Help! Predator took ALL my chicken in 1-2 hours

[Folly's place]

Welcome, and I'm so sorry for your loss! Build/ modify your shed and run to be as safe as possible, and be careful about free ranging. I lost ten (!) of my nicest hens one afternoon to a sick fox: that was not a good day. Electrified poultry netting is good for ground daytime predators, if it's available where you live. One meter high fencing won't work for much of anything. Good luck, Mary

 

[sirrobyn0]

I guess I'm lucky we haven't had a problem here in the daytime, but at night the Raccoons will get to them. I too lost an entire flock one year over the course of just a few nights. And they were locked "safely" inside their house. Raccoons are crafty and will get in, any way possible. Obviously I read your post and I know your not dealing with Raccoons, I just wanted you to know that I've been there too, and almost everyone that has ever raised chickens have lost some to predators. As a friend of mine put it, after dark they turn into pumpkins and predators know they are easy prey. We just have to make it so they are not easy to access for predators.

I know this is a tough time for you, but don't let this misfortune end you BYC farm. If it were me I'd be working on making that outside fence in penetrable, or as close to it as you can get. Please use this as a learning experience and try again, I'm sure it will be much more rewarding, and you will be much wiser.

Rob

 

[nayeli]

Wow, since it has been 6 days I'm guessing none have turned up. I'm surprised, I wouldn't think 1 predator would kill 6 grown chickens... plus how would 1 predator carry them all off? I'm assuming you did look to make sure the rest didn't flee and weren't somewhere else though =/

 

[bobbi-j]

Wow, since it has been 6 days I'm guessing none have turned up. I'm surprised, I wouldn't think 1 predator would kill 6 grown chickens... plus how would 1 predator carry them all off? I'm assuming you did look to make sure the rest didn't flee and weren't somewhere else though =/

Coyotes or fox will carry them off. Twice in the last two years I've had 4-5 chickens disappear in a day.

 

[nayeli]

Coyotes or fox will carry them off. Twice in the last two years I've had 4-5 chickens disappear in a day.

How can they carry so many off?

 

[enola]

How can they carry so many off?

They will kill several at the same time. Then make as many trips as are necessary to take them all home......

 

[bobbi-j]

They will kill several at the same time. Then make as many trips as are necessary to take them all home......

That makes sense. I thought maybe it was a family that came through. I don't know when they start teaching their young to hunt. The first time it happened here, it was last July - that was 2 years ago. Last year it was Oct.

 

[keesmom]

Wow, since it has been 6 days I'm guessing none have turned up. I'm surprised, I wouldn't think 1 predator would kill 6 grown chickens... plus how would 1 predator carry them all off? I'm assuming you did look to make sure the rest didn't flee and weren't somewhere else though =/

I had an entire flock of 15 wiped out by coyotes one late May morning. There were partial remains of 2, but the rest were just piles of feathers. I am not sure if it was a single or a pair of coyotes.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Close and lock the door at dusk. Cut bigger windows for ventilation and cover with hardware cloth.

A pair of huskies took out over 10 chickens in 2 minutes here one morning.

 

[reubenoregan]

Sorry for your loss i had a fox take 24 of my hens and 7 ducks one day i was amazed that it got so many and as i got home i went to the hill by the pen and saw the cheeky little thing running off with one of my beloved buff orpingtons and well the rifle did the rest try to modify your coop as much as u can fr foxes best of luck anyway