Losing lots of chickens to some unknown predator

[djh1982]

Hi. I just came across this post and been having a very similar problem. Just this week I have lost 7 - 5 week old chicks. Before that I lost 5 silkies. Lost 5 of the chicks in 1 night this week and then the very next day lost my last 2. I recently put a top on the run after I lost my adult silkies. I secured every nook and cranny. It's a chain link fence coop but have 2"x4" wire on the bottom of it coming up 2'. It appears that whatever is taking my chicks is simply reaching through and forcing them through the fencing. There are feathers stuck to the fence where it looks like they are pulled through. I have a trail cam but have yet to get lucky and see what it is. I even went as far as to put a surveillance camera that ties in to my house surviellance and didn't see it. Almost as if it knows to avoid them. I'm so frustrated with this thing that I've got traps everywhere. Starting to feel like I'm in the movie mouse hunt. If I do catch it I'll be sure to feed it to the ladies. Anyone have any idea what this could be?

 

[lynnehd]

Hi. I just came across this post and been having a very similar problem. Just this week I have lost 7 - 5 week old chicks. Before that I lost 5 silkies. Lost 5 of the chicks in 1 night this week and then the very next day lost my last 2. I recently put a top on the run after I lost my adult silkies. I secured every nook and cranny. It's a chain link fence coop but have 2"x4" wire on the bottom of it coming up 2'. It appears that whatever is taking my chicks is simply reaching through and forcing them through the fencing. There are feathers stuck to the fence where it looks like they are pulled through. I have a trail cam but have yet to get lucky and see what it is. I even went as far as to put a surveillance camera that ties in to my house surviellance and didn't see it. Almost as if it knows to avoid them. I'm so frustrated with this thing that I've got traps everywhere. Starting to feel like I'm in the movie mouse hunt. If I do catch it I'll be sure to feed it to the ladies. Anyone have any idea what this could be?

Raccoon? Weasel?
Does this occur at night or in the day? If at night, have you considered locking them in the coop?
Also, I was wondering- what about adding 1/2" hardware mesh 3' up, so the holes are too small for the hens to be pulled through?
The problem is, even if you trap and remove this culprit, there will be another one soon enough.

 

[djh1982]

It happens at night every time. I'm almost certain that it's a roccoon. I may have to go with a smaller mesh wire to stop this critter. Today I placed more traps around the yard. I'm determined to catch this thing. I have another batch of chicks about to go outside but I won't put them out until I have this problem solved. Tired of losing chicks and hens.

 

[lynnehd]

It happens at night every time. I'm almost certain that it's a roccoon. I may have to go with a smaller mesh wire to stop this critter. Today I placed more traps around the yard. I'm determined to catch this thing. I have another batch of chicks about to go outside but I won't put them out until I have this problem solved. Tired of losing chicks and hens.

Sounds right. My worry is that another one will be right behind this one.
I'd get the smaller gauge mesh asap.

 

[djh1982]

Definitely. Thanks for your input.

 

[djh1982]

Update.... I set out my traps last night and managed to catch a coon and a opossum. I'm an avid hunter but have never been so excited to catch an animal in all my life. The girls have 2 less predators to worry about. I'm my Duke DP trap I used canned sweet corn and got the opossum and in a cage trap I used a mixture of dog food, honey and peanut butter to get the coon. I plan to reset the traps tonight and have more on the way. I'm a man on a mission to stop the brutal killing of my poor chickens!!!

 

[DTSchele]

I lost my whole flock last night but they just killed them and left them all there they're not torn up or anything. Help any ideas?? I live in southern Mi

 

[Bigwig]

I lost my whole flock last night but they just killed them and left them all there they're not torn up or anything. Help any ideas?? I live in southern Mi

I would say either a mink or a dog. How secure is your coop?

 

[bigoledude]

Hey Costello. First, a possum will absolutely kill chickens. They climb as well as a coon. Not as fast but every bit as well. Possums will carry killed chickens away. Possums will eat them on the spot. They will pull the chicken's head through fencing and eat it clean off. Some will eat the guts and leave the rest. For a long time I gave advice here on "Predators and Pests". I was once called a liar or told I was "full of beans" by a frequent poster here. So, I left for a long while.

I have no ulterior motive to give advice. Only tried to help. But, I do have extensive experience chasing down predators of chickens and other farm stock. My son has a very rural place down here in SE Louisiana. We, and many of our neighbors raise chickens. I have kinda been the guy most of our neighbors would call when they had a chicken killer afoot that they couldn't catch. I have never charged anyone a dime for my help. Just enjoyed the challenge of finding the culprits. I will try to be brief.

The "dogproof trap" is a wonderful trap for coons, possums, skunks and anything in the weasel family. They will not inadvertently catch a dog or cat. I bait them with canned tuna, cat food or, fish guts and the cheapest strawberry jelly I can find. Push some down the trap and also drop some globs around the trap Most of the folks down here have now bought 5-6 of these traps themselves once they realized how effective they are. Here is what the traps look like.

http://www.rpoutdoors.com/dudpcotr.html

Steel leg traps are effective but are indiscriminant in what they catch. You'd have to make sure your dog won't get caught in it. Not very likely he'd be injured by it but....

Live or cage traps are by far the LEAST EFFECTIVE traps I've used. Just about everyone who has asked me to help with a chicken killer has 2-3 of these traps. We set them out but rarely catch anything in them.


For years I would read here the stories of folks problems with predators. I always had an opinion, based on the details given, of what it might be. The overwhelming number of times I was dead wrong. The truth is that all predators will sometimes kill and eat chickens in a very similar fashion. I am surprised that you haven't caught your killer on your gamecam though.

You may have no experience with firearms but, learning to shoot a pellet rifle is very easy and very safe. Here is a powerful yet inexpensive pellet rifle that is plenty strong enough to kill a possum, coon or weasel. It will very likely kill a coyote sized animal within 30-40 yards.

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Ruger-Air-Magnum-.22-Combo-with-4x32-Scope/22174267

They also sell a brand of pellet rifle by the name of Gamo. It is also a very good pellet rifle. Whatever you decide to buy, get it in .22 caliber and make sure it shoots at least 1000 feet-per-second (fps). ( Very important). Remember, it's a pellet gun, not a firearm. So, don't be intimidated by it. Telling folks to kill the predators is what got me crossways with the aforementioned animal rights activist that questioned my integrity here. I advocate the killing (legally) of any predator that is killing animals on my property and recommend the same to anyone who asks for my advice.

Since the 3 devastating floods (12-14 feet of water each time) we've experienced since hurricane Katrina, many residents have moved away. It has gotten crazy-wild here. Coons are responsible for the deaths of many chickens here. Coyotes are killing livestock, poultry, cats and dogs at a rate unheard of in this area ever before. But possums are the main culprit of chicken deaths BY FAR! And, I'd bet that owls and hawks are not far behind. Hardly anyone free-ranges their chickens anymore. The ones that do, suffer the greatest casualties.

Well, so much for being brief! If you or anyone else would like to ask me any questions, you may ask here or email me anytime at

[email protected]

 

[DTSchele]

It was my sons flock and they were amazing layers got almost a dzn a day of the biggest eggs I've ever seen. Most won't even fit in the cartons. My son is very much into gun sports and is on a SCTP league so yes he has lots of guns.. I do not have a problem killing whatever killed them. He's devastated and I have a lot of $$ into our birds. I did have a live trap that I tried to bait them last night but no luck. Thanks for the advice on the traps I will definitely look into the trap you mentioned above. I lost a flock several years ago same MO all killed none eaten, I believe it to have been a Ferrell cat I trapped and killed the nxt day.

It just seems so strange to have had something kill everyone of them none were eaten at all and there are very few marks on them. There is even one that doesn't look like there's a single mark on it. There was one that gout out and was closer to the house that's the only one that looked torn up at all but it may have been gotten by something else after it was already dead.

The door was pried open less than a foot. Most of them were dead by the door so they obviously we're trying to get out. One was even in a nesting box.