All my chickens, ducks are dead!!!!

[oldladyant]

I am devastated. I haven't stopped crying. I went to say good morning to my friends and found them all dead and scattered along the floor of my chicken coop. I thought I took all precautions to keep them safe. I had them housed in a coop with a concrete floor a metal roof and a locked door with two pygmy goats that were raised with them for protection. I opened the door and found them all slaughtered. 7 chickens and 3 ducks. Beautiful silkies, crested polands and drakes, my babies are all gone. Looks like their necks were broken, none were eaten or taken away, just killed and left. What in heaven or on earth could have done this and how did they get in? I live in rural West Virginia. I can only think of human predators but if there is any other animal that can get into a locked building, please let me know. I don't know what to do. I am so depressed.

Chris

 

[muddypuddles]

Oh my goodness! that's horrible, I'm so sorry for you! Was the door still locked when you went in?

 

[jerseygirl1]

Oh........ I am so sorry!!!!!!!!!!!!!So very sorry!!!!!!!!!!

 

[faykokoWV]

That's terrible!!!!

If none were eaten and none missing, just necks broken, sounds like a person might have done it. No blood at all?

If you suspect a person, you could try calling the police.

What part of WV are you from?

 

[jerseygirl1]

Odd - the building was locked? The goats were fine?
Again, I am so very sorry

 

[chickieMcChickerson]

Oh, dear. I am very sorry!! I honestly think you should ask a vet to stop by (or gather several of the victims & take them to the vet). Then if the vet can't give you any answers, I would call the cops immediately.

Haven't had any nosey neighbors giving you problems, have you?

 

[Enjaytoo]

OMG, I am SO very sorry for your loss! I agree, I would contact the authorities, something is not right... (((((HUGS))))

 

[FenDruadin]

I am SO sorry! That is terrible!!

You must be so devastated.

I agree it might be worth calling in the vet. He/she may be able to help with cause of death and if it looks like human predation, then you can call the cops and the vet can provide the expert testimony you'll need to take someone to court if you can find a culprit.

Also, I can't say of course--but is it possible that they died of some sort of sudden illness, and that their necks just look floppy because of the illness? A vet could answer that question for you too.

It seems very strange. Was the gate locked when you went in? The damage sound like dogs, but I don't see how dogs could have gotten into your set-up. Dogs will often kill for sport and then leave an intact body. Still, if the gate was closed...

If it was human, who would want to do something like that? Do you have neighbors who complain about the crowing? It's so terrible.

If you find out it was human, and if you're unable to prosecute, I would get more ducks & chickens, and set up a hidden camera with some sort of motion alarm that would alert you if someone was trying to break in. Then you might have evidence to prosecute with.

Anyway, I'm so sorry this happened. You must be so sad.

If I were closer, I'd offer to give you some duckies, as I have more than I need at the moment, but you're a good day's drive from here I'm afraid.

Good luck finding the culprit.

 

[~*Sweet Cheeks*~]

OH know!!! That would be devastating and so unexpected.

If the coop is in total darkness, could something have spooked everyone and they were all in a panic and the goats stepped on or ran into the birds in their panic while everyone was running into each other and into the sides of the coop in the darkness breaking their necks and that would explain why they were spread out around the coop?

I'm so sad for you.

 

[SunshineSilkies]

This is probably a bad time to say:

But you will find some good chicken friends here....so sorry about your loss....