Help! Something got to all my chicks!

[Georgiagirl]

I came home today and found all my chickens dead or missing!
Something broke through the chicken wire I have around the run.
I can't believe this! I made sure or I thought I was sure they were safe.
I planted wire underground all around the run. I even had the wire doubled in places. I am devastated! Should I have used hardware cloth around the run?

 

[baldie]

I am sooo sorry!! I hope you figure out what it was. That really does stink!

 

[speckledhen]

Chicken wire is not made to keep predators out, as you found. You need hardware cloth, not chicken wire.

 

[Georgiagirl]

I have looked around looking for some kind of tracks or something to give me a clue. Nothing. One small track that looks like maybe it is a racoon.
But what would be big enough to tear through the wire?
No evidence to show what I'm up against.

 

[DarkWolf]

Racoons can get through chicken wire. Like posted above, chicken wire is made to keep chickens in, not predators out.

How large of a hole [h*w] was in the wire?

 

[patyrdz]

I am so sorry! I know it is hard. Especially when you did everything you knew how to do! We use the hardware cloth and then put chicken wire over it. The chicken wire helps keep the chicks in. I hope you find out what did this!

 

[okiemommy]

I have looked around looking for some kind of tracks or something to give me a clue. Nothing. One small track that looks like maybe it is a racoon.
But what would be big enough to tear through the wire?
No evidence to show what I'm up against.

Anything is big enough to get through chicken wire, because it is a weak wire. It doesn't have anything to do with the size of the predator, it's the effectiveness of the wire. Only hardware cloth is predator proof.


I am very sorry for your loss.

 

[Grammahen]

I am so sorry for you Georgiagirl . How very very sad.

 

[Brelansmama]

I'm SOOO sorry you lost your flock!
If you could post photos of the track, we might be able to help you identify the predator, so you can better equip your coop to keep them out.
Coon tracks are easily identifiable, if that's what you suspect it is, your probably right.

 

[PastorSBC]

If you know someone that hunts try and borrow a game camara from them. The kind used to take pictures of deer. Mount it on a fence post or something and you will probably get a picture of him. good luck.