Lost my 2 Rocks this morning

[missy1971]

Big Ginny, woke us up this morning being louder than normal, and I ran out there and my 2 young Rocks were gone. not a lot blood but feathers another bigger piece of feather's attached to a little skin.

. there are no dig marks around the chain like kennel, and i had that somewhat protected, until i could get them into their new coop, I'm thinking snake, but how did he get 2 chickens at once? the blood was fresh, so i figured it was just before dawn.

Any guesses, ideas, thoughts...anything is welcome.!

 

[Zoomie]

@missy1971 I'm so sorry, I did not mean to make you feel sad... BUT, you should have that information, so you can keep those birds safe!

Yes, I had terrible problems with raccoons, reaching through the wire etc. so that one of my runs was a cube of chain link (in other words, on the bottom too, buried deep, as well as the 4 sides and the top) and then 3" in, another cube, but this time of hardware cloth. (It was for pheasants, not chickens.) Ha! THAT stopped the raccoons! They absolutely could not reach the birds in there no matter how much they tried and OH how they tried. I had to make certain that the edges and any seams were really secure but it did the trick. Remember that raccoons are really strong, and have been known to rip siding off a barn to get to birds. Build very strong! Stronger than you think you need. And don't let anyone tell you that you are crazy, they do not realize how determined a predator can be.

Try not to feel sad but do try and make your coop absolutely TIGHT and SECURE. Then you can rest easy, knowing your birds are safe!

 

[SilkieChickenLover336]

Does it have a roof on top? Maybe it could be an owl or a raccoon?

 

[missy1971]

It has a pretty thick sun shade that is attached tightly and a tarp over that.

 

[aart]

Were the birds gone-gone, like nowhere in sight, or still in kennel?

Coon could have got under tarp/shade cloth...or reached thru chainlink.
Weasel could have gone right thru chainlink.

Either way, you probably scared them off before they could feed.

 

[missy1971]

Gone gone, no where in sight. Blood and feather left

 

[peeper89]

that sad hope you find what did this. set up game cam if u have chickens left it will be back for other ones.

 

[aart]

Gone gone, no where in sight. Blood and feather left

Had to have been something large enough to carry off the carcasses.
Any chance you can set up a game cam....cause it will be back for more.

 

[missy1971]

Ok guys and gals I got my new coop up..10 hrs yesterday and will be about 5 hrs today. I put a baby monitor inside so I can hear anything that goes on, as well as a motion sensor light. Trying to locate a game can. I'm putting about 10in of boards up the side of the run as well as 2 inches above that hardware mesh. Will take pics later today and post. Also I have 2 Delaware and 2 barred rocks on hold,and will pick them up thursday! They are 5 weeks

 

[aart]

Were birds taken young....how young?