Help!

[RhodeRed596]

I have 18 3-month old pullets and this morning I walked in the coop, my coop has no openings, but one was there lying dead half-eaten. Later I decided to put my hens up a bit early before dark. I put them in the run and decided to shut them up in the coop after dark, I came back to put them in and another one was dead, half-eaten laying in the exact same spot. the only thing that could get in that coop and would during dusk is a cat, and we have LOTS, AND I MEAN DOZENS OF THEM(Our neighbors have tons of unfixed cats that are breeding out of control.). Is it possible for cats to kill 3-month old chickens? None of our adults have been harmed.

 

[Firefighter Chick]

are you saying that something got into your run or something pulled your chicken through the fence? I'm confused. Pics may help. Perhaps you need an electric fence.

 

[CapricornFarm]

Does your run/coop not have a top? Because possums and coons can get in any little slot with paws and chew off whatever they grab. It needs to be totally secure.

 

[RhodeRed596]

No, what ever it was climbed the fence, during the day, and it will only attack our chicks, it has killed 4 already. I think its a cat, we have probably 50 to 75 stray cats in our neighborhood and animal control wont do ANYTHING about it. Our run is 6 feet high and has holes 1/2 a centimeter in width for the first 2 feet of fence, then normal chain-link fence for the top 4 feet of it, no top though.

 

[elevan]

So they were killed during the day? Or the predator climbed in during the day and laid in wait?

 

[RhodeRed596]

No, because I went in the coop right before dark and nothing was there.

 

[Cetawin]

Okay so they were locked in the coop and nothing can get in but one was lying there half eaten? Okay you need to check security on that coop first...secondly you need to run a hot wire at top and bottom of the run and shock the hell out of whatever is climbing that fence. A game cam would be in order too.

 

[Meghalu]

I would say you need to put a top on your run. Foxes, racoons, possums, cats, rats and weasels can all climb fences easily, even if it's 6 feet. Hawks, owls, and eagles can fly into the run without fencing on top. So really without fencing on top, the only thing you're keeping out are dogs and coyotes. Every other predator you can think of can get in.

Sorry for your losses.

 

[RhodeRed596]

Well we have foxes, coyotes, possums, racoons, dogs, and LOTS of cats. However, too many cats and dogs live right by us, and all of the dogs in our neighborhood had bad encounters with the chickens when they were puppies, therefore, we have no dog problems. And with so many dogs barking at each other all across my neighborhood, we have never seen a racoon or a possum before here. But about 1 mile away you find all kinds of animals, so its the dogs that keep them away. It was Dusk, they are all 3-months of age except for Jupiter(our rooster) and his older hens, they were locked in the run, and had access to the coop, they free range during the day, and our dog molly keeps them safe(she is a herding dog and we can tell her to herd the chickens in the coop and she will do it). Later just after dark I cam to give them more water(as it was low) and lock them in the coop, I locked them in the coop, and there was another dead body in the coop, half-eaten same spot as yesterday(the same thing had repeated).

 

[Chickmano]

Well.......I think it's the cats. what you need to do is go over to the owners and ask if they will control there cats.

P.s. This is not chickmano, it is her daughter chicky