Fox, Weasels, etc???? something is getting our chickens!!

[leslie13]

hi, im new on here, we have a large pen with a shelter at the end, we have a peacock, pheasents, guineas, and did have 8 black jersey giants(young)....Friday night I noticed our dogs were barking, and went and looked out front and nothing, so I jus went to bed, next morning my sisnlaw told me her dog who is about 50 ft from us was barking that night also, and they checked but saw nothing, well the next day I went around back of my house where the chickens and all are, and also would like to say we have 2 huge pigs(sow and boar) and 6 feeder pigs...so I know what it looks like when they root up dirt( which is what this looked liked) but it wasnt them, all around the pen..including my duck pen, and notcied a very very small hole at the door maybe small enough for a rat to go in....we also have 2 pot bellies behind the shelter in a pen....which we have small holes around the shelter but none big enough for big predators...I counted the chickens and we were missing 1 already, it got out friday it was a smallest one still looked like a baby chick, but now we were missing a BIGGER one and I knew it couldnt get out....well i covered the holes, we have fencing down to the ground covered in dirt, and I put my BEST dog back there in hopes she would take care of it...lastnight i noticed barking I took a small flashlight out back and seen nothing which it was still a lil dark, and did not go all the way back, but this morning after church we found diggings JUST like a pig and found another chicken missing...we looked and couldnt figure out...so we went inside took a nap and the dogs woke us up...caring on ready for attack it seemed...we went outside and beside our house was dirt dug up like a pig rooting, we have 2 bantams and a bantam chick in a pen up front(they are my babies) and looked behind their pen and sure nuff something was trying to get in but the dogs scared it I believe...we thought it was a fox...but I have never seen a fox to be this close to a house...even with dogs around...I thought maybe weasels, coyotes...but the holes were not big enough...and I know foxes dont jus root up door for the fun of it like right next to my house....can anyone anyone tell me what they think it is...seems we may have to get a humane trap and trap it...any suggestions would be nice...Thanks

 

[Classy chicks]

This sounds like a racoon. I have great prynese dogs i run at night. Before this i actually saw one take a full grown duck over fence. Try a trap then you can see what is getting them. Dog solved my problem
Good luck

 

[centrarchid]

Can your dog be allowed to run loose? A 45 lb dog or larger will be able to convince raccoon to move on. Also get out there with flashlite and lite rifle to help out. You are better than even the biggest dog when dealing with nocturnal predators. Also make no assumptions about hogs, they will consume chickens caught on ground, ours certainly would.