All chickens dead

[McChooky]

What kind of fence is it?
Raccoons are known for beheading birds and it would be easy for them to climb over the fence, depending on what kind of fence it was.

I agree!

 

[McChooky]

3" opening in the fence wire will let possums,coons,skunks,foxes and weasels just to name a few. If you want to secure the fence better attach insulators and put an electric fence around it

 

[RubelliteRose]

I'm so sorry for your loss. So many predators can fit through a 3-4" space.
One thing that we do is keep our chickens in a run secured with 1/2" hardware cloth for at least one hour after sunrise and one hour before sunset. In between those times, they are either in a much larger run surrounded by welded wire fence and covered with heavy duty netting or they are allowed to free range.

 

[McChooky]

I agree! The hour before daylight and dark is when they're most vulnerable. Predators that hunt during the day and night both are out at this time.

 

[GermanKennhuhn]

Sorry about you’re losses!it was most likely a raccoon or weasel.

 

[50-45-1]

They kill for fun

In truth, weasels cashe kill, which means that they are stocking up food for later. The only preditor I know of that kills chickens for "fun" is the domestic dog

plastic poultry netting

NO to plastic! It breaks down (decinagrates) fast from the sun and weather, and is easily clawed or chewed through by large and medium sized preditors. Go with 1/2 inch hardware cloth. Pricey I know, but it lasts forever, and is pretty strong except if you have bear problems. Also know there are different gauges of this. Some stronger and thicker than others.
All windows and foundation extending down and out a foot in my coop is fortified with this. Nothing gets at my chickens at night.

As a new member and owner of chickens I was surprised they said NOT to use chicken wire.

Chicken wire works great at keeping chickens confined to an area, however it is horrible at keeping preditors out big or small.

This little guy is the farmer's friend as he keeps costly and disgusting rat and mice populations in check. However not when it comes to the farmers chickens. They mostly hunt at night and if he gets in the coop, he will kill everything he can.
Fortify your coop with heavy guage 1/4 inch hardware cloth. automatic door? I like opening and closing manually. I also visually check my coop to make sure I'm not locking in a possum with the chickens over night.
Good luck, and know almost everyone here including myself, learned these lessons the hard way.
The coop I have today, is a direct result of preditors showing me where the weakness were.

 

[Folly's place]

Yes, learned in the 'school of hard nocks', for our chickens.
Mary

 

[Birdsong 82]

I’m sorry . A massacre is heartbreaking. IfYes I would have to agree. Hardware cloth for sure! I know if I hadn’t done that I probably wouldn’t have any more of my chickens. out here are insane. I would have to go with raccoon. Like someone said before they are messy eater‘s. I actually have caught one climbing up the hardware cloth for my run that’s 8 foot tall. He didn’t make it seem difficult. ( I ran over and made it difficult for him though ) They are crafty for sure
And actually after I put the motion sensor alarm on the backs of the run I haven’t had as many problems with things even trying. I thought I’d wasted my money but they actually seem to work for somethings at least

 

[McChooky]

Thanks everyone. I've never had a loss like this in our flock and it was surprising and devastating. Now I feel like there is no way to keep the chickens 100% secure unless I confine them to a very small area. We currently have about 50 sq ft of very secure coop space (partially open air) with an omlet door. I don't think anything but a bear could break into that. And almost 2000 square feet run with bird netting secured to the top of the fence. I'll probably add some plastic poultry netting to the one side of the fence with 3.5x3.5 inch squares but I don't know if that will fix it.

They had been free ranging but they started tearing up my garden... And I worried about owls and hawks I'd seen and heard.

How do you keep your chickens safe?

Plastic won't prevent 4 legged predators from chewing holes in it (and the openings are too large) You need 1/2" galvanized steel mesh to keep out predators but its cost prohibitive.