Heartbroken to say the least....

[BirbMama92]

Can you borrow or buy a camera? The kind hunters use. You might also need a motion sensor light. You only need enough visual to see what is doing it and an idea of how it is being done. Your neighbor might have something to do with this, and if so, recorded evidence is used in court.

Chickens can not see in the dark, ducks can. Possibly your ducks move away from the danger, where as chickens just stop all action once it is dark.

I have two but they have been having issues so I can't get them to reconnect to my home network.

It wouldn't surprise me if he had something to do with this. He called the cops on me last summer for a chicken pooping in his yard - it was in the literal 1/2 acre empty lot between us. We live outside of city limits so it's a county problem but the cops thought it was ridiculous. Since then he has seriously had it out for me.

Can geese see in the dark? It got my girl last night, and her mate was nibbling her feathers this morning just doing his goose screams. He is so heartbroken, too

After work i'm headed to get a live trap, and i'll get it set up asap.

 

[babyratt]

This is the only place I know where I can post this and others will understand.

I started my bird journey last year after my son wanted to bring home a chick his class had hatched from school. He wasn't chosen so we went to our local Bomgaars and that's where my journey began...

Since then I have raised 40+ girls, along with ducks and two geese in the past year. Unfortunately some of the chicks I had struggled so I lost some along the way but to me it was rewarding because I gave them my whole heart and they were loved until the very end.

This spring, my neighbor killed 9 of my babies. I don't have enough evidence to press charges but I know it was him. He's the only one that hates me enough to do such emotional damage. Since then it has been nothing but hell trying to keep my babies safe.

Over the weekend a predator came into our yard and took 19 of my girls, one of my bantam roos, and my remaining guinea who's name was Bob. My husband and I made the run smaller and put a cover on in hopes to save my remaining babies.

It didn't work....

This morning my step dad shows up around 640 to pick up my kiddos; he went in the back yard and found that something had gotten in. This time it couldn't carry my girls off as there was no hole big enough for it to escape with it's catch. I found the remains of my girl, Hennifer, the one that started my whole journey; and half of my sweet girl goose. I just now realized that my bantam roo, Harold, is also no longer with us. I didn't find any parts of him, but there wasn't much to him...

I have 5 girls left, my rooster (Oreo), my young gander, and my ducks.

Why hasn't anything attempted to take my ducks? Why just my chickens and small roos?

I'm beyond devastated. I have no words to even describe how I feel. I honestly have made myself sick over this whole situation because I have tried to keep them safe, but I have failed. Failed miserably. I feel like the worst bird mom in the whole world right now.

I don't know what else to do.

Your story makes me want to cry and give you a big hug. I've had many trajedies with birds too. If you're a bad mom, then I am too. I think it's just a risk keeping them as pets. We can't protect our dogs from everything either.

 

[Pampered chicken girl]

I am so sorry for your loss. Don't beat yourself up you loved them till the end and they had good lives it's not your fault. I wish I could give you a big hug but this will have to do

 

[McChooky]

I sincerely recommend you check out our coop construction forum.There are hundreds of posts made by people just like you who didn't know how to make a chicken coop but learned! Where there is a will there is a way!

 

[NorthwoodsChick]

I am truly sorry and pray you find what is doing this. Could the neighbor have opened the coop so predators can get in?

 

[McChooky]

This is the only place I know where I can post this and others will understand.

I started my bird journey last year after my son wanted to bring home a chick his class had hatched from school. He wasn't chosen so we went to our local Bomgaars and that's where my journey began...

Since then I have raised 40+ girls, along with ducks and two geese in the past year. Unfortunately some of the chicks I had struggled so I lost some along the way but to me it was rewarding because I gave them my whole heart and they were loved until the very end.

This spring, my neighbor killed 9 of my babies. I don't have enough evidence to press charges but I know it was him. He's the only one that hates me enough to do such emotional damage. Since then it has been nothing but hell trying to keep my babies safe.

Over the weekend a predator came into our yard and took 19 of my girls, one of my bantam roos, and my remaining guinea who's name was Bob. My husband and I made the run smaller and put a cover on in hopes to save my remaining babies.

It didn't work....

This morning my step dad shows up around 640 to pick up my kiddos; he went in the back yard and found that something had gotten in. This time it couldn't carry my girls off as there was no hole big enough for it to escape with it's catch. I found the remains of my girl, Hennifer, the one that started my whole journey; and half of my sweet girl goose. I just now realized that my bantam roo, Harold, is also no longer with us. I didn't find any parts of him, but there wasn't much to him...

I have 5 girls left, my rooster (Oreo), my young gander, and my ducks.

Why hasn't anything attempted to take my ducks? Why just my chickens and small roos?

I'm beyond devastated. I have no words to even describe how I feel. I honestly have made myself sick over this whole situation because I have tried to keep them safe, but I have failed. Failed miserably. I feel like the worst bird mom in the whole world right now.

I don't know what else to do.

Why hasn't anything attempted to take my ducks? Why just my chickens and small roos?


The size of the predator doesn't always determine how many chickens it kills . Studying predators behavior will teach you what killed your birds. Coons can open latches and grab birds thru the wire.They only eat their heads if they grab them thru the wire. Weasels are small enough to go thru the openings in the wire & will kill them all.They may not eat any of them. Foxes have small stomachs & prefer to kill more than they need and will bury some to eat later.

 

[BirbMama92]

Your story makes me want to cry and give you a big hug. I've had many trajedies with birds too. If you're a bad mom, then I am too. I think it's just a risk keeping them as pets. We can't protect our dogs from everything either.

thank you. virtual hugs work just as well *hugs*

No birds lost last night, and one sneaky predator caught. Going to get rid of it and then reset the trap to see what else I can get.

 

[BirbMama92]

I am so sorry for your loss. Don't beat yourself up you loved them till the end and they had good lives it's not your fault. I wish I could give you a big hug but this will have to do

Thank you *hug*

They were definitely spoiled, just miss talking to them all every morning when I get up

 

[BirbMama92]

I sincerely recommend you check out our coop construction forum.There are hundreds of posts made by people just like you who didn't know how to make a chicken coop but learned! Where there is a will there is a way!

Thank you, I will take a look and see what we can construct to make it more safe for my living babies.

 

[BirbMama92]

I am truly sorry and pray you find what is doing this. Could the neighbor have opened the coop so predators can get in?

No, he didn't do it this time, thankfully. Or he would have had a rude awakening. I set a trap last night and caught a raccoon. Going to get rid of it and reset to see what else I can catch.