Every single one of my hens slaughtered :(

[ChickenCanoe]

Finding carnage screws me up all day and beyond.
Sounds like weasel, size of hole and killing everything and eating nothing. That's the M.O..
Dogs, cats and weasels kill for sport. Raccoons and possums kill for food.

 

[erinlee]

Thanks everyone for your kind words. I'm still crying everytime I think of them. I just can't believe it.

My hubby is going to put the live trap out tonight to see if whatever it was returns. We'll see.

The sad thing is that we are currently in the process of building them a bigger, better chicken coop and run

We built a room inside of our horse barn that is about 8' x 10' that is going to be their new coop. Concrete floors, nice and big and 100% predator proof. I guess we were just too slow to get it done

 

[erinlee]

Quote:
So when you say weasel, I'm picturing something the size of a ferret, you know those cute things at the pet store. Is this what we are talking about?

Everyone tell me your honest opinion; if I would have had a rooster in there with them would he have faught to save them? I ask because I HAD a rooster, but had to rehome him because of a family "issue". (long story, but my father in law that comes up here 3 months out of the year to live in a cottage on our property complained that the rooster "disturbed" his peace and quiet. So to not cause problems I reluctancly gave him away) GRRR I can't help but think that if it was a critter the size of a ferret - that rooster would have torn him up, he was very protecting of his hens.

 

[theFox]

Quote:
So when you say weasel, I'm picturing something the size of a ferret, you know those cute things at the pet store. Is this what we are talking about?

Everyone tell me your honest opinion; if I would have had a rooster in there with them would he have faught to save them? I ask because I HAD a rooster, but had to rehome him because of a family "issue". (long story, but my father in law that comes up here 3 months out of the year to live in a cottage on our property complained that the rooster "disturbed" his peace and quiet. So to not cause problems I reluctancly gave him away) GRRR I can't help but think that if it was a critter the size of a ferret - that rooster would have torn him up, he was very protecting of his hens.

Ferrets and weasels are in the same family as are mink, skunk, badger, and wolverine, all stinkers and chicken killers.

 

[ChicwannaB]

Quote:
oh darlin'...tears for you today, so sorry for your loss. It makes y ou so heartsick doesn't it?

 

[Hillbilly Hen]

So sorry for your loss

 

[hickchick55]

I am so sorry- your worst nightmare.

 

[oshun55555]

So sorry to hear about your loss, you are not a bad chicken mom, only cure for the pain is go and focus your love on the babies you still have, I know it hurts. Now I am gonna go out and check on my girls, I have bad hawk problems.

 

[silkiechicken]

Quote:
So when you say weasel, I'm picturing something the size of a ferret, you know those cute things at the pet store. Is this what we are talking about?

Everyone tell me your honest opinion; if I would have had a rooster in there with them would he have faught to save them? I ask because I HAD a rooster, but had to rehome him because of a family "issue". (long story, but my father in law that comes up here 3 months out of the year to live in a cottage on our property complained that the rooster "disturbed" his peace and quiet. So to not cause problems I reluctancly gave him away) GRRR I can't help but think that if it was a critter the size of a ferret - that rooster would have torn him up, he was very protecting of his hens.

They are pretty ferret sized from what I've seen... and can easily go through 1.5-2 inch holes!!! If their head can go through, so will the rest of them.

That said, in this case, a rooster may have been slaughtered along with all his hens. They can and often will fight to the death for their flocks, but in a situation where you have a pred that can and will go after all birds, the roo may have fought to the death... and then it would still be game on for the hens. Of course, it is hard to say though, and a rooster would likely have given the girls more of a chance provided he was the type to go wild on anything that was deemed danger.

My two good stories:
1) Had a silkie roo who was the master of his flock of standard hens. Silly guy was no more than 2 lbs and he loved his 4-6lb ladies who were taller and bigger than he was. No way in heck could he really defend the girls in a "real" fight attack, but even in his small size, he essentially saved all the girls by being the sacrificial meal. One morning when going out to the coop, there was a small hole dug under a tractor, all the girls were safe and unharmed, but all that was left of his body was a few feathers and a patch of skin. We like to say he was brave, defended his girls in an epic fight to the death... but in reality he probably was too blind to see danger with his crest, was too slow on his feet, and the hungry animal ate him as an easy meal. End result though was he took the ultimate sacrifice for his ladies though and "did" what he could and it worked. Missed the poor guy. RIP PeepPeep. He lived about 16 months.

2) Had a big ol mutt of a rooster who was able bodied enough to defend his girls for 6 of his 7 years with me. Absolute gentleman but think his presence and eye for danger kept the girls safe and did not have much issue when he was around. Preventive maintenance perhaps? I free range fence less so it can be risky. The one hawk attack that happened when he was around was beat by a broody hen. Don't mess with moms... she tore the hawk a new one while the rooster stood screaming the hawk alarm. His big protection story though was when a possum went through the front door of their still open coop at dusk. He had none of this toothed intruder. There was a bloody mess and it was possum blood. He left one of his 3 inch long spurs in the animals back and my brother put the thing out of it's misery. Not sure it was a save per se, as the possum was probably just looking for an easy meal in the wrong place.

So in short, a roo can help, but against a pred who is going to kill all the birds, he would likly be the first to go.

 

[terrilhb]

Quote:
So when you say weasel, I'm picturing something the size of a ferret, you know those cute things at the pet store. Is this what we are talking about?

Everyone tell me your honest opinion; if I would have had a rooster in there with them would he have faught to save them? I ask because I HAD a rooster, but had to rehome him because of a family "issue". (long story, but my father in law that comes up here 3 months out of the year to live in a cottage on our property complained that the rooster "disturbed" his peace and quiet. So to not cause problems I reluctancly gave him away) GRRR I can't help but think that if it was a critter the size of a ferret - that rooster would have torn him up, he was very protecting of his hens.

They are pretty ferret sized from what I've seen... and can easily go through 1.5-2 inch holes!!! If their head can go through, so will the rest of them.

That said, in this case, a rooster may have been slaughtered along with all his hens. They can and often will fight to the death for their flocks, but in a situation where you have a pred that can and will go after all birds, the roo may have fought to the death... and then it would still be game on for the hens. Of course, it is hard to say though, and a rooster would likely have given the girls more of a chance provided he was the type to go wild on anything that was deemed danger.

My two good stories:
1) Had a silkie roo who was the master of his flock of standard hens. Silly guy was no more than 2 lbs and he loved his 4-6lb ladies who were taller and bigger than he was. No way in heck could he really defend the girls in a "real" fight attack, but even in his small size, he essentially saved all the girls by being the sacrificial meal. One morning when going out to the coop, there was a small hole dug under a tractor, all the girls were safe and unharmed, but all that was left of his body was a few feathers and a patch of skin. We like to say he was brave, defended his girls in an epic fight to the death... but in reality he probably was too blind to see danger with his crest, was too slow on his feet, and the hungry animal ate him as an easy meal. End result though was he took the ultimate sacrifice for his ladies though and "did" what he could and it worked. Missed the poor guy. RIP PeepPeep. He lived about 16 months.

2) Had a big ol mutt of a rooster who was able bodied enough to defend his girls for 6 of his 7 years with me. Absolute gentleman but think his presence and eye for danger kept the girls safe and did not have much issue when he was around. Preventive maintenance perhaps? I free range fence less so it can be risky. The one hawk attack that happened when he was around was beat by a broody hen. Don't mess with moms... she tore the hawk a new one while the rooster stood screaming the hawk alarm. His big protection story though was when a possum went through the front door of their still open coop at dusk. He had none of this toothed intruder. There was a bloody mess and it was possum blood. He left one of his 3 inch long spurs in the animals back and my brother put the thing out of it's misery. Not sure it was a save per se, as the possum was probably just looking for an easy meal in the wrong place.

So in short, a roo can help, but against a pred who is going to kill all the birds, he would likly be the first to go.

I agree. But if it happened at night chickens can not see. Last Dec I had a dog break into my coop and kill 12 of my hens. I had 3 roosters in there. Granted they were only 3 months. The dog did not eat the hens it killed. Just broke their necks. Needless to say that dog will not kill anyone elses animals.