Well went out this morning to let them out and my little partidge chochin hen who I just named yesterday was dead her head was pulled off. In the last week I had noticed that it looked like something had dug in the corner I replaced dirt and set a cinder block over it. Honestly didn't think it was a threat thought it was a mole or vole or something because the dirt in that room was spongy (you would sink a bit in it) Yesterday I walke around the entire building to see how whatever was getting in and can find no entrance from the outside. I have 3-4 cochins that won't roost and 2 white laced red cornish. Of course they are all roos except the one that got got. There is a door between the screen room and the coop but has a hole in it and does not have a latch. That was being fixed today guess to late. I talked with my neighbor and had no idea that we had weasels or minks around here never heard anyone say anything about them my entire life around here but I am guessing that is what it is. door with hole and they would pile up in the corner by the nest box behind where the andalusian hen is Well it is to late for her but the new door is up now. The guy that did the door looked at the dirt and you can't really see a hole just a pile of dirt we put the dirt back and the cinerblock on top again but the door will be latched every night now. but if whatever it is can get in that room hope that they won't get in the main coop. I kept thinking coons would pull off the old screen on the south that will be getting repaired soon hadn't expected something like this to come in under. I wonder if I need to take all the dirt out and then put down hardware cloth and dirt over top. Still cna't find out where it coming from on the outside. -------------------------------------------- Well whatever it is didn't come back through the previous place it came in a new one under the old feeder attached to the wall. At least new door was in place no one got got last night.
A racoon will pull a chickns head off, even through wire fencing. So sorry for you loss. Your chicken house is similar to mine. I had to have a friend dig a trench 18" deep around mine and put sheet metal down and attached to all the outside walls. Now I have to figure out what to do on the inside walls, which are accessable from the attached shed.
It didn't get pulled through and you can see where it dragged her acroos the floor Quote:do you have pics of your coop?
I'm so sorry for your loss. Hopefully this will give you all the chance to beef up security. This may be a bad time but I've gotta ask...I'm confused about the behavior of raccoons and these other preds, which I hate by the way - Why is it that they only take bits and pieces of the chickens? If they were actually taking the whole thing to eat that would be a bit more understandable. Is it that they take only what they can get through the hole they came in, and just didn't get a chance to come for the rest? Or are they just plain old nasty killing machines? Again, I am so sorry for your loss Is it possible to raise the floor up? Looking at your pic, you COULD put the H/W cloth in there but, is there a way to just get the chickens off the floor all together?
Hi! We just had this problem that started about 2 weeks ago. So far we lost about 14 chickens. It would kill about 5-6 a night. We went out about 15-30 minutes after the sun went down and found 2 skunks in there. We shot them, one was badly wounded but got away. Then 3 days later 5 more were dead (heads brutally bitten) Finally again my husband shot a huge skunk. They come out at the same time every evening. We finally bought a heavy duty 8x12 shed for a coop and they are put up every night for 2 nights now. We have spotted another skunk but have been unable to catch him. Our chickens are finally safe now! whew"
