Flock murdered, WARNING GRAPHIC PHOTOS!!!!!

[aart]

Wishes I could see the coop you are working with.

 

[ducks4you]

WHen I get home I will pull construction pictures from my old laptap. As I Said, this week I am researching bc I when I get back, I might get one day/week to spend on this. I will be happy to show you pictures pretty soon, and I DO appreciate your help!

 

[ducks4you]

You have a real deal chicken house????

That gets my vote.......but I'm not you and I"m not there. I have a real deal horse barn and the only livestock it houses are 3 barn cats. So I understand we all have our preferences and priorities.

Just so you know, we are the 4th owner of this property in ~100 years. The first 2 were farmers, 2nd farmer broke up the property, and I have NO IDEA who changed the chicken house into a tool shed, just wasn't me.

 

[50-45-1]

Wishes I could see the coop you are working with.

in post #15 she has a link to her posts on the easy Gardner site, and there are a few photos of her coop and setup that can give us some clues on what we are dealing with here.

 

[aart]

in post #15 she has a link to her posts on the easy Gardner site, and there are a few photos of her coop and setup that can give us some clues on what we are dealing with here.

Yeah, saw those, not real clear in a big picture kind of way.

Will wait for this:

WHen I get home I will pull construction pictures from my old laptap.

...and maybe including new pics of current scenario.

 

[ducks4you]

Absolutely, current setup. You know, I need to remove a stump in front of the coop AND the feet have become buried. I can clean things up with this project.
I may enlist my help that puts up my hay to do the heavy lifting. I have 30 years on both of them!

 

[Fairview01]

Had a very similiar kill 3 years ago.

More than likely the work of an immature bobcat. They're like a house cat on steroids. Once the toy is dead and stops moving ot moves on to the next living victim. They have no interest in feeding on their kills. Just fatally playing with the toys.

I doubt your dogs would take after something as small as weasel mink just because they're on the small side. Skunk, opossum or raccoon they would have caught up with it. Coyote are grab and run. Bobcats can outrun a dog even on its worse day.

I solved my problems by using cattle pannels arched over the run covered with welded wire. The panels are stout enough to stand alone if anchored at the bottom inside the run fence. I can also throw a cheap HF tarp over them in the summer for shade.

Also installing a visual block 24" high from ground level does much to deter predator attacks. Scent will interest a predator to investigate but scent alone typically does not precipitate the attack. Movement of the prey is usually need to trigger the predator prey attack.

In the end, predeators have more time to figure out how to get in than we have to keep them out. Unless you are willing to combine hardening your run and predator reduction eventually you will have another catastrophic loss.

I saw this big cat on my game camera being stealthy around the runs looking for that last one to go to roost. He isnt sneaking around anymore. One less permanent worry in my perspective.