I lost 3 chickens yesterday in the afternoon. It had to have been before dark. My rooster "W" is very thorough about getting his girls in on time. The disturbance which included feathers and 2 bodies was all outside. When I went to the coop after work (I work swing shift) there were exactly 3 out of the 11 chickens in the coop and no "W". I found 3 more hens huddling in the goat shelter. I moved these and locked up the coop. I locked up the mini pony not knowing the predator. There have been so many cougar sitings this year. I Lost a nights sleep over this. Then this am I heard a rooster crow! I was happy of course. It turns out that "W" spent the night under the porch--he must of flown the fence. I think 3 of the barred rock hens stayed with him. Later I saw that I had all of my barred rocks but had lost 3 reds. the R Reds are younger than the original group of BRocks but they are over a year and laying. I reopened the coop to try to get everybody in but nobody wants to go in the coop that did not spend the night there. Later.in the morning .I was watching them and I began to see their body language change ...they stopped any pecking for bugs and the chickens were all looking towards the hill --the Llama was looking towards the hill and soon there appeared a very large bobcat (size of smaller rotwieller but a bit longer in body) creeping toward the chicken yard....since it was not a cougar (no tail and tuffs on face and smaller body mass than a big cat)--I ran out waving my arms and yelling and the bobcat retreated post haste. This cat had no tail --and I was told the maies can get that big. I let my horses out to run the the area near the hill behind the chicken yard.
New problem --The chickens are all traumatized. I cant get them back in the coop. Its raining quite a bit (Western Oregon you know) So they are not picking in the yard and they are not going to the food in the coop. I don't think they are even drinking water? I am afraid to try to catch them and have them run under the coop (its built with beams and blocks and there is a nice dry scratching spot for winter out door time). I don't want them flying...I don't want to scratch them in the rain and also have them not go to the coop. I was thinking about trying to move them tonight. I am just not sure how well this will go with "W" . He likes to be the manager.
Any thoughts?
New problem --The chickens are all traumatized. I cant get them back in the coop. Its raining quite a bit (Western Oregon you know) So they are not picking in the yard and they are not going to the food in the coop. I don't think they are even drinking water? I am afraid to try to catch them and have them run under the coop (its built with beams and blocks and there is a nice dry scratching spot for winter out door time). I don't want them flying...I don't want to scratch them in the rain and also have them not go to the coop. I was thinking about trying to move them tonight. I am just not sure how well this will go with "W" . He likes to be the manager.
Any thoughts?
