Causes Of Fatalities

[TheChiggens]

Hello Everyone!

I myself have had many scenarios where chickens are being killed. Hawks, Coyotes, Cold, A metal panel But also have had natural deaths too

So I thought I would make a poll about this topic. Also, feel free to share the story in a comment below.

The goal? Inform people about the many ways why there are fatalities in the flock so they don't have it happen! I'm sorry if a few tears are cried

 

[FortCluck]

I had one that passed away from being egg-bound. It was my favorite chicken too. She showed zero signs of being egg bound, but we found her in the nesting box dead.

I've lost two chicks to predators. One was a Raven and the other was a black snake.

 

[ValerieJ]

Over the past 4 years I have lost 2 hens to a mysterious illness, not in the same year. Both times there were no symptoms. I just came out in the morning to a dead chicken. I didn't do necropsies but would check them over really well for mites, lice, and injuries. I would do a necropsy if I had hens with symptoms and lost one, or if I lost more than one, but not just to satisfy my curiosity.

I have also lost hens to eagles. One to a golden eagle and 3 to a bald eagle. I have bird netting over the run now and I know it was recently tested by one or the other. A couple days ago my chickens were sounding the alarm, so I ran out to check on them. They had taken shelter and were calling me out. I didn't see the eagle, but I did hear a large bird fly away the day before, so I'm fairly certain. I stayed out with them for a while and they settled down and came out of hiding. All has been well since, so I think the eagle started a swoop and saw the bird netting and flew away. He/she has not been back since.

My neighbor's house is a vacation house, and rarely inhabited. So a family of raccoons has moved into her forest. For that, I added electric wire to the fence line.

But the best solution for all of it is to have a completely secure coop and run. We are working on the design for that now. DH will begin to prefab parts of it, and it will go up in spring. Very excited about that.

Hope this helps someone else plan ahead. It's pretty devastating to go out to find hens that have been attacked. Heartbreaking.

 

[TheChiggens]

Hope this helps someone else plan ahead. It's pretty devastating to go out to find hens that have been attacked. Heartbreaking.

AGREED.