What's killing my chickens!?

[Lizardlicks]

****, it did get Rose last night, I just didn't see her because she was dark brown against the leaves. Zeb got away by flying up to the shed roof though, so I have 2 out of 6 birds now. Both are in the spare room. Hub said he also saw "something he thought was a cat" at the time we went out last night, so it's looking more like raccoon. I'm going to get a trap from the feed store and see what we catch.

 

[elmo]

Setting a trap was going to be my suggestion, too. Whatever it is, it has learned that your yard is a great hunting spot and it will keep coming back until it cleans out your flock and then will start up again on your next flock.

Good luck, and let us know what you catch.

 

[Lizardlicks]

Apparently you can't trap anything in Washington without a permit, so now I have to go drop $200 on hiring someone to do it for me. JOY!

 

[bobbi-j]

I think I'd spend that $200 on securing my coop and run. What are your plans for whatever you catch? Relocate to a place where it will become someone else's problem? Shoot it? Eliminate one predator, and you're still going to have problems if you don't fix however it was getting to your birds.

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

I think I'd spend that $200 on securing my coop and run. What are your plans for whatever you catch? Relocate to a place where it will become someone else's problem? Shoot it? Eliminate one predator, and you're still going to have problems if you don't fix however it was getting to your birds.

X 2 - you can do a lot of securing with that kind of investment and doing so will be much more effective at protecting your birds. Eliminating one predator doesn't guarantee your birds' safety.

 

[Lizardlicks]

I won't have to do anything with it once it's caught but call the guy, removal is part of the service (it's $100 to come out and set the traps, another $100 to retrieve them and remove the animal once it's caught). If it was legal to do it myself though, I got no problem offing a troublesome critter. I got an ex room mate who's a taxidermist, she would have been delighted to get a fresh, intact 'coon. Actually, I might ask the guy if I can have it anyway. Pretty sure it's illegal here to relocate and release the animal and they have to be humanely euthanized once caught. If he's just gonna incinerate it, I might see if I can finagle him into letting me keep it.

$200 is much less than the plans that I have for long term coop/run security and will be faster. I didn't have any problems for over a year until this guy moved in. Might also see if my neighbor across the street is also having problems because I know her chickens free roam her backyard. If so, I might be able to split the cost of the trapper with her.

Long term: I need to build a new coop that's basically a shed with two doors opposite each other, and then I can permanently secure the section of fencing that I currently use to access the run to the existing fence, and line the whole bottom half with buried hardware cloth. Two sides already have a concrete footing because the run is sitting where an old shop/garage used to be, and it's foundation is still left there, so it should be fine for under fencing assault from that point. Think I'll put the hot wire along the top in case anything tries to climb it at that point.

 

[-Wirth-]

If it does end up being a dog though, that money will just go down the drain. I just looked it up and the Washington Trappers license is $41. I don't know if you would need a small game license as well or not. I didnt get into it that far, but the small game permit was $40 or $22 for discounted permit, whatever that is. If you are dead set on having someone come set a trap for you then go ahead.

For as long as there have been Chickens, there have been chicken predators. You can secure your coop and run cheaper than you think until you do your revamping. Whether you have someone come trap the nuisance animal, you take care of it yourself, or you do nothing, your chickens will be better off if you put some of that into securing them now.

 

[Lizardlicks]

If its a dog I can find the owner and Washington law says they're legally obligated to compensate me. You don't understand my set up, or my area, what things cost and how I have to go about obtaining them, and I don't particularly appreciate being talked down to as if I haven't been doing the math and trying to figure out different solutions. We already attempted to secure the run as is, but it's not feasible, It needs a complete redesign which will probably run me in the $5-600 range and take several weeks because I work full time and can only do things on the weekends. Until the predator is removed it's not safe for my remaining birds to be outside, but I can't keep them in the house for several weeks. Mr. Murderer needs to get gone so I can get them back outside and start serious work on overhauling the current set up without an imminent threat.

 

[-Wirth-]

Ok @Lizardlicks. Good luck with your plan.

 

[Kiki]

Lost two hens in two days, both the young girls that were just coming into laying. I'm ******, I spent money on them as pullets last October and had barely just started getting eggs out of them after the long winter!

Evidence so far:

Attack happened quickly, in broad daylight. One while I was at work yesterday and the other this morning after I let them out of the coop. No one saw or heard anything both times.
Killed the chickens but didn't eat them or take the bodies. Ripped out feathers.
Found a spot under the outside fence the lines the alley where it looked like something dug under the fence. Filled it in with rocks. Not very large or deep.
I live in the middle of the city, no large ground based predators in the area.

Currently suspect this is canine work of the domestic variety. Suspect is a neighbors unruly pitbull mix, he's not trained or supervised when let out at all. Other possibility is other neighbor's rat terrier/jack russle mix. The dug out whole was very shallow so it wouldn't have been enough to allow a large dog under.

We've made attempts to resecure the run and husband is now doing regular checks. I'm going to start letting them out later in the day as well.

Thoughts? Ideas?

I witnessed an opossum attack in broad day light just last week.
Just saying/adding my eye witness experience.
(I didn't think they attacked in broad daylight til I saw it happen)

I hope you find your murderer quick!
Good luck.