3 chicks dead...

[Duck_life]

This thread is probably unnessacary but I'm pretty sure al.ost everyone here has lost one of their favorite ducks or chickens to some pests. I've lost 2 and lost 1 from stress... it happened last night, we put my chicks in my dogs old cage (she's a fairly large dog as she's a gs) and left it outside with a tarp over it, as everyone insisted they'd be fine... lacey, one of my new chicks, who would sit on my lap, would feed from my hand and just let me pet her whenever I felt stressed, she was the most wonderful pullet i've ever owned.. but some pesky raccoon took her and my other pullet elli from us last night, although loss is part of life and they are just chickens, lacey was special to me, so I'm catching that darn coon who has took to many chickens from me before and not sparing him this time, he's dead this time, I feel bad for it but.. can't lose anymore hens! I'm going to be getting 6 more chickies. Now i wouldn't be writing this thread if it weren't urgent, one of my chicks, flame an Americana, has been.. down? Ever since it happened, she sits in the corner of the run fluffed up, won't take food from me and not drinking? She just won't move. The only way she'll eat or drink is if everything is by her! Idk what's wrong with her but she just might be shooken up? Thanks for any help and if anyone has experienced a loss, sorry.

 

[bobby2fish]

A havaheart style trap works great. Put half a can of cat food inside the trap and there is NOT a COON in America will be able to resist!!!

 

[slippednfell]

So sorry your lost your girls.

Similar situation here. Baited a havaheart trap with a marshmallow that I attached to the trap with a zip tie. (I speared the center of the treat with the pointy end.) First night... nothing... the next night I got a coon. Tonight I've set it again but moved it near where my guinea keets are crated. (I added 1/2" hardware cloth, using zip ties to all the panels of the dog crate and bungee corded the tray in.) It is covered with a piece of plywood.

The one pullet that survived the attack had a neck injury and we lost her within 48 hours. She was also very traumatized by the attack. Check your remaining girl good for wounds. I hope she gets back to normal soon.

 

[50-45-1]

Racoons will reach thru a dog kennel and pull all or just parts of a chicken and eat what comes thru the cage. even if you compleatly attached hardware cloth to all the sides of our dog kennel i would still not put chickens out overnight in that type of cage. Its to flimsy.
I dont know who advised you that it was ok, but whoever they were, dont take any more recomedations from them.
You can trap and disatch your trouble racoon, but there is lots more where he came from, and keepig your chickens safe will be a battle at every stage of there life, however long you have them. EVERY THING EATS CHICKEN.
I am sorry you have lost your chicks.
I know how frustrating it is.
I have lost plenty of my favorites too.
The secure chicken coop i have today, is the result of different preditors showing me where the weaknesses in my structure and set up were.
Good luck!

 

[aart]

Now i wouldn't be writing this thread if it weren't urgent, one of my chicks, flame an Americana, has been.. down? Ever since it happened, she sits in the corner of the run fluffed up, won't take food from me and not drinking? She just won't move. The only way she'll eat or drink is if everything is by her! Idk what's wrong with her but she just might be shooken up?

If she hasn't perked back up yet, start a new thread about her condition in the injury forum

 

[cmom]

I can relate to your story. The hardest was loosing my very precious Gladys to a fox a few months ago during the middle of the day, but I got the fox. Gladys loved to be held and would come when we called her, she loved to be with us. She had a crossed beak so she was special. She was 3 years old when the fox killed her.

 

[Steven Bussell]

Really sorry you are going through this...
Have you looked your setup and made changes.
No scent adding more if nothing has changed

 

[Duck_life]

Racoons will reach thru a dog kennel and pull all or just parts of a chicken and eat what comes thru the cage. even if you compleatly attached hardware cloth to all the sides of our dog kennel i would still not put chickens out overnight in that type of cage. Its to flimsy.
I dont know who advised you that it was ok, but whoever they were, dont take any more recomedations from them.
You can trap and disatch your trouble racoon, but there is lots more where he came from, and keepig your chickens safe will be a battle at every stage of there life, however long you have them. EVERY THING EATS CHICKEN.
I am sorry you have lost your chicks.
I know how frustrating it is.
I have lost plenty of my favorites too.
The secure chicken coop i have today, is the result of different preditors showing me where the weaknesses in my structure and set up were.
Good luck!

My dad is helping build a sturdy chicken coop, ill be getting 6 more chickens.

 

[Duck_life]

Last night a fox got one of my only 2 pekins, the bigger pekin, Pepper, died, the little brother, Pip, i found by his coop, i put him in and went to search for pepper down the creek, it was hard since the crick is super long but i eventually found feathers pulled from skin in the neighbors part of the creek, they tend to go down there and the neighbors said that they have lots of foxes so that was our first guess, that or a coyote or bobcat, but pip is really stressed out and it super upset, he wont stop quacking, any help?