2nd found dead in pen in 2 weeks- graphic pic!

[Sydney65]

Yes, it’s amazing that something as small as a weasel can kill a chicken! Weasels follow rodents through their burrows, so I would definitely be concerned about mole burrows near your coop. Do you have buried wire around you coop or an apron?

Not buried - it's built like a truck. Trying to walk on the boards only was unrealistic for a klutz like me, so I put plywood over that, in both the coop & run areas.

 

[Mixed flock enthusiast]

Not buried - it's built like a truck. Trying to walk on the boards only was unrealistic for a klutz like me, so I put plywood over that, in both the coop & run areas.View attachment 2484758

Yes, your floor looks great! I’m all for exclusion of predators wherever possible! I see some like around your door frame. How big are the gaps?

 

[LeachFarm]

A little over 2 weeks ago I found a dead guinea in the pen. I free range then except at night I lock them up in the pen we enclosed under our kids playhouse. Not a predator attack, nothing seemed visibly wrong, no one seems sick....then today I found another one in the almost exact same spot but this time it looks like maybe the others pecked it’s face. Any idea what could be going on????

Here’s a picture of their pen, the roost across boards tucked up under the play house. After the first loss we put a tarp on the left side half the front and half the right side to keep wind drafts off them. It’s still plenty open for airflow though.View attachment 2481483View attachment 2481485

 

[LeachFarm]

We lost 14 of our chickens to 1 mink, one of the ones we lost there was no evidence of her anywhere. We now have a chicken coop with a run around the coop with hardware cloth under the run and around it. Hope you have found a way to prevent it

 

[Bigtom Turkey]

IDK if this is relictic or not but is there, like a goose or something you can get to keep those out??

 

[Bigtom Turkey]

And is there a kind of goose that does keep them out?

 

[Sydney65]

The hard cloth is 1". I think what you see is the saw dust on top of the blackjack- this was before it was finished. The sleigh runs on each side are on the ground w/a board between them in front and back that is at an inward slant. Not sure if I can explain well..the door frames are such that you'll stubbed toes if you don't remember to step up, and a sore head if you don't duck. - so no gaps.
The 4" on the side where sunlight is coming through looks like there would be a breach..I do remember questioning it, bc I cld see sunlight, but by the time he finished, I can't get my fingertip under it. Oh, I remember - the sleigh runs have a board between them front and back that is angled inward instead of straight, bc you don't want that dragging when you move it. But it's just barely above ground.

 

[Sydney65]

And is there a kind of goose that does keep them out?

Doesn't sound like it. Here are suggestions: https://backyardpoultry.iamcountryside.com/coops/weasels-killing-chickens/

 

[R2elk]

IDK if this is relictic or not but is there, like a goose or something you can get to keep those out??

And is there a kind of goose that does keep them out?

No.

 

[Mixed flock enthusiast]

And is there a kind of goose that does keep them out?

I found this video of a mink killing chickens in the coop enlightening because I was wondering about the mode of attack. The geese were as terrified as the chickens, though a light in the coop might have helped them out. NOTE: this is a disturbing video of chickens being killed by a mink!