Help me stop the carnage!

[kellyek]

I would be packing them up and moving into house at night LOL or sitting a with a .22 and a shotgun waiting to see.. then again I am a stay at home mom

Wow!! I hadn't thought of moving them into the house!! That is a great idea! They would have as much room as in the coop but no death! Thank you!!!!!

I tried sitting outside thinking I could fool a raccoon when I thought it was coming at dusk!! LOL!! I don't own a gun, despite living in TX, and I've never wanted to use one as much as I do now.

 

[kellyek]

Another great idea!! Thank you! I may combine your idea and moving them into my studio. I appreciate your answer.

 

[Kiki]

Even with three hardware-clothed sides and a fan, it isn't as cool as some of the places they can get to in the backyard. I do have a mister but with the humidity so high, I don't know that it would do much good. Thanks for your input and the kind welcome.

Not quite understanding.... You have two choices correct?
Leave them locked up in a secure place while you're gone or leave them to run free where they will probably be killed.

It seems like an easy choice for me.... What am I missing?

 

[kellyek]

Not quite understanding.... You have two choices correct?
Leave them locked up in a secure place while you're gone or leave them to run free where they will probably be killed.

It seems like an easy choice for me.... What am I missing?

Fear that locking them in the coop, despite the three hardware cloth sides, will result in a slow, heat-related death. My fear is that both options = dead chickens.

 

[Kiki]

Fear that locking them in the coop, despite the three hardware cloth sides, will result in a slow, heat-related death. My fear is that both options = dead chickens.

I live in Houston Texas so I'm guessing my weather is very similar to yours and I have an 8-ft by 6 ft 3 sided hardware clothed coop.

Just last week there was a hawk in my yard...again... So I left my bird's cage for a week straight and they did not die from heat.

 

[kellyek]

I live in Houston Texas so I'm guessing my weather is very similar to yours and I have an 8-ft by 6 ft 3 sided hardware clothed coop.

Just last week there was a hawk in my yard...again... So I left my bird's cage for a week straight and they did not die from heat.

Thank you! That is great info. I hope the hawk is hunting elsewhere now.

 

[jaxonann]

Hi! I'm in the Dallas area as well and left my girls in their coop/run for 6 days last August. Everyone was fine when I returned.

 

[kellyek]

Hi! I'm in the Dallas area as well and left my girls in their coop/run for 6 days last August. Everyone was fine when I returned.

Thank you, jaxonann! I appreciate the info.

 

[cmom]

Hi!
I am desperate. I'm losing a hen every day or two. I have a trail cam coming tomorrow (Wednesday evening) and then I'm out of town for four days! I am down to three hens with multiple predators, I think.

I found one hen with just her head missing. Raccoon. The others have left a few feathers from the struggle and I find nothing else. I think it could be a fox. Most opossums leave the body without organs.

I thought they were going missing at dusk. I have an electric coop door so I programmed the door to close earlier in the evening (still after they go to roost). I had four last night. I checked this morning and I'd lost one already.

I have a well-ventilated coop that's 6x6' and 8' high with hardware cloth on three sides plus an oscillating fan. I'm in Dallas, TX and the high for the next five days 101 at 50% humidity. I don't have a run since they have the run of the whole backyard.

Should I keep them locked in the coop (for five days!) until I figure out what's getting them?
Or let them get picked off one at a time?
Or something else I'm not considering?

Thank you in advance for your suggestions.
Heartsick Chicken Mom,
Kellye

Since you have already lost birds I would lock them up, like @Texas Kiki said. I'm sure your predator has your address and most likely you will get pictures of it on your camera. I have left mine locked up and had no deaths. Since you are going away for 4 days and as you said you have a well ventilated coop with a fan with plenty of food and water, I would leave them locked up while you're gone and have the camera going too. It will be hot during the days and they may be a little uncomfortable but the temperature usually goes down at night. When you get back you can then properly deal with better securing their area and maybe make a run for them. This is just my opinion.

 

[kellyek]

Since you have already lost birds I would lock them up, like @Texas Kiki said. I have left mine locked up and had no deaths. Since you are going away for 4 days and as you said you have a well ventilated coop with a fan with plenty of food and water, I would leave them locked up while you're gone and have the camera going too. It will be hot during the days and they may be a little uncomfortable but the temperature usually goes down at night. When you get back you can then properly deal with better securing their area and maybe make a run for them. This is just my opinion.

Thank you, cmom! That is my current plan. I was going to put them in the studio until I heard people in my area had success keeping them locked up in a safe area. They are locked up already and not happy about it. I will mount the trail cam and hopefully learn what's been eating them and my eggs.

Now to design a run to work with the coop! My creativity is flowing. I am amazingly appreciative of the support and ideas people in this forum have provided. Thank you!
Kellye