My chickens are dead... :-(

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Kmc1360

Kmc1360

Hatching
12 Years
Feb 17, 2007
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I have lost several chickens and am not sure what is killing them. The first death had no sign of injury, it was just laying there dead. We are thinking that the hawks are snapping the necks of the chickens. We have enclosed the run area with netting so that the hawks cannot get in to the pen to hurt the chickens but we just found another one dead this week with a small wound to the neck.

We are in the arizona desert so we have snakes, hawks, spiders, bobcats and much more. Does anyone have any insight about our deaths? We really want to prevent any further losses. Any helps would be appriciated!
 
Very sorry for your loss. It's hard enough to loose chickens, but worse to not know how it is happening / how to stop it.

Is it happening at night? How secure is your coop / run at night? That's when all the bad things around here come out to kill my chickens.

Odd that you are finding them dead and not seeing any of the signs of predators that eat chickens.
 
If your chickens are dying and you don't know the reason, I would suggest you take one in for a necropsy. They may be sick rather than a predator getting at them. Most states will do it for free or just a small fee. Check with your local cooperative extension to find out where to take it. I hope you don't have any more losses but if you can find out what is causing it maybe you will have a better chance of preventing it. Good luck,

Chris
 
Dogs will kill a chicken and leave it lie with little to no signs of injury. Don't know how your coop is set up; or how secure it is, but if it's in an area that stays dry around it (like a cement floor) you might try dusting with cornstarch or flour to see if you can pick up any tracks. A necropsy is a good idea, too.
 
If it is something small like a weasel, hardware cloth around the pen should keep them out. Unless they can climb (???) and go through the top.
 
sad.png

I'm sorry to hear about your birds.
hugs.gif
They are right- A necropsy is the only way to know for sure. Then you can prevent it with your new birds.
Did any of the birds act strange before their death?
 
I would also suggest getting a have-a-heart trap just in case it is a coon or possum, not sure wether it works well for weasels. Most feed stores carry them.
 
Quote:
It sucks, I know from personal experience, when you catch a skunk, though. Those suckers can turn around really fast. Just remember hydrogen peroxide, not tomato juice.

Mark
 

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