Bobcat Killed My Flock

[BDs]

We live in Southern CA in a canyon where we often see coyotes and bob cats. Our setup is a fenced in 20x20 run which is about 6 feet tall, with a then mesh netting on the top covering the entire run. Inside the run is their coop, which we never close.

Yesterday we had to put one of our four hens down, and buried it in the yard. This morning when I went out the other 3 had been turned into feathers. I did not spend too much time investigating the scene, but plan to try to find out where this animal may have entered.

My first thought is we attracted this animal by burying it in our yard.

Has anyone had any similar events occur?

 

[cavemanrich]

Predators are opportunistic. They have known about your chickens before you buried a carcass. They just did not have an opportunity before to get them. When hunger kicks in heavy duty predators will persistently try to get to a meal regardless. All we can do is try to outsmart them so they go search somewhere else.
Soooo Sorry for your loss.

 

[Nuffy]

Lost a pen of 12 week old pullets to a bobcat. All blue and splash marans. I know how you are feeling. Never used that pen again. But the predators know the flock is there, just found the right opportunity to get in. The vet recommended to me to use lots of lime when putting any remains in the ground, not sure if it will stop digging but the lime may burn paws. The discomfort may keep them from coming back for awhile, also to help stop the spread of pathogens. Sorry for your lose

 

[ChickNanny13]

Sorry for both your loss (Nuffy & BDs)

 

[Smuvers Farm]

Stringing hot wire should help further episodes of predators like that.

 

[Sylvester017]

So sorry about everyone's loss. So heartbreaking! Nasty cats and coyotes -- the bane of SoCalif living. We're not far from the mountains and have had deer, possum, skunks, raccoons, and coyote trotting down our neighborhood streets. A mile away a black bear was swimming in someone's backyard pool and had to be re-homed far away by the park rangers. My DD's yard butts up against a nature preserve and she's seen mountain lion, rattlesnakes, jackrabbits, coyotes, skunks, lynx/bobcats, deer, bear, raccoons, possums, etc, in her night vision cam.

I am more of a suburb location with normal neighborhood streets but we do have raccoons coming out of the sewer drains at night, possums, feral stray cats, and loose neighborhood pet dogs, plus Cooper's Hawks. We've had to raise a block wall fence in lieu of our old chainlink fence, plus added more privacy fencing along the top of the block wall, plus block walled/iron gated around the entire front yard too. We also finally invested in a super sturdy coop and dog kennel walls for a pen and put it all on cement slab to keep out digging night critters like possums and raccoons who can easily tear up regular flimsy chicken hex wire. Hey, we can only do what we can and hope it's secure enough after dark for our location.

 

[2003ChickenZamon]

Hey sorry for your loss, you could try to run a electric fence around your yard.

 

[Nuffy]

Stringing hot wire should help further episodes of predators like that.

You are right about that. But I dont use that pen anymore, my attack happened about 3 years ago, when he came back that night for more I had the dog out, so no more loses, but ever light was turned on ,all night. The crying was nerve wracking.

 

[Nuffy]

Hey sorry for your loss, you could try to run a electric fence around your yard.

Have you tried poultry netting, my GLD keeps part of the fields free but the local killers have figured out how to come up by the house. I have cats that I now have to keep in at night because what I think was a raccoon went after my older cat. Is the netting safe to use with cats or should I scrape that idea.