Devastated! Warning Graphical

[McChooky]

I don't have 120vac at coop. I do have a solar fencer that does 12 miles but battery needs replaced.

My chicken coop is within 20 ft of my backdoor in a fenced yard and their runs are on the other side of it.I can run power anytime its needed temporarily .You only need a bucket flipped upside down and the charger mounted inside to keep the rain and snow out.If you install it right side up you need a lid. The closer your chicken coop and run is to your house the better off they are. Maybe you can move them closer? How many chickens and ducks have you lost recently or over the past year?

 

[jastech]

My chicken coop is within 20 ft of my backdoor in a fenced yard and their runs are on the other side of it.I can run power anytime its needed temporarily .You only need a bucket flipped upside down and the charger mounted inside to keep the rain and snow out.If you install it right side up you need a lid. The closer your chicken coop and run is to your house the better off they are. Maybe you can move them closer? How many chickens and ducks have you lost recently or over the past year?

The first coop I built is about 130' from my house. I'll be building 5 more, then the rest of land will be my goats. Both my chargers are about 15+ years old. I'll be trying to rejuvenate the battery on these 2 solar chargers.

 

[jastech]

I don't think this will work either. This is okay for a day run. At night they need to have a predator proof coop maybe built and attached at one end of this run. It doesn't have to be big, but any opening needs to be covered in quarter inch wire cloth. I have about 18 chickens who free range within a very large fenced area, but at night they all crowd into a 4 x 4 box with mesh wire in a hole at the top, opening at left and screened door. First picture shows making the coop, second shows the wire on the door. Third picture shows the coop freestanding within covered area. Sorry pictures aren't better. The point is the coop (where they actually sleep and lay their eggs) doesn't have to be big. The massacre picture looks like a racoon or a opossum. Both these kill for the thrill, usually just taking heads and leaving bodies.

I made it as coop and run. Will build 5 more and separate the chicken breeds. Once I can fence the land then I can let chickens out of run to forage for the day. Each day different chickens out, then get them in for the night.

 

[McChooky]

I made it as coop and run. Will build 5 more and separate the chicken breeds. Once I can fence the land then I can let chickens out of run to forage for the day. Each day different chickens out, then get them in for the night.

So sad more have been found dead. How many do you have ?

 

[jastech]

So sad more have been found dead. How many do you have ?

I "had" 9 dogs, 68 chickens, and about 43 ducks total. Now there are 5 dogs, 10 ducks and 17 chickens.

 

[McChooky]

I "had" 9 dogs, 68 chickens, and about 43 ducks total. Now there are 5 dogs, 10 ducks and 17 chickens.

I can't imagine losing so many animals in such a short period of time. Whatever you decide to do I hope you don't lose anymore!

 

[jastech]

I can't imagine losing so many animals in such a short period of time. Whatever you decide to do I hope you don't lose anymore!

Same here. A lady friend of ours suggested we start a Go Fund Me to get the cameras, fence the property and more coops built. So my 14 year old son started it. This will protect our animals, tools, gas and whatever else from being taken from us. I think times will be getting worse. As a single parent its difficult enough, we don't need all this added stress. These yahoos should just stay off our property and keep their animals on their own property. I just don't understand their mentality.

 

[Granny Fixit]

My son and I have been raising Red Star, Delaware and Barred Rock chickens a long with Pekin, Rouen, Runner and Muscovy ducks. I'm disabled so the eggs help the grocery bill and selling the extra eggs pays their food, treats and on utilities. My son went out to feed and this is what he saw.View attachment 2801622

Any idea what happened? Disease or raccoon? It’s difficult to tell from the photo, were they intact or missing their heads?

 

[Granny Fixit]

As mentioned I sold my pickup for enough to build this coop/run. Will this work? Have enough to build 3 more.View attachment 2801662

I built one exactly like yours. The only problem I have is something digging under the wire (I buried it all around the outside of the run) and eating all the chicken feed. Much better than eating all the chickens.

 

[jastech]

Any idea what happened? Disease or raccoon? It’s difficult to tell from the photo, were they intact or missing their heads?

Think its dogs from town, our city has a major problem with people not containing their dogs and free feeding cats. Other chickens and ducks were stolen.