Chicken massacre overnight last night..

[chloezoebob101]

Sounds like a fox did this. They (foxes) will kill as many as they can and come back later for rest.. It's hard to catch a fox though...

I HATE FOXES THEN!! THIS HAPPENED TO ME!! KILLED 40 OF MY DEAR HENS, LEFT 4 TO ME, AND 1 OF THEM WAS CRIPPLED!

except there were no corpses, just piles of feathers, like a pile from a chicken here, then a pile there, and everywhere!!! I had a SERIOUS breakdown in front of my friend who finally came that day, and they were all gone!!

I am soooo sorry this happened to you! But remember, though you might not understand why, there is a reason for everything that happened. Like if we had had all those hens ( and a few roos) during winter... oh boy! that would have been nuts! ( we hadn't moved down to our farm yet)

 

[7L Farm]

I'm so sad for you. I use to help the Wood Ducks in the wild I had 19 duck houses that I monitored for around 20 years. I would band the birds , clean out the houses every year. Well, it all ended when the bull dozier showed up. So, I now raise birds in pens. What I'm leading to is the attachment I have for all my birds. I lost one chicken due to being egg bound. I never thought I'd miss a chicken but each day I still think of her. I can't imagine seeing what you saw but time seems to heal all. Wish you & yours the best. By all means push on its all you can do.

 

[Momagain1]

hey there...

the chickens were safe overnight; all locked up nice n tight...no one bothered them...
they are still skittish and scared crapless tho...the Roo is hiding in the nest boxes...and cowering..

makes me wonder what happened to him while he was missing and then showed back up...

 

[darin367]

sounds like what happened to me a few months back..... lost 18..... after getting a game camera it was found to be a pack of raccoons........ they killed 18, and 6 missing....... i know the sick feeling you have....... rebuilding your flock will help you get better, it has helped our family.......

 

[DanEP]

Momagain sorry to hear of your loss .The same thing just happened to me 2 weeks ago I went from 32 to 11. Mine had to be a big dog because he knocked a section of their run fence down pulling out all 6 fastener from the post and just went in killing not eating and left paw prints on the coop door.It has been 2 week and the girls are just now getting back to laying again so it may take yours awhile.

 

[chickee35]

I know as well how devastating it is for something like this to happen. We had a similar situation happen. It was horrifying I mean horrifying! my husband had to put a few of them out of their misery after the attack as well......it is good that you are on this forum because most of us really understand what you are going through...really....many people that aren't "chicken people". Sometimes don't understand. I know this doesn't help now but I will tell you that one of our daughters saw the aftermath of the attack as well. It DOES GET BETTER. sometimes no matter how careful we are etc. These things happen. chickens are easy targets for most predators.. Sometimes nature can be cruel.



now and then we lose a chicken to a hawk etc. (our chickens free range during the day) It happens to all us....And now my daughter (Although still sad). Will say, "that's just nature right mom?" and by the way, we bury our birds too. No judgement here. Why wouldn't we, they are our pets.....

from one mom to another...IT WILL GET BETTER!

take care you..

 

[orumpoultry]

I am SO sorry. I know how you feel. We lost 90% of our flock last summer between human thiefs and animal predators. Within a month we were down to 50 and at the end of the next month, the 3 I had let go to free range and hide out.

 

[Chicken Keith]

we went to bed, had 39 chickens...

we have 14 alive now...25 dead, we found 20 carcasses and 5 are "missing" presumed dead...

You know..my son had his favorite chicken, his pet..truly she was his pet..of course..they couldnt
not kill her...but we did find her and buried her by herself and he made a headstone..(he's 14 dont judge lol)..
he has cried all day long..
my girls went to bed crying...

a couple of them hubby had to "finish" off b'cuz their insides were hanging out and they were suffering..
most of the ones lying around in the yard; just had a couple small puncture wounds..so not sure if they were
scared literally to death or what...

when I left the house today to take my daughtter to the hospital for tests...we only had 11 hens...when I came back, we had 13 hens and 1 Roo...they must have came back out of hiding!

IF something happens tonight..I KNOW it'll be a person ...

I'm super sick to my stomach..my boy is hurting terribly right now and I cant help him...

Momagain, your post truly touched my heart. Sat morning, Feb 25th, 2012, I lost 4 very dear Black Copper Marans hens, and 1 roo. Two stray dogs robbed me of the joy I had with keeping my tiny flock, for eggs for my family. I let those chickens into my heart and losing them that way felt like an white hot icepick through the chest. Those dogs didn't eat a single one, they crushed their bodies with their jaws to enjoy watching those chickens die. Some hens were gasping their last breaths when I rushed onto the scene. Like your son, I was once a 14 yr old, myself who grieved when I'd lose chickens to predators. There's nothing wrong with crying--it's the mark of a young man with courage. I have one roo left, all loney, and recovering from back puncture wounds, whilst growing his tail feathers back. He follows me around the yard while I tend my beehives and garden. My prayers will be for you and your family for healing. I hope this doesn't sound wierd but I likened the feeling of having my chickens massacred, to the equivalent of a "rape." I don't mean to be insensitive to victims of violent crime when I say that, I just truly felt violated. You and your family must feel this too. Find healing, then be determined to find a fix to the problem.

Me? I'm determined to rebuild. I have eggs in the incubator now. And those dogs? Let's just say they won't be bothering chickens again...ever. My bio-security? In the future, I will incorporate the use of a Great Pyrenees/Anatolian mix shepherd dog, a double electric fence, and predator alarms from now on! I will not be pillaged with impunity again.

 

[Momagain1]

thanks Chicken Keith..

my son is doing better today; he's not crying today; but he keeps saying how sad he is and how much he misses Goldie.

I dont feel like i wanna get sick today; yesterday and on monday I felt like i was phsyically going to be ill..I couldnt eat or anything.
We made a family decision and ordered chicks; but then they called us and said that they werent going to ship til May 09..we dont
want to wait that long; so I guess its off to the farm stores for EE'ers, RIR's..sigh..
we wanted to get:

Speckled Sussex
Silver L. Wyandotte
Welsummer
EE'ers
RIR

sigh..double sigh...REALLy wanted a S. Sussex due to the fact that the majority of ppl say that this one is the best
to make a pet out of, that this breed is curious/loyal and will follow you around if they thinkt hey can beg a treat
off of you..my son REALLY lit up at this statement...sigh..but of course..thats the one that will keep us until 5/9!!!

our friend came over and took a look at our remaining flock and she said OH MY, they were really attacked werent they (Duh lol)
our Roo that made his way back, is missing almost all his tail feathers, 1/2 of his wing feathers, back feathers...had to load him up
w/the Blue Kote just in case the other hens decided to peck...

he still cowers, but not as much..they all went into the coop on their own tonight..thats good...

Wish the feathers would blow away...but they are still all over our yard...

 

[Mattemma]

Could you get some local AND order the breeds you can't get local for May? Maybe another hatchery? 2 months age diference might not be so bad as far as intigration goes.