Baby chick in the house

[Crissys63]

Aw that's awesome!!! Something keeps eating mine after they are about 6 months to a year old. I need to get a bigger outdoor animal to keep predators away.

 

[AngieMaesChix]

Do u have a reinforced coop with hardware covering any holes or gaps? Why area you in general I don’t need to know exact.butcan help pinpoint what it could be..how where they killed? Neck ripped off or feathers everywhere gashes etc..all that info will help...do the attacks happen at night while in coop or during day in run free ranging or? @aart , @Texas Kiki I can’t think of anyone else names rn lol but they can probably also help with ideas and info and/or tag some more peeps

 

[Crissys63]

The last time it happened something got into my coop. Ripped a small whole towards the bottom and ripped my chickens out. Nothing left but a few feathers. No blood or anything. All the others something got them while free ranging in the middle of the day.

 

[Crissys63]

When something gets them when they are free ranging it's also the same. Just feathers left behind. I'm thinking a fox is getting them.

I don't know anyone to tag. This is my first time on this site.

 

[AngieMaesChix]

That’s okay others will come along...when u say ripped the coop was it the floor or what area if u could get pick of the coop that would also help...sounds like you really need to reinforce your coop with hardware cloth and possibly add a secure run if u could manage...I also free range at times during the day but I have not in our new location which is a bit more rural but same predators etc..I will try free ranging but I also have a huge Newfoundland/husky and Yorkie that chases most everything away if their out they stay in house a lot too...rn I just have chicks so anytime outside is strictly supervised..ur gonna have losses with free ranging it’s part of the game but there are things that can be done to help prevent that..have you tried setting traps or have access to set any?

 

[AngieMaesChix]

I’m also building a run so at least at first free ranging will be supervised until I feel a bit more confident...it could be a fox ,mink who knows what predators do u have in ur area? I tend to not think coon as they usually don’t leave just feathers if I remember right I’ve never had a coon attack goingnoff what I’ve read here...but have had an issue with a mink who met his death

 

[Kiki]

Hardware cloth the coop and run... including a 'skirt' of the hardware cloth around the whole thing.

Do you have a box or kitty litter type pan you could fill with dirt to put in your brooder?
Can you post a picture of your brooder and coop? Seeing them will help us give you ideas on how to improve them.

 

[FernbergFarms]

I don’t think your kids will get sick from the chicks poop unless they eat it. I guess there are diapers but it is kinda cruel to put it in a baby chick. I wouldn’t let it out with the other adults, because they could step or peck her. Give her lots of attention.