Chickens acting very strange.....

[cmom]

I heard the birds really fussing last night. There was a coyote out by the coops. I got it on camera.

 

[jsr5]

If you can get it down to a regular time you know to go out and set up with a good light and a shotgun about an hour earlier and take care of the issue if your location allows.

 

[cmom]

I live very rural on a dead end road. Neighbors aren't close by. I thought about sitting in my car out by the coops. We have a lot of predators, especially coyotes which I see most every night on at least one of the cameras.

 

[cmom]

Yes this is our first flock.
We have had our chickens for about a year and a half.
We do have a sturdy fence, however the parameter of our fence is too big to enclose the top. We have considered electric fencing, but how much does it cost??
Also, these had been our first attacks ever. We had never had any predators until recently.

I use the poly rope wire. I don't know how large your run/pen is, but whenever any predator touches the wire they won't do it again. I have heard sounds especially in the spring when the predators have their kits and pups. They want chicken and when they touch the wire they get a good zap. This is when I first put the netting up covering the pens when the trees were small. It's not real neat, but it wasn't easy to do by myself. Good luck...

This picture was taken last summer.

This is the poly rope wire. When I have accidentally touched it when it's on, it makes my heart skip a few beats.

 

[Ms Clucky]

They are missing the others. We gave up one of my roosters and his hen went around looking for him for weeks. She just now got over it. Also I looked at your pen in the pic. You might want to beef up your cage more. Double wire, stronger poles,maybe pvc. Then maybe get a large live trap and put it out there. You might catch that thing and be rid of it for good.

 

[jsr5]

I live very rural on a dead end road. Neighbors aren't close by. I thought about sitting in my car out by the coops. We have a lot of predators, especially coyotes which I see most every night on at least one of the cameras.

Have done the very same thing both in my "toy" bronco and in the back of the wifes boat with the cover tented up a bit. it works. unfortunately fibromyalgia and tons of joint issues keeps me from doing it long enough to be really effective but I get my share and makes my hurting heart feel better after they have gotten one or more of my babies.

 

[cmom]

I hadn't lost a bird in years until recently. Neighbors in my area have told me that they have seen a lot more coyotes in the past few years. Several years ago a friend was visiting the local doughnut shop and overheard some people talking about releasing critters from their area into ours. I think it was skunks. Around that time we were being overrun with skunks. For a couple of weeks I was catching skunks nightly. One night I got 2 skunks in one trap. They were digging everywhere. I had a grow-out coop in the yard and one evening the pop door was mostly shut and the chicks couldn't get in. When I realized it. it was dark. I went out and a skunk was attempting to dig under the gate. I stomped my feet and the darn thing turn towards me and stomped back at me. I went into my house and got my gun. It was still out there. I pretty much see a coyote every night on one of my cameras and often times some fox. One of the coyotes has an injured right front foot that didn't heal correctly (I think it may have broken it.) I have seen it and so has a neighbor. It used to run on 3 legs when it first injured the foot but now it seem to be putting weight on the bad foot.
(I get off track sometimes.)

 

[cmom]

Have done the very same thing both in my "toy" bronco and in the back of the wifes boat with the cover tented up a bit. it works. unfortunately fibromyalgia and tons of joint issues keeps me from doing it long enough to be really effective but I get my share and makes my hurting heart feel better after they have gotten one or more of my babies.

I think I'll wait until a full moon so I will be able to see better. A few nights ago around midnight I heard someone shooting. Don't know who it was or what they were shooting at but one of my neighbors told a neighbor of his he could shoot the coyotes on his property. He has seen some dens. The property next to him has acres of blueberries. I'm not sure if there are dens on his property.

I'm an old sole too with a lot of joint issues. Hubby has Parkinson so he shakes a lot. Oh to be young again...

 

[dalasgalas]

Poor chickens.

 

[21hens-incharge]

Several years ago....I had my birds out in the yard WITH ME. An American Kestrel swooped in trying for a grab on every white bird I had.

Yes they are freaking tiny little hawks/falcons/birds of prey.

Literally I had to step between the chicken and the bird to make it break off the attack. It kept at it for at least ten minutes.

Point being there are predators........everywhere.

Lock them up or lose them.