12 Chickens Killed in Coop

[piper123]

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

There was a pretty large hole in both the coops. I don't think a bear would've fit, but I suppose a small one might've been able to. I'll post some pics tomorrow. It's definetly possible that a large dog or cat (like a bobcat or a Florida panther) could've fit though. I don't think we have panthers this far north though.

 

[piper123]

Do you have bears where you live?

I've never seen any bears around here, but our house is on the edge of a huge hunting preserve and I know our neighbors have seen them before. The hole looks a bit small for a bear, but I don't know, maybe a small black bear could've fit.

 

[piper123]

@piper123 I am so sorry probably a dog

Thank you. It's always hard to lose so many, especially when they're pets

 

[piper123]

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

Are those the same as bobcats? I know we have both around here, but I heard that they generally carry their prey off and the chickens are missing without evidence. Of course it's a possibility though. I wish we had had a camera out just to see what it was.

 

[Red Banks]

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.

Strays can come across your property, that is always my biggest fear. Years ago I had a dog break into the pen where I kept my young geese. One morning I woke up to 18 dead geese. It was my neighbors dog.

 

[chickencheeper]

Are those the same as bobcats? I know we have both around here, but I heard that they generally carry their prey off and the chickens are missing without evidence. Of course it's a possibility though. I wish we had had a camera out just to see what it was.

Generally yes, they are the same. Check out the article on predators and look at the bobcat section

 

[piper123]

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!

Yeah, I'd be surprised if a raccoon could get through the predator wire though. It's the strong metal stuff with the really small squares. We had one get through chicken wire before, so we switched and haven't had a problem until now. We also leave cat food out for things like opossums and raccoons so they don't get hungry enough to mess with our cats or, in this case, chickens. It's a possibility though.

 

[chickencheeper]

Yeah, I'd be surprised if a raccoon could get through the predator wire though. It's the strong metal stuff with the really small squares. We had one get through chicken wire before, so we switched and haven't had a problem until now. We also leave cat food out for things like opossums and raccoons so they don't get hungry enough to mess with our cats or, in this case, chickens. It's a possibility though.

Raccoons usually reach through the mesh and grab the chickens Andy try to pull them through, they usually just get the head

 

[piper123]

Strays can come across your property, that is always my biggest fear. Years ago I had a dog break into the pen where I kept my young geese. One morning I woke up to 18 dead geese. It was my neighbors dog.

Wow that's terrible! I'm so sorry! Ironically, I found two stray huskies wandering around our coops on the same night this happened, but I brought them inside before feeding the chickens that night and they stayed with me, so I know it wasn't them.

 

[piper123]

Raccoons usually reach through the mesh and grab the chickens Andy try to pull them through, they usually just get the head

That's what I've heard. We had that happen once with chicken wire, but they haven't been able to reach through the mesh, or slash a hole in it this big.