all chickens killed by unknown predator.

[lukemower]

We had four chickens, one was a 1 1/2 year old black sex link, she was new, we get her about 2 weeks earlier, we had a rhode island red, a white leg horn, and an Amerecauna/easter egger, that we raised from chicks, and were about 4 months old. we have a large cage with chicken wire covering it all and a rope mesh on top. the coop is inside of it. 4 or 5 days ago, the door to the cage was left open, and apparently the coop door closed shutting the chickens out, the black sex link was probably sitting on when, we think a fox or a coyote came in and killed her, all we found in the cage was her feathers, in two other spots in the yard their were clusters of feathers, and then a trail of feathers leading out through a large hole in the fence, we never found any blood or anything but feathers. the other three were fine and slept on top of the rope netting. we were devastated. I locked up all three others in the cage all day and only let them out once for about 30 minutes while I was within 10 yards of them. I put them in the cage and locked up up very securely in the cage each night. I warned all my siblings not to let them out. I had to leave for a few days on a trip, I told my sister to watch them and never, let them out, I locked them in the coop the night before I left and left very early in the morning, and did not let the chickens out in the morning, my sister let them out into the cage the morning that I left, they were fine during the day but my sister never returned them to the coop, and that night, a different predator (we believe) came, apparently it reached through the bars and grabbed the amerecauna, because when they found it it was dead pressed up against the side, then it seem like the predator climbed up on top or the rope mesh and tore a hole through it and killed and ate some of the rhode island red and leghorn. it then either climbed up the coop and out the hole again, or squeezed under the chicken wire, on the side. we think it was either racoons, minks, or weasels. my two little sisters found them the next morning, and started screaming, (it was the sister that I had asked to watch the chickens birthday that day, worst birthday ever). my parents came out and saw them, my mom put the bodies in a bag to stop them from attracting more predators. they locked up our two siamese cats in fear for them, (the cats were defiantly not the predators, they were tested withe them multiple times and they were about the same size as them, and absolutely terrified of the chickens, we are very worried about our cats, I have a small sister who is about two and not that much bigger than the sex link, and we are worried about her, we had a predator get one of our last cats about 8 years ago, I came home today and found out the horrible news, we are all extremely depressed and upset, I feel like a horrible person, I wish with all my heart that I had not gone on that trip, I wish I had put them somewhere else after what happened to the sex link. I wish they had been locked up and we could have avoided this. This is a terrible thing to have happened, take care of your chickens, and leave them in reliable care.

We have talked to lots of people and we are trying to get traps set up, to get rid of the predators, if we catch them, should we kill them? what predators do you think they are? what can we do to prevent this from happening? Will we be able to make the coop and run chicken safe again? Should we get new chickens? are their special chickens that are good at avoiding/escaping/attacking predators (layers preferred, we can't have roosters)? should we get a small store bought predator proof chicken coop and lock them up the whole time? is it worth the risk/cost/possible loss to get replacements, or is it just to dangerous.

Prior to this the chickens had been mostly free range over the yard during the day. Thank you for your help and support, and please get support, I am extremely upset. take better care than we have done, we thought we were safe.

 

[chiques chicks]

I'm sorry for your loss.

Any of the predators you mentioned are possibilities. All will return once they find a meal.

Chicken wire will not stop fox, coyote, raccoon, mink or weasel.

Hardware cloth securely attached is by far the best but expensive.

If you can secure the coop and run with stronger wire and you want chickens again, I see know reason not to start over.

 

[centrarchid]

Setting up a hot wore perimeter can help a lot. If interested in trying again, then post a picture / diagram depicting setup. I use chicken wire quite a bit but it is backed up / reinforced by other protective measures. Think of your protection as layers where some involve how your birds behave.

 

[lukemower]

Thank you for the help, I am considering purchasing a predator proof chicken run and placing it inside the cage attached to my hen house, this is one I am looking at

https://www.etsy.com/listing/225894...iH_sXXbhKY6xHAlla3GtXnu4VbqpNl19wwRoCwW7w_wcB

I never thought I would have to be one of the sad stories on this page.

 

[Folly's place]

So sorry! You will be further ahead building a secure coop and improving your run security, rather than buying a cute expensive questionable coop from somewhere. If you can examine it in person, maybe. Hardware cloth well secured, a good foundation or an apron, NO CHICKEN WIRE! Many of us started out with chickens, and have learned the hard way about security, and it's our dead and dying chickens who have paid the price. My under construction coop addition, not stained/painted yet, but solid;

 

[lukemower]

we got a bunch of hardware cloth at home depot the other day, and started putting it up, I looked at some of the other hardware cloth, and now I think what we got might not be hardware cloth because it is plastic, we have a large cage with bars spaced about 4 inches apart, we have chicken wire on the sides and rope netting on top, we are now adding the "hardware cloth" on the inside of the bars, the chicken wire is on the outside, if this "hardware cloth" is plastic, will it still work or will it be to flimsy? also I have been looking at running electric wire around the bottom of the coop to stop things, digging or climbing or going through it, though it looks very expensive, is there less expensive stuff, or is there a better option?

we have some neighbors who have offered to give us their 5 older chickens that have mostly stopped laying, should we take them, or should we raise new chicks, or should we buy new ready to lay pullets? thanks for the help, also is their a way to check if predators can still get in without loosing chickens?

 

[chiques chicks]

The plastic will be easy to for a predator to chew through, unfortunately.

A small fence charger costs around $50 or $60 dollars, but generally requires electricity available at the coop. They do make solar battery models, but they cost more.

A charged wire about 6 inches above the ground, one around a foot and one at the top will deter most predators.

There is no way of knowing if anything will stop everything.

Personally, I would start with whatever you feel most comfortable with, chicks are work but fun to raise, pullets give you eggs quicker. I wouldn't take someone's old hens, they may not live long and you'll be paying for feed and getting no eggs.

 

[lukemower]

so the predators can probably chew through the plastic stuff? should I buy the real stuff and just put it around the bottom, and top? I will probably get new chicks, I feel terrible about having to start over,also an update our neighbor across the street had his run broken into and all the chickens were out, and two of them were dead with their heads removed, the other three were fine, they are very sure it was a raccoon, their coop seemed impenetrable, and it happened on the exact same night around the same time, we believe it may have been the same predator, or group of predators, is this likely that the same predator would go after different chickens on the same night? we believe if his other chickens hadn't gotten out all would be dead, the predator seems just to kill for fun and hardly eats any of the meat, apparently some of ours were also beheaded, what time do predators usually strike?

 

[junebuggena]

Hardware cloth is welded wire mesh. The holes should be no bigger than a 1/2 inch. The reason is works is that the holes are too small for jaws and paws to get into and shred.

 

[lukemower]

I looked at the hardware cloth and it looks really expensive, I think I will use the plastic stuff I have now for the bottom and the top, and then add some electric fencing, is this a good electric thing, how does it work, do we just plug it in? how much of the wire will i need?

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Patriot-PE2-Fence-Energizer-0-10-Joule-819957/205140266?N=5yc1vZc3lq

is it strong enough to keep raccoons out, we have small children, and cats. is it compatible with this?

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Fi-Shock...RV-_-rv_gm_pip_rr-_-205140266-_-203415847-_-N