HELP! Chickens going missing

[Unknowen]

The grown ups are red sex linked, and the little ones are barred rocks. I'm outside pretty often during the weekends, but during the week I leave for school/work in the late morning and don't get home until late at night. My boyfriend locks them up around sunset when they all go to bed. Also, the times when the chickens went missing I was home for most of the day. I lost my rooster when I was outside doing laundry most the day! The little ones like to hang out under the trees at the edge of the woods, but the adults go into the undergrowth on the other side. I think whatever's taking them is doing it when they're back there.
The little ones don't seem too bothered by the heat. They hang out in the coop even on the hot days. But the hens only run in for a drink, then back out again. They're the ones I usually see panting and looking droopy.

 

[roosterhavoc]

I wouldn't leave them in the coop all day in the heat.. Supposed to be pretty hot this week in your area. Either let them out and hope for the best or find anything to lay across the top of the dog run if it's small enough to keep them from flying out. They need shade though too just being outside with the sun beating down on them wouldn't be good either.

 

[dekel18042]

I've seen foxes at 7 am, early afternoon, at 4 o'clock, and in the middle of the night. So much for them being nocturnal.

 

[Pecanny]

You also need to keep them locked up until you can provide a defensible space for them What ever it is will keep returning for it's daily meal until it cleans you out and has to move on.

All this 110%.

New chickeneers always seem to underestimate and or discount real predatory threats. You just can't do it. You have to prepare as if there is a predator that is definitely going to come for your Chickens, because they are coming... It may be tonite, or it maybe a month from now, but they are coming for your Chickens.

GOLDEN RULES>>>YOU MUST HAVE A DEFENSE READY PEN, and FREE RANGING CHICKENS (EVEN IN BROAD DAYLIGHT), WITHOUT SOMEONE OUT IN THE AREA WATCHING THEM, WILL COST YOU YOUR CHICKENS EVENTUALLY, IN MOST EVERY CASE, MOST EVERY TIME.

 

[Unknowen]

Well the chickens we got were free, either we took them or they became dinner, and everything we have for them was made with scraps or refurbished. We don't own the property, so we really can't put up anything permanent, and we really don't have the money to. I'm gonna try to do what I can with what I've got. I haven't lost anyone else since something got into the poison the other night, so hopefully whatever it was bit the dust.

I knew when I got them that I'd lose a couple, I just was surprised I lost so many so fast, including the rooster. I guess next time if I lose one I'll be much faster and more aggressive with the critter hunting.

 

[Unknowen]

Result: It was a grey fox. I'm trying to catch it now, but I'm not too experienced with this, so I don't know if I'll be successful. Professional trappers are WAY too expensive, so I've got to come up with something.

 

[tawana]

i would think its a coyote as well. they willl take the birds and leave nothing behind. usually they dont travel alone, so their could be a pack close by in the woods.

i wouldnt let them free range for a while, keep them in somewhere enclosed and then set up more traps ,, im sure youll catch whatever is out there.

best of luck cause i know its hard when ya loose your chickens, i went through it as a kid , though now i have my coop enclosed and also i have a coop door that closes them up all at night. the only concern i have with mine now is farm rats around here. they are very clever as well.. though i think i got thier ticket" so to speak and figured out thier pattern here.

 

[tawana]

they sell the traps you can see through at TSC stores here in canada. they are pretty cheap to buy and safe for the animal to catch and release in.

 

[Unknowen]

It's most definitely a fox. I saw it this morning. The cage traps are almost impossible to catch foxes in, so I got the foothold traps. Once you catch it, you pretty much have to kill it. It's illegal to relocate them, and if you call animal control all they do is put it down. So hopefully it gets its paw stuck in a trap tonight and then my good friend .22LR can take care of the rest. If anyone has fox catching advice I'd love to hear it.

 

[tawana]

im glad you found what it was. we have a couple different visitors around here, raccoon, ground hogs, coyotees, rats and i think a fox as well. though the only thing bothering my coop is the rats. though mind you" i have started getting ahead of them now.. thank godness.. but best of luck to ya with the fox issue... i will follow the post and check for any info i may need in the future, should any fox issues arise here on the farm..

have a great day!