Help! :(

[CookieChicken18]

My chickens keep dying. I've lost two so far over the past two days. I suspect that a fox was able to get in, as I have seen one around the yard near the coop. I think our coop is pretty secure, but I've heard that foxes will always find a way inside a coop.

Tonight we put chicken wire over the hen house so they can't get up at dawn/dusk. But today they were checked on at 7:30 pm and it looked pretty fresh.

I've never dealt with this kind of predator before, I can't bare to lose anymore birds. If it is attacking during the day, the chickens can't stay inside 24/7.

Does anyone have any ideas of something I can do? I need to figure something out before it takes my entire flock.

 

[Dawnclucks22]

My chickens keep dying. I've lost two so far over the past two days. I suspect that a fox was able to get in, as I have seen one around the yard near the coop. I think our coop is pretty secure, but I've heard that foxes will always find a way inside a coop.

Tonight we put chicken wire over the hen house so they can't get up at dawn/dusk. But today they were checked on at 7:30 pm and it looked pretty fresh.

I've never dealt with this kind of predator before, I can't bare to lose anymore birds. If it is attacking during the day, the chickens can't stay inside 24/7.

Does anyone have any ideas of something I can do? I need to figure something out before it takes my entire flock.

Can you post pictures of the attack? This might help in identifying the culprit. In the meanwhile, check and make sure that no animals can get in or out, especially underneath.
Chicken wire by itself won't keep out predators. Raccoons can put their paws in through the loops and kill without even entering the coop. You'll need something more heavy duty if you want to keep out predators.
Good luck!

 

[CookieChicken18]

Can you post pictures of the attack? This might help in identifying the culprit. In the meanwhile, check and make sure that no animals can get in or out, especially underneath.
Chicken wire by itself won't keep out predators. Raccoons can put their paws in through the loops and kill without even entering the coop. You'll need something more heavy duty if you want to keep out predators.
Good luck!

I didn't take pictures. It was a lot of feathers and very graphic. She looked kind of scattered around.
I should have mentioned that the first time a chicken was caught through the chicken wire, where she was almost completely decapitated, and half of her side was eaten.

 

[chickendreams24]

Sounds like possible raccoon attack at least the first one.

The second was in the pen or out?
Was the run covered at this point?

 

[The Phantom]

Where do you live? What kinds of predators do you have?

 

[CookieChicken18]

Sounds like possible raccoon attack at least the first one.

The second was in the pen or out?
Was the run covered at this point?

The second was in the middle of the run
Our entire run is covered in chicken wire.
Thank you!

 

[CookieChicken18]

Where do you live? What kinds of predators do you have?

We have pretty much all of your stereotypical forest animals, foxes, raccoons, coyotes, possums, etc.
Lately I have seen the same raccoon and the same fox wander around the yard, so I suspected it would be one of those.
I thought it might be a fox because the hole I found was incredibly small, which I doubt the fat raccoon could fit through.

 

[shawluvsbirds]

We have pretty much all of your stereotypical forest animals, foxes, raccoons, coyotes, possums, etc.
Lately I have seen the same raccoon and the same fox wander around the yard, so I suspected it would be one of those.
I thought it might be a fox because the hole I found was incredibly small, which I doubt the fat raccoon could fit through.

Unfortunately a raccoon can pull them through the chicken wire and there is not a lot a fox can't out fox.
About all you can do is set some traps around your coop and try to catch whatever it is, and reinforce your coop checking for any weak spots and holes. A weasel I hear can get in a 1 inch gap. Hardware cloth is the best but it is pretty expensive. So sorry for your losses

 

[llombardo]

The second was in the middle of the run
Our entire run is covered in chicken wire.
Thank you!

Chicken wire or hardware cloth?

 

[merrymutts]

sorry for your loss. We, too, have lost 2 baby pullets to a predator...also very grisly. Guts eaten out and just a general mess of the rest of the carcasses. I'll have to close the access door from their pen side to the outdoor pen now