Did someone lure predators to my chickens?

[MjosiahB]

Today when I got home from school I went outside to the shed and grabbed the lawnmower to cut the grass, everything that day was normal. Until I checked the coop. It was tunneled into by something and slaughtered all my chicken. Next to the coop I saw an oddly placed peace of bread not bitten into, but just sitting there on the ground. I’m really bummed out about my 4 dead chickens. I think someone may have lured a predator to them with that bread but I don’t know, is this something that people do?

 

[TheTwoRoos]

People can be mean,but I don’t think that happened.Maybe someone or your self were eating something that involved bread and fell in the ground.All though it’s a surprise the chickens didn’t eat it,on top of that,I doubt the price of bread lured the predator,most likely the chicken it’s self did.

 

[MjosiahB]

Recently my family got 4 more chickens and we reinforced the coop so that nothing could dig into it, today we learned it was someone’s dog that was eating our chickens, and it is now stuck in the coop, all the animal control places are closed right now and I have half a mind to kill it myself. But I’m probably not going to.

 

[bobbi-j]

How did the dog get into your coop? What kind of coop do you have? Is it one of those prefab ones? Sounds like you have more reinforcing to do.

 

[MjosiahB]

How did the dog get into your coop? What kind of coop do you have? Is it one of those prefab ones? Sounds like you have more reinforcing to do.

Yeah it’s a prefab coop, we had put chicken wire around it so that nothing could tunnel in and our neighbors dog tore through the wire on the frame, which we had just reinforced the day before... smh I don’t think were meant to have chickens

 

[paneubert]

Chicken wire does not "reinforce" anything, as you have discovered. Sorry you learned the lesson the hard way! I would take photos/video of the dog in there, then send it home. Demand they pay to repair and replace. Show them the evidence.

 

[bobbi-j]

Yeah it’s a prefab coop, we had put chicken wire around it so that nothing could tunnel in and our neighbors dog tore through the wire on the frame, which we had just reinforced the day before... smh I don’t think were meant to have chickens

Yeah, unfortunately, those prefab coops aren't very strong. Chicken wire keeps chickens in, but nothing out. Hardware cloth (1/2") will keep pretty much everything out, including weasels. The frames of those coops aren't very strong, either. The best type of coop - in my opinion - are a shed type coop. A storage shed is good and strong, gives plenty of room and ventilation and is easier to access if you need to get in and clean or whatever.

 

[drumstick diva]

You could also go with electrified fencing around coop and run. But yes, chicken wire is useless except for keeping chickens inside. Any predator can slice through it like butter.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Unfortunately adding chicken wire isn't reinforcing anything. Get at least hardware cloth or small hole welded wire. When attaching it to the frame, you want to either need to use screws with washers to secure it, or sandwich the wire between wood and screw it in that way, so it cannot be pushed or pulled out.