Farewell, I'm Finished

[Chihuahuamom444]

Having a chicken killing dog myself, UGH, he is a 150 lb Very strong dog and my chickens are totally safe from him in a 6 ft high chainlink enclosure.....however that doesnt help the ones that get out into the yard. But if you go with a strong chain link I don't think you will have a prob, you just have to be sure that the dog cannot dig under, but he will not be able to chew thru.....and again, sorry for your loss, I know it's heartbreaking

 

[chicmom]

Soooo sorry this happened to your flock, but DON'T GIVE UP, DEAR! Take a little break if necessary, fortify the coop and run with something more predator proof, pick yourself up, dust yourself up and try again!!!!!!

 

[happycountryhens]

I am very sorry for your loss.

Hope you find a way to feel safe enough to have chickens again. We still feel unsafe.

 

[new chick 203]

So sorry.

 

[SallyF]

Quote:
Chain link may protect from dogs, but it won't protect against raccoons. Chickens have little bird brains, and I have seen them run right up to a fence where a raccoon is waiting. The raccoon just reaches in and pulls whatever he can grab right through the wire. We lost 4 hens to a coon; the rooster tried to fight the coon and ended up getting his comb and beak chewed up and he had to be put down. We have since wrapped the chain link with chicken wire, and the combination seems to be complex enough that the coons have given up, for the moment anyway. Haven't lost any more for over a year.

 

[babalubird]

The wire made especially for the bottom of rabbit cages might be a good thing to fortify the bottom 2, 2 1/2, 3 feet of your chain link. It's 1/2" x 1" and considerably tougher than chicken wire. No way a raccoon could reach through that. I guess they could reach through above that though. But I would think it would be hard for them to grab a chicken that way.

While it's tougher than chicken wire, it's not tougher by a long shot than chain link so I sure wouldn't completely substitute it for the chain link. But I would think the two together would make a pretty good barrier.

Connie

 

[mmaddie's mom]

Quote:
This weekend I lost all but one of my girls to a mink. He was still in the coop and is now dead. Poor lonely Doris.

We hope to do more Chicken killer proofing and hopefully have more in the spring. The incident has ruined my whole week so far and we all truely miss our girls. Yes, they were also pets, wouldn't have it any other way.

@ happycountryhens... I am so sorry... I know exactly how you feel. Those cute evil minks are something!
Love on Doris and Happy Spring!

 

[BeccaB00]

Quote:
I had the same thought, what was the coop made of that a dog could chew through it? Are you sure it was not a bear? That has happened to several people I know.

It could not have been a bear, that is a predator that would indeed be difficult to prepare for. In addition to there being no bear tracks, the hole in the fence was too small as well as the hole in the coop. A bear would have to literally tear a whole wall off my coop to get in. There is a small possibility it could have been a wolf, but we are close enough to the city that I doubt it and it just doesn't seem like a wolf's style. They kill to eat. Nothing was eaten. We have lived here 18 years and seen and heard of plenty of wildlife (fox, raccoon, skunk, deer, moose, rats, cougars), but never a wolf or a bear (I suppose there could always be a first time).

The baby monitor idea sounds good. If only my Westie had not passed away in November he would have made sure we heard this happening; he used to patrol the yard day and night hunting and killing rats (we are not too far from a stream) and running off raccoons, skunks or anything else that came around. I had not really considered how losing him made the chickens more vulnerable.

We used to have a dog that was HUGE (great dane mix most likely) He used to gaurd our chickens.

We didn't have ANY predators even try to get in the chicken pen because he would kill them

before they came into our yard. He NEVER would bark unless there was somthing wrong. Back in

2008 he got killed, and now we've had SEVERAL predators visit us. We never trained him to gaurd

our chickens, he was a neglected pup that decided not to go home ( to his EXTREMELY weird owners )

Sorry about your birds, and about the westie you mentioned. Dogs can do a great deal at protecting our

birds.

 

[Spookwriter]

Heartbreaking to lose your flock, yes. But don't let that stop you from
chickens. Try it again.

Chickens are easy prey. Just the way it is.

Build a predator proof coop. Make no mistake...predators will come knocking.

My two coops have metal outer walls now. Started out with old used galvanized
roofing from somewhere. Replaced that last year with new metal roofing to match
our roof.

Walls are 2x4, insulated and with plywood on both sides. Solid wood floor, two inch
thick planks. Between the outer plywood and the metal siding I have chicken wire running
down and buried in the ground. Roof is also metal and 2x4. 18 inch overhang. Lower door
section is covered in metal. Yes, I have small windows and vents. With screen and metal
coverings. Even a padlock. I have electric and water ran to the coop. Even have electric
baseboard heaters on the wall just below the ceiling, but seldom turn them on. Coop is
12x12 with an 8 foot ceiling. Pretty nice chicken house. Warm, day and safe.

The run is chainlink, with chicken wire around the lower section. Part of the run has no roof.

At times, I'll let them out in the yard to wander. Pretty good dog I have, doesn't bother them.

Build a coop like you mean nobody and nothing gets in.

In the three-four years we've keep chickens, I've not lost one to a predator.

 

[terrilhb]

I am so sorry for your loss. We lost 12 of our Hens in Oct due to a dog. The dog got away that morning but came back that night. Needless to say it will not kill anyone elses chickens or anything else. It did not eat mine either. Just killed. I was so devastated. Take time and mourn than rethink it. Don't give up.