Help so frusterated

[steinmetzj27]

Something came in and killed all twelve of my chickens. Even my rooster and he was mean and very protective of my hens. Took all the heads off and left the bodies. All twelve heads gone I have an enclosed chicken coop that goes to the outside and chicken wire double covered on the outside. I live in southwest part of Minnesota. It was like a freaking massacre it went inside the coop and killed em as well. I don't know what pulls heads off and leaves all the meat. My dogs could not get in I think it may have been a weasel do they attack in broad daylight cause I checked on them in the morning before I went shooting and they were fine. Can I get some thoughts on what you guys might think it is so I can bait it and shoot it before I get more chickens thank u

 

[Chickenshoe]

Sorry for your loses, I would be more concerned how it got in..... and fix that problem first.. if the "chicken wire" is not broken, and you see no other holes.. clearly what ever got in was small enough to slip thru the wire... only sure way to protect them is use hardware cloth 1/2 inch would do....... its costly yes, but effective.. other than killing every predator in your area (that will never happen). remember chicken wire keeps chickens in and does nothing to keep a predator out....

 

[steinmetzj27]

Thank you yes I know I can't kill everyone of those darn things even though I'd like to to keep my chickens safe lol thanks for the advice much appreciated

 

[coleco]

That is standard raccoon behavior. A fox, coyote, dog, cat, will run off with the whole chicken to feed a family, An oppossum typically drags it 30 feet, A raccoon will leave the meat, remove the heads, kill entire flocks, doesnt typically move the chicken much further than the entrance of a coop or enclosure.

 

[steinmetzj27]

Thank u for the help I appreciate it guess I need to reinforce my coop

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

Sorry for your loses, I would be more concerned how it got in..... and fix that problem first.. if the "chicken wire" is not broken, and you see no other holes.. clearly what ever got in was small enough to slip thru the wire... only sure way to protect them is use hardware cloth 1/2 inch would do....... its costly yes, but effective.. other than killing every predator in your area (that will never happen). remember chicken wire keeps chickens in and does nothing to keep a predator out....

X 2 - if you post photos of your coop and run we can gladly help you spot the areas where you can make improvements to better secure your flock. Poultry netting is quite effective at keeping poultry in/out of an area, but does nothing to provide a barrier against predatory incursion. Be sure to include details such as whether there is any security measure that can't be seen in the photos - ie a no-dig skirt under ground, etc. If the investment of hardware cloth is too much at the moment there are other things you can try that will provide more security than you have now (ie heavier gauge wire under poultry netting, use of electric wire, etc). Ultimately, the cost in preventative measures is well worth it as there is no other way to provide 24/7 security to your flock - predator elimination is only effective against those predators you are present to see and take out.