12 Chickens Killed in Coop

[piper123]

A few mornings ago, I went outside to feed the chickens and I found two of the coops broken into and all twelve chickens killed. None of them were missing, the abdomens were eaten from some of them, and some had large areas where the skin was missing from their backs, almost like scratch marks. The predator broke through our hardware mesh that we haven't had anything get through for almost three years. Whatever it was also tried to get into our third coop, but we have two layers of hardware mesh on that one, so they gave up on that one. Our goats are now terrified to go anywhere near those coops. I'm just wondering if anybody has had a similar experience or knows what could do this. We live in northwest Florida and have had a lot of foxes and raccoons around, but nothing has ever been able to get into our coops and kill that many chickens.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Do you have bears where you live?

 

[DaviJones]

I don't have a lot of experience with predators, but I'll take a shot to get the ball rolling. Maybe a raccoon, if there's a way to get in a coop they're smart and persistent enough to find it. And I believe they often leave a lot of remains as well instead of carrying it off. Impressed it made it through though, is the material like screen door mesh or the metal square stuff.

Edit: Wow! I never thought of bears, great idea!

 

[orrpeople]

Was there much damage to the coop (how big was the hole they made to get through)?

 

[DaviJones]

Maybe post some pics of coop and maybe even dead birds if possible

 

[Red Banks]

A few mornings ago, I went outside to feed the chickens and I found two of the coops broken into and all twelve chickens killed. None of them were missing, the abdomens were eaten from some of them, and some had large areas where the skin was missing from their backs, almost like scratch marks. The predator broke through our hardware mesh that we haven't had anything get through for almost three years. Whatever it was also tried to get into our third coop, but we have two layers of hardware mesh on that one, so they gave up on that one. Our goats are now terrified to go anywhere near those coops. I'm just wondering if anybody has had a similar experience or knows what could do this. We live in northwest Florida and have had a lot of foxes and raccoons around, but nothing has ever been able to get into our coops and kill that many chickens.

This sounds like a dog to me. I am in north central FL. Tallahassee area. A fox can go crazy in a coop but I don't think it would go from coop to coop. A dog is the worst predator, he just kills to kill.

 

[piper123]

Maybe post some pics of coop and maybe even dead birds if possible

I didn't take pictures of the birds, but I'll post a few pics of the coops tomorrow.

 

[piper123]

This sounds like a dog to me. I am in north central FL. Tallahassee area. A fox can go crazy in a coop but I don't think it would go from coop to coop. A dog is the worst predator, he just kills to kill.

Yeah, I was thinking it could be a couple large dogs, but our house is pretty far out and I know all the neighbors dogs. They've been around the chickens and haven't been able to get in to the coops. It's definitely a possibility though.

 

[chickencheeper]

I’m thinking lynx
https://pin.it/ccakiagq5b7zal

 

[pennyJo1960]

@piper123 I am so sorry probably a dog