Chicken massacre this morning 😔

[PatriciafromCO]

for bird strikes coverage in their grazing/open areas help. We have vehicles and tractors that as soon as the shadow passes over them they run underneath. The dogs don't like big Horned owls (they make alot of wing noise) and the owls wont hunt where the dogs are at night. Easy to set up some man made coverage like a pallet on cynder blocks would be perfect.

 

[McChooky]

The hour before and after dark (in the evening) and the hour before and after daylight(in the morning) are when most predator attacks occur.I rarely let my chickens out early in the morning because hungry predators will hunt a couple hrs after daylight if they have young to feed.Train a dog to protect your chickens and make it stay with them all day(I have 2 dogs I rotate usually but sometimes both are out at the same time)

 

[KyCoop]

Hawks look for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Not kidding. These are the times you will see the most activity. I have an auto door on the coop that opens at 6 to the secure run. This let's them come out and get food and water. The run door to the chicken yard opens at 8. Most times I see the hawk going by around 6:30 - 7:30 hoping he found breakfast before the girls come out and the owl has gone to bed.

 

[Altairsky]

My grandma had her whole flock of 20 hens and roos destroyed by a single fox/dog. None survived.
When multiple birds gets decapitated it's usually never an aerial predator but either a weasel or a fox on a killing spree (or raccons maybe but we don't have those here - yet- )

 

[SamLockwood]

Birds of prey only kill one at a time and they never attack in groups. Likely you've got a raccoon or fox problem.

The only time I had a bird of prey hit more than once in a day was when I chased it off a kill. While I was finding a place for the dead hen it came back and nailed another one: she was lucky and only got a notched comb.

There's really no standard time for predator attacks. I've had allegedly nocturnal predators show up mid-day: the worst was a bobcat that nailed my flock 4 times, none of it near dusk or dawn.

A couple times I've had opossums show up during daylight hours. One time was mid-day.

That being said it's still a good idea to let them out later and try to get them penned up earlier. I don't let mine out before 9:00 most days, and the chickens put themselves to bed well before dusk. The guineas are more ready to stay out until dark, but they respond well to herding most days.

 

[McChooky]

Birds of prey only kill one at a time and they never attack in groups. Likely you've got a raccoon or fox problem.

The only time I had a bird of prey hit more than once in a day was when I chased it off a kill. While I was finding a place for the dead hen it came back and nailed another one: she was lucky and only got a notched comb.

There's really no standard time for predator attacks. I've had allegedly nocturnal predators show up mid-day: the worst was a bobcat that nailed my flock 4 times, none of it near dusk or dawn.

A couple times I've had opossums show up during daylight hours. One time was mid-day.

That being said it's still a good idea to let them out later and try to get them penned up earlier. I don't let mine out before 9:00 most days, and the chickens put themselves to bed well before dusk. The guineas are more ready to stay out until dark, but they respond well to herding most days.

Statistics prove these are the most common time of the day as predators just have to wait until the door opens. Unfortunately you are correct in the fact it can happen anytime.The only chickens I've I lost was in the middle of the day (coyotes or bob cats)

 

[Lelilamom]

Raccoons. They can move in family packs, kill indiscriminately and go for the throat / head first. They don't eat everything they kill.

 

[AMurray102]

To update everyone: we have since caught a raccoon & opossum… & have spotted several hawks & an owl & a fox… So it’s safe to say our girls are no longer going to be free ranging… for awhile at least

 

[KyCoop]

You can let them have some supervised free range time but you have to watch them as of they were children in a swimming pool. Don't take your eyes off of them. And listen. The wild birds will tell you if a hawk or an owl is in the area. Also they need to be recall trained so if get sketchy you can gather them quickly.
Free ranging is not totally off the table but it will take some effort to keep them safe.

 

[AGstudy]

I have too many predators in my area to let my birds free range, so I let them run around for an hour in the morning and an hour in the evening so that I can supervise. I have chased away multiple coyotes and I clap and make alot of noise with hawks.