Ghost

[ga_goat]

I lost a 8 week old BCM pullett last nite , she was on the floor of the henhouse ½ eaten . pen door shut and latched , house door shut and latched , no signs of any digging anywhere around fence or walls , walls are plywood that goes to a 2x10 with 1 edge buried 3 inches in the ground . door fits to within ¼ inch at top and both sides with a threhold board at bottom with a ¼ inch gap , I trapped a sparrow in there once and had to open the door to let it out . Have the trail cams set tonight , to hopefully get a pic of a ghost .

 

[turtlebird]

was everyone accounted in the headcount at lock-up(did it happen before doors shut)? culprit locked IN the coop at lockdown? Cannibalism?
I hope you find your villain before anymore losses occur.

 

[theFox]

What is your ventilation screened by?

What is the floor made of?

 

[D'Angelo N Va.]

hmmmm this will be interesting to see what it is..

 

[bubblesegg]

I think maybe one of the other hens pecked it to death. It's called the pecking order. If it doesn't have a mother it won't be protected and will probably die. I recomend to keep future chicks in the house.

I feel very sorry and I hope you find out what did that.

 

[ga_goat]

Floor of hen house is dirt , all chickens in the house were hatched the same day , all had been in the same pen from day1 . all were accounted for when door was locked . Ventelation is a 2 ft band around top with nailed and trimmed ¼ in hardware cloth . no damage to it .. Below the roost is screened with 1x2 welded wire . Have 3 trail cam's set and 2 walk in traps and 4 victor steel traps set inside the pen , but outside the house .

 

[little brown hen]

If you have a dirt floor I would check to see if there are any hole's for rat or snake.

 

[theFox]

1 x 2 welded wire is to large a mesh and a dirt floor can be breached from some distance away by determined diggers working the dark hour shifts.

Depending upon how large a coop you have and the number of birds it is also possible that you are seeing death by flock mates.

 

[bobbi-j]

A rat or weasel will go through 1x2" wire.

 

[ga_goat]

Caught my ghost and it showed me a loose board on the gate to the henhouse , It was a possum about the size of a softball and all black . The board on the gate / door didn't look loose but it was .
I figured it was somthing that I knew about we do have rats in Ga but no weasel
no mink no bears here in the southern part ,,mostly just coon , possum , hawks and owls .