All chickens dead

[Folly's place]

I'm so very sorry for your losses, horrible.
Chickens are especially vulnerable at night, and need to be inside hardware cloth, at least, every night. During the day things can be less strict, with modifications, especially if you have electric fencing around their run.
Pictures of your current coop and run will be helpful, it all needs to be fixed before any more birds arrive.
Depending on where you are located, keeping them under a roof is best during this current AI outbreak too.
Mary

 

[kyliewhite]

I'm so very sorry for your losses, horrible.
Chickens are especially vulnerable at night, and need to be inside hardware cloth, at least, every night. During the day things can be less strict, with modifications, especially if you have electric fencing around their run.
Pictures of your current coop and run will be helpful, it all needs to be fixed before any more birds arrive.
Depending on where you are located, keeping them under a roof is best during this current AI outbreak too.
Mary

Thank you. Maybe I'll get pictures of our setup later. Their coop is very secure, so I'm not worried about that. They were killed in their run during the day. Probably right at dusk or dawn (they have an automatic chicken door and I was out there shortly before dusk yesterday). I have the entire run covered by bird netting.

I already have young pullets (about 8 weeks old).....

 

[Ankarankar]

We have an omlet door that I know is working and the chickens have always been inside on time. They have a fenced in run with netting above so it couldn't be a bird. I was near them last night very soon before dark and then didn't go out to them until about 1 today. So it either happened last night right after I left or this morning. All dead. Heads appear to be missing and they were all dragged to a corner of the run, breasts eaten or badly torn. Feathers all over the run.

We've only lost one chicken in the past year - to a neighbor's dog that got in our yard (I had the gate open and was in the yard working, so I saved the rest of the flock). That dog is always trying to get in our yard and is loose really often.... But I now keep the gate closed at all times, even if I'm right next to it and we fixed their run fence to be more sturdy.

I need to go back out and clean up and do a more thorough check for damage, but on first inspection I didn't see fence damage. I'd have to look closer to see if something dug under the fence. If not, it would have to be something that could fit through a 3-4 inch square (part of the fence on their run, the same fence around our entire property, is that size).

What do you think did this? I'm devastated and have to tell my kids their beloved chickens are dead now.

We had 7 small pullets inside the run in a separate secure area because we were working on integrating them to the flock. They are all fine. I need to make sure this doesn't happen again.

That is horrible! I looked up on a website pethelpful.com/farm-pets/preventing_chicken_predators
Foxes may be the cause. If you see bodies wirh heads eaten off and an odor similar to skunk it may be a fox. They can squeeze through small gaps (red foxes)
This website has several predators and how to prevent any of them from getting your chickens. As a new member and owner of chickens I was surprised they said NOT to use chicken wire. Good luck to you!!!!

 

[ValerieJ]

Hi! And welcome if you are new to BYC! I am just so sorry for your loss. How devastating!

How do you keep your chickens safe?

I keep my chickens safe in a secure enclosure at night that is impenetrable. I personally go out every night, at dusk, and make sure they are secure. During the day I take a small risk and allow them into the orchard to free range, but it is enclosed with fencing, hardwire fencing on the bottom 2 feet and electric wire above that. I have bird netting over the whole thing, although not over all the trees. I mostly worry about eagles swooping in and they cannot with the bird net. This has worked for me and we do have raccoons, weasels and coyotes. Most of the predators attack at night, so that is when I worry about them. We secure them at night and manually let them out in the morning. No electric doors for us.

I hope that helps. Best of luck with your next flock!!! And again, so sorry for your loss.

 

[Ankarankar]

So sorry for your loss.!!!! I am new to chickens as of two weeks ago. We ordered an Omlet coop. I looked predators up at this website. https://pethelpful.com/farm-pets/preventing_chicken_predators It was very helpful and I was surprised that Red Foxes find it easy to get into small places and rip the heads off the chickens is common place for them. There are several predators listed and each has their own method of "kill", The one thing that they said is do not use chicken wire. Now I would have never have thought that!
Please let us know if you figured out what happened and any insights that you have.

 

[kyliewhite]

So do you all feel that automatic doors are a bad idea?

I really don't think anything but a very determined bear could get into their coop. So it is the run that I need to work on.

I almost wonder if they were safer free ranging. They usually came up near the house and followed me around when I was outside. Upon closer inspection of the scene, feathers indicate that each chicken was cornered and then caught. I think at least most of them would have escaped if they were not contained in the run. We have 2 fenced acres (6 ft fence), more than half wooded. But then I have to worry about predatory birds.

I can't even see their coop from my house (it is behind trees, about 100-130 ft from the house). I didn't choose the location, it was there when we moved in a year ago. Would it help to make a new one closer to the house? (I can't really move it). Sorry, just brainstorming. It is pouring rain right now, but I will try to get some pictures if you all are willing to help me. Thank you so much!

I kind of miss my old coop that we built ourselves at our old home. Never lost a chicken there, and I let them free range too. But we were also a little bit more within a city.

 

[aart]

So do you all feel that automatic doors are a bad idea?

I really don't think anything but a very determined bear could get into their coop. So it is the run that I need to work on.

I almost wonder if they were safer free ranging. They usually came up near the house and followed me around when I was outside. Upon closer inspection of the scene, feathers indicate that each chicken was cornered and then caught. I think at least most of them would have escaped if they were not contained in the run. We have 2 fenced acres (6 ft fence), more than half wooded. But then I have to worry about predatory birds.

I can't even see their coop from my house (it is behind trees, about 100-130 ft from the house). I didn't choose the location, it was there when we moved in a year ago. Would it help to make a new one closer to the house? (I can't really move it). Sorry, just brainstorming. It is pouring rain right now, but I will try to get some pictures if you all are willing to help me. Thank you so much!

I kind of miss my old coop that we built ourselves at our old home. Never lost a chicken there, and I let them free range too. But we were also a little bit more within a city.

I'm confused.
The door is on the coop, correct?
But the slaughter happened during the day in the run which on has netting over it?

 

[kyliewhite]

I'm confused.
The door is on the coop, correct?
But the slaughter happened during the day in the run which on has netting over it?

Yes. Door on the coop. It happened during the day in the run.

 

[arwoon]

I am so sorry about your chickens

 

[aart]

Yes. Door on the coop. It happened during the day in the run.

OK, thanks.
Not sure why you are so concerned(keep asking) with the door then.
It's worked well for quite some time?

Obviously you'll need to tighten up your run.