Chickens died... what killed them?

[shawneesas]

yes, it has a roof. we thought they would be safe... inside the coop inside a barn inside a fenced in yard. We don't understand why they didn't stay in the nesting boxes that are 3 feet off the ground.

 

[shawneesas]

yes, it has a roof. we thought they would be safe... inside the coop inside a barn inside a fenced in yard. We don't understand why they didn't stay in the nesting boxes that are 3 feet off the ground.

 

[ivan3]

Sorry for your loss. Is the chicken wire buried/anchored along the outside of the concrete? Only reason I ask is that if can be pulled away from concrete at the bottom a coon could slip right in, but might not be as `smart' on the way out (got chook to wire/didn't keep chook in jaws on exiting/ then tried to pull chook through). However, sure looks like some mink/weasel kill. Replace that chicken wire with .5" hardware cloth (patch any other small openings with same) and you should have a fortress. Look for fur/hair at the likely entry/exit - where the chook was pulled up against wire.

 

[krapnet]

"That's awful. I'm guessing raccoon, possum, weasel"

I second that. any of those three.

next step is to bait the area and amp up soft spots of the coop where the predator could have gotten in. I also lost 6 all in one night on the second day. most hand heads ripped off.

sorry for your loss.

 

[theoldchick]

Might want to fortify you chicken fence with hardware cloth-especially where the roosts are. It is in the chickens evolution to roost at night and when roosts are provided they will choose to do so over sitting in the nest box. And once it is dark, chickens seem to be comatose. They can't see, are confused, and will not act in the best manner to defend them themselves.

I can see some type of predator reaching through the chicken wire and grabbing the head and attempting to eat the head/pull the body through the wire and when that was impossible simply let go and the next chicken on the roost was grabbed. Meanwhile the dying chicken on the ground continued to flop around. This could have taken several hours as the predator might have wandered off to return and reach through the wire again where the chickens had settled down again.

Game cameras are great at solving what you are dealing with.

Raccoon



cat



raccoon



rabbit




Skunk!


Deer


Poltergeist, just kidding-raccoon



However, it money is an issue I would invest in some hardware cloth and fortify your coop.

Note how this hen (ignore the mud) has decided to view the area while standing on the ramp. Chicken wire would have allowed a coon or opossum reach through and mangle her.



Again, I'm sorry this happened to you.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

It also could have been a whole family of raccoons or whatever.
Sometimes they'll travel in big groups.

 

[aart]

My guess is that it was a weasel......only thing small enough to get thru the chicken wire or the small gap in the corner.
A raccoon would have torn the wire and/or made a bigger hole.