BackYardChickens Forum

I am new to this forum, and this is my first post. Not a warm fuzzy first post, and if I posted this in the wrong place, I appologise, but I need some advice. I work at a shelter (I am an "animal cop"), and from time to time, we get poultry in. I took home a black juvenile mutt with a rose comb a while back. I have had chickens before (a very large buff orpington hen [12lbs] for many years) I didnt want my little black mutt to be alone, and since the feed store had babies, it was perfect timing. I picked out a buff orpington (Popcorn) that was not much younger than her (Caroline), and a two day old mystery chick that turned out to be a beautiful gold and black easter egger (Waffle). Those two were always especially close.

The two young ones only went out when we were outside until they were big enough, and all three were pretty close to the same size, Caroline had started laying brown eggs, and Popcorn was close to that age, Waffle close behind, but STILL following Popcorn around everywhere. about two weeks ago, Caroline and Waffle were frantically flying at my window to get inside the house. It was raining kindof hard, so I thought maybe that was the problem. They have plently of places to roost and stay dry, so I gave it no mind. The next day, I could not find Popcorn. I thought maybe she had wandered off, but would show up as there was no evidence that anything bad had happened to her, but I worried. Caroline was missing patches of feathers and most of her tail. four days later, I resigned myself to the idea that maybe she was gone. Three days ago, Caroline disappeared. I was heartbroken, and nearly cried. I was especially fond of her, I had rescued her, and I should have been able to protect her. Black feathers were strewn from one side of my 3/4 acre back yard to the other, and not a trace of my poor girl anywhere. Waffle was wandering around the yard very subdued and lost. I was mortified, and immediately grabbed up Waffle and put her in my dog crate in my bedroom. I did not have a place to enclose them outside. I got on craigs list, bought a 10 x 10 x 6 dog kennel, set it up, and worked on enclosing the top, and bringing in the roost/nestbox. It took me all weekend, and a very indignant Waffle spent two nights in my dog crate, much to the dismay of my pooch.

On a hunch, I took a flashlight and took a look under a workshop shed in the yard. I found a very "clean" breast bone and pelvis with one thigh bone attatched, and some buff feathers. On the same exact spot, the dried remains of an opossum that looked like it had been torn appart. This is the first night Waffle has spent outside since Caroline disappeared, and I am so worried that she wont be there in the morning I am hoping that I didnt miss any gaps in the kennel...

This is my concern. I have no idea what kind of animal is killing my girls. I live in  north Texas, so raccoons, opossums, foxes, and coyotes are pretty common, but how do I know precisely what kind of animal I am dealing with so that I know what I need to do to best protect my last remaining girl? Are there other animals I can keep with my chickens to detur predation? Gueneas, geese, etc?

Last edited by kari_dawn (11/03/2009 2:01 am)