Devastated!!!!

[oliviad51]

If it was a snake, you may want to put some mothballs around your coop. Snakes hate them. Naphthalene is in both mothballs and snake repellent.

 

[rrgrassi]

All rats need to enter is a hole about the size of a quarter. Be careful with the rat poison, it's primary ingredient is coumadin (Blood thinner), and you may kill unintended things that like to eat rats, like your own cat or dog, or even the bigger chickens.

 

[NewToFarming]

Will chickens get after mothballs and if so, will t hurt them?

 

[Debbi]

I never heard that about snakes and mothballs, learned something new. Problem is, it's very difficult to find the old type of mothballs any more, they quit using the napthelene years ago. As for the chickens getting them, I'd surely be careful there, it could kill them. I'd put the mothballs in a one pound coffee can with small holes punched around the sides so the smell gets out, but little beaks can't get in. Then tape on the lid with Gorilla tape (way better than duct tape!!) so the lid doesn't accidently come off. You didn't say how small the chicks were, but I am assuming very little babies? If so, it may have been a snake, but would have to be a rather large snake. They take a long time to digest stuff, so swallowing 4 chicks would be a feat...I would think?

 

[ziggywiggy]

Sounds like a snake to me.

 

[ellend]

Forget the mothballs.
Raccoons, skunks and opossums can get through screens. Rats, snakes, and weasels can get through VERY small holes.
If it is a very small hole, unlikely to be a snake--it would have been unable to get back out through the hole without a number of hours for digestion.

Close up the hole, and use a LOCKED LIDDED container (being conscious of temperature & humidity buildup, of course--and keeping it out of the sun to avoid massive solar pick-up) if you are going to keep a brooder outside of the living area of your house. Or INSIDE, if you have other pets or small children.

Deterrents are no match for hunger. Predators can't go to the local grocery store, and survival drive overcomes ALL deterrents, especially when that animal is raising young.

 

[allyon]

We lost three silkies in a similiar way.I set a live trap with dog food for bait and caught 6 raccoons in 6 days.They are sly and leave little to no trace at all.Sorry about the loss keep trying silkies are worth it I love all of mine.