Bobcat wipes out my entire flock in 2 hours

[cgmccary]

You know I have been thinking about getting a guard dog. What kind of dog is yours and what type of breed do you have that is irreplaceable?

Mine is an Anatolian Shepherd. This one will be 2 year old in March.
Also, I've added a second one, still a puppy at 4.5 months but already nearly 60 lbs. I had problems with domestic dogs the most but my Anatolian will take on any dog. Recently, he attacked s Pitbull when it got too close.

 

[4 ever Orpington]

Long story.. but I was away on vacation for 3 weeks and had someone chicken-sit for me. One of the doors in the rear of the coop was some how opened by the chickens (probably one of the chickens fell off a perch and in trying to hang on put pressure on the door and popped the latch and opened the door). The door remained wide open for 3 days/nights as the chicken sitter didn't notice. It's like leaving your front door wide open in Oakland, CA. Something bad is guaranteed to happen. I am surprised how smart this bobcat is in coming back and again and again to finish each and every one of them. All the chickens were left in one neat pile.

When I returned 3 days after this happened I noticed some noises coming outside my bedroom window at 3am. I turned on my flashlight and I could see the bobcat eating one of the hens (at very end of video). My chickensitter had already told me about my chickens being wiped out so it didn't come as a complete surprise.

Very sad as some of the hens have been with me for 8 years.

Very sorry for your loss.

 

[cgmccary]

I'm always nervous leaving the farm for even 2-3 days. I call and check on the animals and worry.

 

[cgmccary]

Mine is an Anatolian Shepherd. This one will be 2 year old in March.
Also, I've added a second one, still a puppy at 4.5 months but already nearly 60 lbs. I had problems with domestic dogs the most but my Anatolian will take on any dog. Recently, he attacked s Pitbull when it got too close.

Oh the breed I have that cannot be replaced is SQ La Fleche. I made them the quality they are. This year I did disperse trios, pairs to good breeders and hopefully they breed them, hatch & stay in the breed. I'd like to know I would have somewhere to go.

 

[aart]

One of the doors in the rear of the coop was some how opened by the chickens (probably one of the chickens fell off a perch and in trying to hang on put pressure on the door and popped the latch and opened the door).

The chickensitter was a neighbor friend. He doesn't think he did anything wrong as he wasn't "aware" the coop had doors on the back of it. He said he would help me build a secure fence around the coop this spring so he will make up for this with providing some construction help. Just goes to show at the end of the day there are very few people you can trust to do a good job especially when life and death depends on it.

Gotta wonder......what kind of latch failed like that?
...and did you walk him thru how to make sure everything was locked up tight at night?

 

[sfgwife]

How did the sitter not notice the decrease in number of birds?

 

[cgmccary]

These things happen, unfortunately.

 

[JMotuzick]

Sorry for your loss. I recently lost 3, half my flock to what turned out to be a Bobcat. I live in town have a fenced yard & have not had a predator loss in the 7 or so years I've had chickens. This is my second flock, just coming to point of lay. This flock for some reason would never roost in the coop from the age of 10 weeks, opting instead to roost in the unsecure but net covered run. I got tired of trying to herd them into the coop at night. When I removed the roosting bar they slept on the ground. I finally relented, returned the roosting bar & let them sleep where they may. Never had a predator problem before,after all!

The other morning I went out to find the gate pulled open, 1 dead at the entrance, 1 missing & the others milling around. I kinda figured a dog or coyote. Took a lot to pull that gate open, there was blood on it where it finally buckled. That day I set up a game camera, baby monitor, beefed up the gate & ordered some of those predator eye thingies. Just as we were headed to bed the chickens started raising a ruckus, by the time I got out there, 2 hens were missing the others were in the corner of the run. After a search, one hen was located laying quietly in the coop. The predator this time went over the fence & under the net. Checking the camera the next morning I found a couple of very poor pictures of the Bobcat. Who would have thought?

That evening at dusk the remaining hens were kinda just milling around, i went in the run I herded them in the coop. The past 2 nights they have gone in themselves but for some reason they are sleeping on the ground. The game camera has captured numerous photos of a domestic cat, no more Bobcat. Still waiting on the predator eyes!

Put a pop door on your coop and lock them in every night after about 3 or 4 nights they will beat you inside. Keep the coop your most secure spot then a small run very secure. Larger runs or free range when your there to watch/garud.

 

[JMotuzick]

How did the sitter not notice the decrease in number of birds?

It all happened in about a 2 hour window between 2:30-5 am my guess is the sitter wa sun bed! I would be.

 

[JMotuzick]

Sorry for all your losses, as much as we love them they are just pets they can be replaced.