egg production after a coon attack

[fosterchick]

Last night my son forgot to close up the chicken coop. Well when I went out this morning one chicken was dead. We only lost the one. There isn't any wounds on the other birds. I am considering myself lucky. But when I went to collect the eggs we had half the amount then we normally have. Is this because they were all spooked by the attack? If this is so how long before the egg production goes back to normal.

 

[PDJTP2006]

They could be spooked from the attack or maybe whatever killed your hen ate some eggs idk

 

[bigzio]

fosterchick, sorry for your loss. I hope your coop is secure, because the coon will be back. Some people live trap and release back to the wild, but you need to drive more than 5 miles or they return.

Chickens don't handle stress well, however they should return to laying again shortly.

A good story about stress is, when a neighbor had a friend stop over with their young child. He thought it was funny to chase the hens around the yard for quite sometime while the adults visited. ( something I would not allow) Anyway when she checked on her hens later, 3 were dead from stress from being chased.

bigzio

 

[TheBigWRanch]

Be careful about releasing wild animals, I know here it is illegal. Also don't take it some place that it will just be a bother to someone else.

 

[fosterchick]

thanks for your responses. I can't trap the coon it is illegal here. I have a neighbor that watches everything so I won't run the risk. My husband did change the style lock on the door (the coop as shifted durning the winter), so that I will not have to fight with it anymore. I know the production is down and not eaten.

 

[robinh]

sorry about your chicken! have faith though, ( they probably just spooked) they will start laying again. we usually let our chickens roam during the day and about a month ago we had a coyote come up in the middle of the day and he got one of our hens and our duck, and our hens are just now starting to lay as many as they did before, so don't be worried and just have patience,

 

[SandraChick]

Please please please please please do NOT release the coon if you trap it. Dispatch it humanely.

Coons are never caught twice, so where ever you endup dumping it, they will find the next house to victimize and then they won't be able to catch it.

Secondarily, releasing a coon to a new area is often a slow death sentence from either being "pushed around" or even killed by the local coons, or they'll starve not knowing where the resources are- especially in winter. It's an inhumane death that was avoidable.

Thirdly- you could be moving disease to a new area, including rabies.

Sandra

 

[TheBigWRanch]

I agree with Sandra, I shoot any I can.