HELP! What attacked my chickens???

[Allsfairinloveandbugs]

I struggle to comprehend how any law anywhere in the u.s. wouldn't allow one to protect their property, livestock, pets etc. from wildlife predation, but maybe that's why SSS (shoot, shovel, shut up) became a solution. But back to an electric fence around your chicken pen, is that feasible for you to do?

 

[rhode_island_brunette]

I know. I think it's ridiculous too. This is my personal property, my food, and the lives of my chickens. I should be able to defend those. I do have electric wire around the chicken run around the coop. My chickens had access to a paddock that was a little larger that didn't have the wire. They have the wire now because we've made it to where they can't get out into that other paddock for the moment. The paddock where they were attacked is about half an acre, so it's not feasible at the moment. There are woods on the other side of the paddock that aren't ours also, so we wouldn't be able to keep their woods from interfering with the line very well. I also don't know if they would allow us to get on their property to put it in. He's a very private neighbor.

 

[pcakes]

Exactly! They were safely in their coop last night. It must've happened early this morning as they have an automatic door that opens when it gets light out. We have woven wire fencing all around the area they were in. Each one was found far from the other right up against the fencing as if they had been running from something and ended up at the fence with nowhere to go. One of them ended up flying into the road apparently where it got run over.

It’s spring… baby season. Animals by me take a lot more risks trying to feed their littles.
How secure is your yard?

 

[rhode_island_brunette]

We have tight fencing everywhere, but found its burrow. It comes up from our neighbor's woods and the hole comes up into our yard.

 

[BastyPutt]

You should check and see if you are allow to "harass" the predators.

You can most likely use a paintball gun or something along those lines that you know won't kill the animal. You can also check the ordinance for using a non lethal trap. Not sure why you wouldn't be able to do that if you had no intention of harming the animal.

Also, if feasible - you can run a sprinkler or something around. That may deter it?