Hannah'sCoop :
Hi. I'm the sister who lost 3 hens two nights ago at NE of Broadway & Rosmont in Tucson. Thanks to my sister for her concern and inquiry, especially because we are so new to this...after reading all of the responses, a coyote seems the most likely culprit. I'll just fill in the information a little for those who live nearby. I heard screeching around 3:30am; it was short-lived, I was fast asleep, and no one else in the house even heard it. Being asleep, I must have dismissed it as a dream. At 5am I heard screeching again and this time had my wits about me and rushed out with a flash light - it was very dark still. Three chickens were gone - feathers from 2 of them ina big pile. One of the hens was running back and forth, totally freaked out, with fresh drops of blood on her comb and beak. The last adult chicken was quietly on the roost, huddled in the corner. I think the predator started with the two young hens who are assumed to have been about 6 ft. up in a smallish brushy tree and got the adult BR last, who was on the coop roost. There were piles of feathers in the ally behind the house of both of the juveniles, about 150 ft. away from one another and 50 ft. away from the coop. There were only a few feathers from the adult BR, so I assume I scared the predator (coyote?) and he travelled further this time to eat.
Yes, this neighborhood is right on the Arcadia wash (we are not directly on it). I have seen coyotes before, including once mid-morning there was one with a limp wandering around oblivious to people; I was at the park and saw him cut right down our ally...that was months ago. I also heard an owl hooting in a eucalyptus in the ally about a month ago - all night long - very close to where one of the feather piles was. Hawks have perched on my wall during the day and stared at the chickens until me and/or our black lab scared it away.
I feel horrible about this - I know predators come with the territory, but I regret not being more dilligent about locking the hens up at night. My little kids are also upset. On the bright side, it has opened up an opportunity to help them deal with loss and the more difficult aspects of the natural world.
Thanks for all the posts. Very helpful. We are now working on a plan to secure present and future hens better and setting up a live trap (just in case the culprit is smaller than a coyote).
I'm so sorry too - and am glad you've got a new plan.
I just lost some hens tonight due to a coyote - so sad. This is my first time to lose chickens to a predator since I started with chickens again 2 1/2 years ago. My chickens have a very secure night-time coop, but free-range for a few hours every afternoon. I hadn't shut the coop up yet and I heard my dogs barking, but didn't think much of it. I then heard a loud squawk and ran outside to see a coyote with one of my hens in its mouth. I ran towards it shaking my hands and yelling - it looked towards me and then dropped the hen, ran and jumped right over my 6 1/2 ft wall.
I was shocked to find all the damage. I knew dogs will kill for sport, but I thought coyotes killed for food. This coyote didn't eat any of of my chickens and didn't even get to take any of my hens with him, but had attacked at least 5 of them. He was killing them while my dogs were outside barking at him. I found 2 dead hens inside the run, another injured on the floor of the coop, a 4th one laying in the middle of the yard, barely moving, and I had to hunt for the 5th - the one that ran from the coyote when I chased it off. I found her hiding, all scrunched up in a dark corner of the yard and I think she's okay.
Definite losses: 1 Easter Egger (2 1/2 years old) and 1 Partridge Plymouth Rock (5 months old)
Probable losses (injured and not moving, but still able to lay upright): 1 Easter Easter Egger and 1 of my 2 Black Copper Marans (5 months old)
I think my 2 1/2 year old Black Star he attacked is okay and I'm so glad - she's my lap chicken
Hi. I'm the sister who lost 3 hens two nights ago at NE of Broadway & Rosmont in Tucson. Thanks to my sister for her concern and inquiry, especially because we are so new to this...after reading all of the responses, a coyote seems the most likely culprit. I'll just fill in the information a little for those who live nearby. I heard screeching around 3:30am; it was short-lived, I was fast asleep, and no one else in the house even heard it. Being asleep, I must have dismissed it as a dream. At 5am I heard screeching again and this time had my wits about me and rushed out with a flash light - it was very dark still. Three chickens were gone - feathers from 2 of them ina big pile. One of the hens was running back and forth, totally freaked out, with fresh drops of blood on her comb and beak. The last adult chicken was quietly on the roost, huddled in the corner. I think the predator started with the two young hens who are assumed to have been about 6 ft. up in a smallish brushy tree and got the adult BR last, who was on the coop roost. There were piles of feathers in the ally behind the house of both of the juveniles, about 150 ft. away from one another and 50 ft. away from the coop. There were only a few feathers from the adult BR, so I assume I scared the predator (coyote?) and he travelled further this time to eat.
Yes, this neighborhood is right on the Arcadia wash (we are not directly on it). I have seen coyotes before, including once mid-morning there was one with a limp wandering around oblivious to people; I was at the park and saw him cut right down our ally...that was months ago. I also heard an owl hooting in a eucalyptus in the ally about a month ago - all night long - very close to where one of the feather piles was. Hawks have perched on my wall during the day and stared at the chickens until me and/or our black lab scared it away.
I feel horrible about this - I know predators come with the territory, but I regret not being more dilligent about locking the hens up at night. My little kids are also upset. On the bright side, it has opened up an opportunity to help them deal with loss and the more difficult aspects of the natural world.
Thanks for all the posts. Very helpful. We are now working on a plan to secure present and future hens better and setting up a live trap (just in case the culprit is smaller than a coyote).
I'm so sorry too - and am glad you've got a new plan.
I just lost some hens tonight due to a coyote - so sad. This is my first time to lose chickens to a predator since I started with chickens again 2 1/2 years ago. My chickens have a very secure night-time coop, but free-range for a few hours every afternoon. I hadn't shut the coop up yet and I heard my dogs barking, but didn't think much of it. I then heard a loud squawk and ran outside to see a coyote with one of my hens in its mouth. I ran towards it shaking my hands and yelling - it looked towards me and then dropped the hen, ran and jumped right over my 6 1/2 ft wall.
I was shocked to find all the damage. I knew dogs will kill for sport, but I thought coyotes killed for food. This coyote didn't eat any of of my chickens and didn't even get to take any of my hens with him, but had attacked at least 5 of them. He was killing them while my dogs were outside barking at him. I found 2 dead hens inside the run, another injured on the floor of the coop, a 4th one laying in the middle of the yard, barely moving, and I had to hunt for the 5th - the one that ran from the coyote when I chased it off. I found her hiding, all scrunched up in a dark corner of the yard and I think she's okay.
Definite losses: 1 Easter Egger (2 1/2 years old) and 1 Partridge Plymouth Rock (5 months old)
Probable losses (injured and not moving, but still able to lay upright): 1 Easter Easter Egger and 1 of my 2 Black Copper Marans (5 months old)
I think my 2 1/2 year old Black Star he attacked is okay and I'm so glad - she's my lap chicken
