Devasted beyond belief, need help.

[silvergirl]

We had 16 birds from our flock decide to roost in a very thick cedar tree, about 10-15 feet off of the ground--they flew over the fence to get there. At dawn I went out to shag them back inside the fence, and they were gone. I saw clumps of feathers here and there, amounting to what I assessed as 6 or 7 chickens. Where in the world are the rest, and do I have any hope of seeing them again?

One bird appeared as I searched for the others--one side of her breast was stripped of not only feathers but of skin, down to the muscle. I made the decision to put her out of her misery, as I really did not think she could heal. So if that bird came back, do I assume the others are long gone, or just scared to come out?

Some people think it is perhaps a family of raccoons that got them out of the tree--to teach the young how to hunt. Probably they were disoriented or it was too dim to see. Others say coyotes, yet they would have had to been out of the tree and on the ground for that to happen. I was thinking fox by the nature of the chicken's injury, but 16 birds?

I am just broken hearted-- 4 Americaunas, 2 white rocks, 2 leghorns, one hampshire red, and seven dark cornishes-- just gone-- and the majority without a trace. All due to start laying this fall.

I know I have your condolences, being chicken lovers....I need direction. Thanks.

 

[Mahonri]

Fox or coons.

Get ready to loose any that aren't locked up and secure.

So sorry for your loss.

 

[D'Angelo N Va.]

Sounds like Raccoons to me...I have seen a family of raccoons moving together and it is not pretty to think what they could do if allowed to get a hold of some innocent birds...sorry for your loss. I do hope you recover some of them though. Thanks for not letting the other one suffer also.

 

[HorseFeatherz NV]

I second the coons. Get a trap and a 22.

 

[spottedtail]

Sorry about your loss.

Just keep the birds inside at night and well secured.
Then you'll never have to go through this again.

spot

 

[buildingmyark]

I'm so sorry for your loss. I really can't imagine.

 

[CarolAnn]

Sounds like raccoons to me too. I' so sorry this happened to you. I bought my first batch of 22 chicks back in April. Kept them in a big stock tank with a wire cover in my wood shop until my chicken house was built and ready to pick up. When they were just shy of 4 wks old our neighbor's mean dog went in and killed all but 4. Partly my fault because I had the entry door and the big roll up door open since it was so beautiful out, so it was easy for him to catch their scent. I had been in the barn with my 2 granddaughters and a 7 mo old baby we were babysitting, just an hour earlier. I was so sick and upset and mad I could hardly stand it. When my hubby called the neighbor lady she walked right over. I was holding one of my BR's that died about 30 minutes later. She felt so bad, and asked me what I wanted her to do. I looked her in the eye and said"I want that dog dead". It had been scaring my daughter's family, and the lady across the road had been chased into her house and dog pen on several occasions. Long story short they had the dog put down because they'd been having increasingly more problems with him and now he'd killed my chicks. I'd have about been willing to shot him in their yard if they didn't take care of him. He was just mean.

Sorry to get carried away. I feel so bad for you. I sure know how you feel. Seeing my beautiful sweet chicks scattered around that tan, never having had a chance against that dog was horrible. The granddaughters, my daughter and I went that same evening and picked out the same # of the same breeds and my hubby and I spent the whole next day building a big secure coop for the girls. When I'd nursed the 4 survivors back enough we put them in the new coop with the babes. What an experience! Now I am very protective of them. I stay outside while they're having their run in the yard early evening and count them once they've gone in to roost for the night. I want my runs as tight as we can make them. If it's tighter than hubby thinks it should be too bad. Just do it please so I can have peace of mind. My chickens are different for me than his grandfathers were to him on the farm when he was growing up and had to do the dreaded chores.

 

[fl_deb]

 

[WoodlandWoman]

I'm sorry about what happened to your chickens. That's a hard thing to go through. I hope more of them come back, but it's hard to say if any of the others survived. It was probably raccoons, during the initial attack. Even if the coons didn't get all 16, the others could easily have ended up on the ground in the commotion. Unfortunately, once they were on the ground, there would have been quite a few other ground predators that could have taken them. Some of the larger predators, like fox, can and do carry them away. It never hurts to look for them and call to them, in case there are any others that made it and are just lost or too frightened to come home. The longer they are missing, well, that's not good.

For the future, the very best thing you can do for chickens is lock them in a safe coop every night. Don't miss a night or lock the door late. A really good thing to do is offer them a treat in their coop, just before they would normally be getting ready to go to roost at night. You can start by offering a bit in their run, first, so they can see what you are doing. Chickens are usually pretty easy to bribe with food. It's a great training tool.

 

[puredelite]

Most likely 'coons, they do and will travel in pairs or more and really have ball killing more than they could possibly eat. Easy pickings considering that their eyesight is perfect and night and a chicken can't see at all in the dark! As for the chickens that are maybe survivors they will gradually come back home and hopefully soon as they won't last long if darkness finds them lost. Yes, the varmints will return again for the easy pickins. Best get some live traps and get after them! Sorry for your loss, I know just how you feel...