Exasperation with predators and set up

[Peeps61]

Glad you found out what it was - at least now you know how to plan. Sorry for your losses! I was gone one weekend and my daughter forgot to lock the coop and run up one evening and I lost 6 out of 12 hens to a predator. Only one was "eaten". The rest were simply killed and left. She was very apologetic and I don't think she'll forget to lock the coop again as the sight made quite an impression on her.

 

[Mrs. K]

It is the most frustrating part of raising chickens. Last fall we had yearling cattle, who act just like teenagers and run around all around the whole pasture, and it must of caused most of the predators to move out. I got rather complacent. I kind of think, us being gone, no one going down, rattling doors, stomping around, leaving the human scent too, must have made them braver, and once they find you. I am so envious of the people who post, "I have free ranged for years and never lost a bird..."

 

[Kstring]

I placed my beagle pens rite next to the coop in hopes of there scent and barking deterring predators. So far so good.

 

[Peeps61]

As I was leaving for work today, I noticed a dead deer in our drainage ditch. We live on a busy State Highway, so it was obviously hit by a car. I called the contractor that picks stuff like this up as soon as I got to work, because I don't want it down there rotting and drawing scavengers and predators. They'll bother my horses and eat my chickens too!