HELP! FOUR BIRDS MURDERED IN ONE NIGHT!

[brahmabreeder]

Alright I was walking back to take care of my chickens when I noticed feathers in the pen. I walked in and only two of the six birds remained

. One white leghorn stag, a black silkie, and two white leghorn capons were killed. All four birds were drug out of the run and into the woods behind.The whole it drug it out of was small. Only about five inches by about five inches. There are a few holes in the chickens run that are roughly six inches in diameter. I did not see any of the birds that were killed only a trail of feathers. I NEED HELP! What killed my chickens?BTW this all happened at night.

 

[zazouse]

Sorry for your loss.
I say ya got a fox , did you think to look for prints in the dirt that was dug up.
Also check the wire that was torn for hair from the critter going in and out.

 

[brahmabreeder]

I can try to look for prints but I make no promises. We did have a fox last year that was killing my chickens. It almost looked like it had mange.

 

[20736]

I've lost my share of poultry to varmits. This one actually sounds like a raccoon. At this time of the year, they are weaning their young, which means she showed them the buffet table last night at your place . She takes the whole bird to the young. A weasel just kills the chicken and leaves it, and one chicken would feed a fox, they usually aren't greedy. Repeat offenders, yes, but not greedy.
'Coons are why we have to lock our birds up every night, especially in Latte May to early July when the young are weaned.

 

[brahmabreeder]

Well if it is a racoon I wouldn't be surprised. They have never killed our chickens just the turkeys. I think I'll set a trap tonight. Any ideas on bait?

 

[speckledhen]

Is your wire chicken wire and is the pen uncovered? Chicken wire is useless stuff against any predator. You need hardware cloth over 2x4 welded wire fencing.

Or just put them in the coop at night with a raccoon-proof latch, problem solved. If they are not in a coop at night and/or just in a chickenwire pen, you'll continue to lose birds right and left.

You can't trap every predator in the woods. Where there is one coon, there are 20.

 

[brahmabreeder]

The pen is surrounded by a run that has 2x4 welded wire. There are no more birds in there at the moment. I put them up close to the house in a bantam coop. I will how ever be putting about 24 month old capons in there in a few weeks. When these birds are in there I could let them go in the goat barn at night and lock them in there. The shelter in there now is a dog house.

 

[speckledhen]

What was the hole torn in?

 

[brahmabreeder]

The one they drug them out of was the fence. Either part of the fence was already broke or it did part of it. But there are like 3 holes in the run, those have been there a while.