Another massacre 7 months after the Great chicken massacre of 2019

[chickenpal147]

In that case.....it was likely a dog that killed your birds.

If it was a dog, my dog would have been in our basement at the sliding glass door in seconds barking her head off, like she does when any of the neighbors dogs are in our yard because those are her chickens and only she can harass them. But she just stayed a sleep on her bed in the basement that night. Normally she barks at anything that moves in the yard at night, but she didn’t which is what is confusing us right now.

 

[cmom]

Fox maybe? If you have a game camera put it up. Most likely whatever it was has been lurking looking for an opportunity and will be back and then you will know what you are dealing with. Good luck...

 

[Howard E]

If it was a dog, my dog would have been in our basement at the sliding glass door in seconds barking her head off, like she does when any of the neighbors dogs are in our yard because those are her chickens and only she can harass them. But she just stayed a sleep on her bed in the basement that night. Normally she barks at anything that moves in the yard at night, but she didn’t which is what is confusing us right now.

Does seem to be a curious contradiction. To have a dog that is alert and misses little to nothing, yet missed this. Whatever it was......your dog missed it....and missed the ruckus that took place during. Birds didn't kill themselves.

Still, the nature of the damage and pattern of the kill suggests a dog. Bobcats, fox, etc. would have likely all left with one or more birds. If that entry is a window off the ground, it means a dog had to tear a hole in the screen, then crawl up and through. Seems improbably, but certainly doable to a determined dog.....depending on how high the window is. I don't know that.

Perhaps coons....but heads would have been damaged and/or missing and birds mangled.

Despite what you may think, you likely do have minks......who would kill that many birds (bite marks to the back of the neck at the base of the skull), and could force their way in through screen, but that hole looks too big for a mink. Way to big for a weasel.

So all signs (to me at least) still suggest a dog did that.

 

[Longhornlove]

I had another animal come and kill my chickens. This time it got into the coop through a weak screen that was supposed to be rated for big predators. What ever it was killed 10 of my gorgeous chickens and left me with 2 roosters 2 hens and 2 babies. Whatever it was the dog didn’t hear it and didn’t bark letting us know something was getting in the coop. Which leads me to think it was a bobcat, it could have been a coon but the dog would have told us. We also have a possum in our yard but the chickens sleep way up off the ground so I don’t think it could have been a possum. I’m looking into buying a trail cam to find what it is. But here is a pic of the screen it damaged. Let me know what you guys think would have done this to my poor sweet chickens.View attachment 2206408

Oh my goodness that's terrible! So sorry this happened to you. Cameras are a big help for sure. Hope you catch the culprit.

 

[Folly's place]

My coop has every opening larger than 1/2" diameter covered in hardware cloth, and the lower 4' of the attached roofed run has 2"x 4" woven wire over that, all attached with fencing staples, and 1"x 4" boards screwed over the top. Only bears could breach this!
Years ago, my very sound shy dog could get through window screen, and metal 'dog proof' lattice, if he got frightened while outside.
Mary

 

[Longhornlove]

We don’t have mink/weasel where I live. It did leave the body, which is why I thought it was a raccoon, but every time we had a coon attack they dismembered the body and left them all over the place. What confuses me is that with a raccoon or other animal the dog would have barked but she didn’t. I’m having the screen fixed, when I get it back I’m putting hardware cloth in front of them. I still really wasn’t over the one that happened in November, so when I was cleaning up I was balling my eyes out. I think it’s the most I’ve ever cried over my chickens. Eventually I’ll be ok.

so sad I couldn't even imagine. I just got my coop up and running and have just about put every thing I could think of to keep predators out so if something like this were to ever happen I would be devastated as well.

 

[hayley3]

I had another animal come and kill my chickens. This time it got into the coop through a weak screen that was supposed to be rated for big predators. What ever it was killed 10 of my gorgeous chickens and left me with 2 roosters 2 hens and 2 babies. Whatever it was the dog didn’t hear it and didn’t bark letting us know something was getting in the coop. Which leads me to think it was a bobcat, it could have been a coon but the dog would have told us. We also have a possum in our yard but the chickens sleep way up off the ground so I don’t think it could have been a possum. I’m looking into buying a trail cam to find what it is. But here is a pic of the screen it damaged. Let me know what you guys think would have done this to my poor sweet chickens.View attachment 2206408

So sorry...I still remember my own massacre...I was heartbroken as you were. It haunted me for a long, long time.
Since you have a dog, I recommend getting an audio monitor out there if you have electricity, because they will get excited and bark if the chickens start clucking.
Saved me from a second massacre.
Now I have an electric poultry fence surrounding the entryway to my coop.

 

[chickenpal147]

So sorry...I still remember my own massacre...I was heartbroken as you were. It haunted me for a long, long time.
Since you have a dog, I recommend getting an audio monitor out there if you have electricity, because they will get excited and bark if the chickens start clucking.
Saved me from a second massacre.
Now I have an electric poultry fence surrounding the entryway to my coop.

Unfortunately I’m not allowed to run electricity down to the coop, my dog doesn’t tend to bark at the chickens unless there is a predator making them go crazy.