Chickens found dead and killed 2 different predators

[sjarreau]

Hello ya'll - here is how it all started. Just started with chickens in December or 2009 so we're just learning the first summer or some terrible terrible predators and god knows what else. 1st of all I had notice my eggs when I'd go to pick in the evening that they were cracked and the yoke was completely gone but there be another hen sitting on the next nest over like nothing was wrong. I started finding more everyday but could find a think in the pens. No hole dug of something coming in. Went on vacation for a week and hubby was keeping the chickens for me. he didn't even notice but when i got home I was missing several baby's, and my meduim baby's. So I took of the 2 pens locked the chickens out of them completely and they just roosted on the other side in the barn hoping what ever it was I could catch. Well last night killed a big snake that was coming out of the rafters on top of the barn from the pen. So that may have been doing the eggs I don't know i was told they swallow the egg whole? Now this morning in my walk down before i got out the car I notice feather of my favorite mama silkie coming from the start of the gate out about 5 feet and then to the left about another 5 feet I found just (looked like) the intestines and maybe gizzard? What in the world would do that? And i found after work some feathers in the yard and some in a stall which would have happened during the day being i walk down the barn every morning and evening. I am setting a trap when I get home and locking the chickens back into there pens catching all the baby's and putting them up too. You see my chickens are in a big barn completely fenced in and the pens are fenced and boarded from bottom up which is what I locked them in everynight. Until they the cracked eggs starting appearing. Any suggestions on what to do? I heard that Guinea's are good for snakes and predators is this true? Today i bought something like mothballs but it's granules from the feed store and like i said setting a trap. I don't want anything else to happen to my baby's. These are like my kids. We love these chickens and want to protect them the best we can. I told my husband I don't even think I'll be able to sleep I just want to bring them all inside

 

[CMV]

A big snake could have been responsible for both the egg losses and the chick losses. In fact, you may have more than one snake. The dead silkie was something else, however. I would recommend some more secure housing. You said you have some secure cages to put the birds in? I'd start there and then worry about trapping your predator. It has to have gotten in somehow, so I would look for an entry point and set up your trap there. The first priority is securing your birds, though, so you don't lose any more.

Good luck and keep us posted on how goes the battle.

 

[sjarreau]

Had them all locked up and secure by night time back into the pens except for the batams that are on the roof! Counted all this morning at day light and all is well. I let them back out into the barn. I will do the same tonight but i'm still scared to walk around the barn it just gives me the creeps. All the bantam are normally up and walking around but they were still perch up on the roof looking down so it made me think there was something in the barn again but once i opened the gate and walk in they started flying down around me. I did a walk around and didn't see a thing. Hope that was the only snake. I will keep doing this from now own. I was just giving them a little more freedom to roam and sleep where they wanted being it's so hot! Thanks for your reply