls for 4 years...never a problem until this morning....Went to the coop and all six ere dead....One was beheaded, one's face chewed off and the other 4 look like they had broken necks....no blood in the coop just a bunch of feathers and bodies...everywhere. Coop was locked down. Looks like something squeezed under the eave and pushed wire out and entered and exited that way.. Too broken-hearted to go through coop now, Any suggestions would help. Thanks

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

I am so sorry for your losses. As you have identified the probably point of entry, it's time to go back to the drawing board on the security for that area - and to revisit the security overall as the culprit will likely return to finish the job. What sort of wire is it that was pushed out?

 

[VikkiP]

I am so sorry for you. Early on in my chicken raising days, we kept a handful of birds in an old corn crib that had been converted to a coop. We would lock them up every night, seemingly snug and safe. But a raccoon came in one night and did the sort of damage you describe. It climbed up a vertical plank wall and opened two wooden twist latches to drop the vent, then pulled the chicken wire loose from its staples. It was a sad morning...

Best of luck with finding your predator, removing it, and re-establishing your flock.

 

[lanaples48]

Heavy grade wire mesh, rolled into a cylinder and stapled into eave....Thanks

 

[lanaples48]

Thank you

 

[lanaples48]

Thank you

 

[bugflipper]

As you found out staples are no good for raccoons, they are very strong. Fence staples are better. http://fencestaple.com/ Stronger yet is to sandwich wire between two boards and screw together. Really the only effective means is predation though. If the predators are removed before they become a problem then the strength of the coop can't be tested as often. If they are persistent they can dig under, tear off walls, unlatch doors and so on. You either need to deter with an electric fence, make every point of entry to difficult for them to get in or remove them from the equation.
Sorry about your chickens.