Need help

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hall064

hall064

Hatching
Dec 15, 2016
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Last night around 7pm I went outside and saw something fly from my chicken lot. It was a large bird but I couldn't see much detail without my glasses. There was no commotion coming from the coop and all of my chickens should have been in the coop. I went out this morning and found a chickens head laying in the middle of the lot. Feathers were everywhere but no blood and no signs of the body anywhere. Any ideas of what I could be dealing with?
 
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Sorry for your loss. Almost 100 % a Great Horned Owl. It will return ! They are as persistent as weasels or mink.
 
Owl? For their protection, chickens should be secured in a coop each and every night. They are pretty helpless against nighttime predators. They have terrible night vision, and once on the roost at night, they go into a trance-like sleep. The bird next to them could be getting ripped to pieces, and they won't stir.
Secure your coop from predators, and it won't be an issue.
 
I always lock my chickens up in the coop at night but they now share their lot and coop with a pygmy Billy goat. I can't lock him up with them cause they he can get pretty destructive. He has been their protector until now. But I'm gonna have to figure something out fast. Thanks for the help
 
I appreciate your concerns with how I have things on my farm, but who ever said my goat is eating chicken feed? My goat is healthy or else my vet would let me know otherwise.
 
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We're all here to help and learn from one another...I think it's a reasonable assumption to figure the goat is eating whatever is in with the chickens.

Sorry for your loss.
 
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Thanks. My goat goes into the divider lot when it is time to eat. He stays there most of the time I do not leave full feed in the chicken lot while he is in there so he doesn't eat it. He can not stay in divider lot at night because it is too cold. My chickens are free range other than winter.
 
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G’Day from down under hall064
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Welcome!

I am sorry to read of your loss
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I hope you enjoy BYC. There are lots of friendly and very helpful folks here so not only is it overflowing with useful information it is also a great place to make friends and have some fun. Unlike non chicken loving friends, family and colleagues, BYC’ers never tire of stories or pictures that feature our feathered and non feathered friends
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So because you have a goat in with the chickens, you can't secure the coop area at night? Just trying to figure out why you can't close the coop to keep out predators. As you have learned the hard way, a goat does not make a very good guardian for a flock of chickens. Why can't the goat have separate sleeping quarters? It's not like he's up on the roost snuggling chickens. He's on the ground by himself regardless of where he's sleeping. And if the coop is sealed up enough to keep in body, it might not have enough ventilation. Some deep bedding in a dry spot out of the wind will be fine for him.
 

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