Bereft…the tears just won’t stop.

[Orpingtons Mom]

August 2022.

Can’t get any worse.

Lost my beautiful beautiful beautiful SLO rooster. Injured defending his girls. I tried everything to nurse him back to health, but he didn’t make it.

Lost my job after working at the same place for 12 years (redundant.)

Today, I lost another SLO, during the day. Called everyone to come in… and she wasn’t anywhere.

My heart is just broken.

These are daylight murders and I need some help trying to figure out what is killing them. And how to kill the predator.

Ideas?

 

[nuthatched]

Sorry for your losses.
Pictures of your set up are needed.

 

[Nyhillbillies]

August 2022.

Can’t get any worse.

Lost my beautiful beautiful beautiful SLO rooster. Injured defending his girls. I tried everything to nurse him back to health, but he didn’t make it.

Lost my job after working at the same place for 12 years.

Today, I lost another SLO, during the day. Called everyone to come in… and she wasn’t anywhere.

My heart is just broken.

These are daylight murders and I need some help trying to figure out what is killing them. And how to kill the predator.

Ideas?

https://www.ecopeanut.com/chicken-predators/

 

[Nyhillbillies]

This is very tough stuff you’re going through! That site also describes how to identify based on the attack.

 

[Geena]

These are daylight murders and I need some help trying to figure out what is killing them. And how to kill the predator.

Ideas?

So sorry for your recent troubles
You called them to come in? does that mean they are free ranging? If so unfortunately it could be almost anything. Keep your eyes peeled for tracks, hair, feathers or any other signs. Keep your birds locked up for now, whatever it is, it will be back.

 

[Orpingtons Mom]

When you point at an object remember, three fingers are pointing back at yourself.

I can only blame myself. Leaving collected eggs outside, because I have forgotten them, does nothing but attract the most likely daytime predators…raccoon and/or fox.

Leaving cat food outside overnight does the same thing.

Stupid, stupid, stupid. I have not had this problem since I started keeping chickens, but I have always been diligent about collecting eggs. Until about 8 months ago… which is exactly when I started losing my girls. One at a time, and always during the day.

I have 7 acres; think about three square blocks, side by side. The middle block is my house, with cleared land. Block to my left is dense woods. Block to my right is woods with undergrowth pretty much removed.

I have only myself to blame. Sloppy habits created the problem and my beloved chickens paid the butchers’ bill with their lives.

I am grieved and very ashamed.

 

[McChooky]

When you point at an object remember, three fingers are pointing back at yourself.

I can only blame myself. Leaving collected eggs outside, because I have forgotten them, does nothing but attract the most likely daytime predators…raccoon and/or fox.

Leaving cat food outside overnight does the same thing.

Stupid, stupid, stupid. I have not had this problem since I started keeping chickens, but I have always been diligent about collecting eggs. Until about 8 months ago… which is exactly when I started losing my girls. One at a time, and always during the day.

I have 7 acres; think about three square blocks, side by side. The middle block is my house, with cleared land. Block to my left is dense woods. Block to my right is woods with undergrowth pretty much removed.

I have only myself to blame. Sloppy habits created the problem and my beloved chickens paid the butchers’ bill with their lives.

I am grieved and very ashamed.

You haven't included any photos of your set up or the "crime scene" so we can only speculate. It could be a bob cat , a family of foxes or coyotes .You can't rule out an aerial predator either unless you didn't found any dead bodies.

 

[Orpingtons Mom]

There were no bodies. Just missing chickens for bedtime.

 

[Orpingtons Mom]

I have been partially forgiven. (Sniff)

Guess who showed up at my door this morning? My beautiful, injured, SLO showed up at my door.

Plus, I think I know what happened.

About three months ago I bought a poodle puppy from a breeder. Yesterday while I was doing some outdoor chores I remember catching out of the side of my eye the puppy chasing one of the chickens. I think that is what happened as her injuries are at the tail and lower back just above the tail.

She hid under the porch all day/night and came out this morning.

I have bandaged her wounds. A fed her… she is eating well. I gave her a baby aspirin.

She appears to be doing well; she has eaten most of a large scrambled egg, but so far has not been interested in water. Regardless, I have learned a very very very very big lesson.

 

[Folly's place]

So sorry for your losses, sad all around.
Your puppy is thinking thoughts she may not have acted on a while ago, so regroup and retrain!
Hope your hen does okay; applying Neosporine or Silvadene to her wounds would be good.
And keep the flock in their safe coop and run, at least for a couple of weeks. A game camera would be good to ID any predators.
Mary