Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[LozzyR]

@RoyalChick its been hard today. First I went to check and see if I could learn more about the attack. I could find nothing. I mean nothing. Not a feather, not a drag mark, nothing. I have no idea where she was roosted and what it actually was that killed her.

This is making me lean more heavily towards a weasel.

To that end, I hauled my sick butt out and closed every potential gap that a weasel could squeeze though. I just now came back in. I need to get a trap, until then the ladies will be coop bound. No unsupervised run access until I have this figured out. This will be hard on them but I just can't chance it. I know if it is a weasel, it will be back every night until it has killed them all.

I have disconnected the automated door. They are "cooped" until I decide to let them out. I had to move the camera because of some of my modifications. Here is the new view.

View attachment 2011128

That’s scary that she was in the run and you can’t find where it got in. I’m in the process of putting more wire on my run, the wire is 2mm thick and it also keep all the wild birds out. I will also dig some into the floor to make absolutely sure.

 

[LozzyR]

Hinge and Notch got attacked by a Goshawk this evening.
Some really terrible pictures in the link.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/byc-café.948525/page-6281#post-22143585

I hope you can save her Shad.

 

[Kris5902]

Hinge and Notch got attacked by a Goshawk this evening.
Some really terrible pictures in the link.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/byc-café.948525/page-6281#post-22143585

She's going to be okay I think Bob.
I don't post many of the accident and emergencies I get here. It's a common occurrence unfortunately. Thankfully many are not fatal. However, they are all stressful which is why I'm still up at stupid o'clock in the morning.
I'm waiting to go and check she's still hanging in there and to squeeze a bit of Metacam down her throat.

And we are all pulling for her @Shadrach goshawks are nasty pieces of work from a chicken and keepers perspective. Beautiful and awesome creatures, but...

 

[Kris5902]

@RoyalChick its been hard today. First I went to check and see if I could learn more about the attack. I could find nothing. I mean nothing. Not a feather, not a drag mark, nothing. I have no idea where she was roosted and what it actually was that killed her.

This is making me lean more heavily towards a weasel.

To that end, I hauled my sick butt out and closed every potential gap that a weasel could squeeze though. I just now came back in. I need to get a trap, until then the ladies will be coop bound. No unsupervised run access until I have this figured out. This will be hard on them but I just can't chance it. I know if it is a weasel, it will be back every night until it has killed them all.

I have disconnected the automated door. They are "cooped" until I decide to let them out. I had to move the camera because of some of my modifications. Here is the new view.

View attachment 2011128

100% the best idea ever, it does seem to be an awful time of year for this... I’ve been fretting about my being out late working every night, and frantically checking and counting everyone as soon as I get home.

I don't know mixedUPturk. Years ago I did separate. My vet said given my keeping arrangements (tribe/family) and that they free range, that in her experience chickens recover more quickly when they are with their group.
I have the advantage of being able to monitor quite closely. If I see any sort of problem then she'll be in with me.

I have also seen this with cattle... they perk up when they aren’t alone. I’ve been trying not to separate too much whenever possible with my girls.

 

[CrazyChookChookLady]

@BY Bob I am so terribly sorry to see Mal is gone. I'm truly at a loss for words. If there is anything I can do please let me know.

 

[BY Bob]

All so sad. I don’t know much about weasels. Are they night creatures? The fox was back today but fortunately everyone was safely inside the fortified run. I rushed to get the paint gun but the fox was way too fast for me. I am mulling electric fencing as an option.

Weasels are nocturnal. We had a weasel once back when I was a young lad of 13? Maybe 14. He killed 2 hens before my dad and I caught him trying to remove a hen from the coop the 3rd night, we had staked out the coop. My Dad shot him with a 12 gauge shotgun from the hip. Cut the weasel in two. Did not hurt the hen. Her name was Lucky from before this incident. We still call that the greatest shooting ever in the entire family. To this day it reminds me of Steve McQueen in Wanted Dead or Alive.

I own a BB gun and a Nerf Gun. I will have to trap the bastard.

 

[BY Bob]

@BY Bob I am so terribly sorry to see Mal is gone. I'm truly at a loss for words. If there is anything I can do please let me know.

Thank you

 

[BY Bob]

That’s scary that she was in the run and you can’t find where it got in. I’m in the process of putting more wire on my run, the wire is 2mm thick and it also keep all the wild birds out. I will also dig some into the floor to make absolutely sure.

Weasels can fit through some tiny places.

The run was never designed to protect from all the night time killers. That is what the coop is for. The run is for daytime predators. Mal and Aurora have always had this habit of roosting outside the coop sometimes. I will be giving the run a series of improvements once I am feeling better as well. I don't know if I can make it weasel proof. I never considered that they would be here in such a suburban area.

 

[ValerieJ]

Weasels can fit through some tiny places.

The run was never designed to protect from all the night time killers. That is what the coop is for. The run is for daytime predators. Mal and Aurora have always had this habit of roosting outside the coop sometimes. I will be giving the run a series of improvements once I am feeling better as well. I don't know if I can make it weasel proof. I never considered that they would be here in such a suburban area.

It's a hard lesson. You have done everything, right. But now we have this. My heart is truly with you!!!

 

[Kris5902]

Weasels can fit through some tiny places.

The run was never designed to protect from all the night time killers. That is what the coop is for. The run is for daytime predators. Mal and Aurora have always had this habit of roosting outside the coop sometimes. I will be giving the run a series of improvements once I am feeling better as well. I don't know if I can make it weasel proof. I never considered that they would be here in such a suburban area.

I never saw any when we were in the city either, but they did have them in suburban Newfoundland 80 years ago. My grandmother hated them. They had some chickens back in the day and one got into the coop. It scarred her for life. My cousin got a pet ferret as a young woman, it did not go over well. We had lots of coyotes, coons, skunks, and rats... huge rats, we lived near the river.