Hi, and sorry we didn't post here sooner.

[Melky]

Welcome to BYC!​

 

[Pork Pie]

Thanks for dropping by New Members to say hello.

 

[rjohns39]

Hi and welcome to BYC We're so happy you've decided to join us

@Table4Six @PollyGirl21 @LoveMyChickenBabies @ladybugchickenfarms stop by and say high when you have a sec.

 

[Table4Six]

Welcome to BYC! Glad you joined our community of crazy poultry lovers!

 

[PollyGirl21]

Welcome to BYC and Happy Easter! We're so happy you joined us!
Sorry about the predator problem.

 

[archeryrob]

@Little Farm Girl Raccoons are notorious for mutilating, but not eating (or carrying off) the entire bird. I am not sure if that is your culprit, but I would take it into consideration... and I’m sorry you’re going through this! Please keep us posted!

I'd have to agree on this. It sounds to me as if your coop is not hardened or secured at night. Post pics of that. Coons will kill ten chickens and just eat heads if allowed.

 

[7acres]

Hello, we live in East Texas on abut 7 acres, I know this isn't really a good "introduction", but we have a big problem we need help with right now(continue reading to find out), and there isn't much more to know about us, lol.

We have a big barn, with a 6 ft chain link fence yard attached to it for our laying hens that free range in the day and are locked in the barn at night, we have an additional 6ft chainlink fence section attached to the back of the barn(but does not have access to in the barn),but we have a coop back there for the breeding birds. We have a bunch of various chicken tractors/breeding pens behind all of that, and then we have a few little hutches and such in our 4ft chainlink fenced backyard, We had a total of about 150 chickens last month, but who knows how many we have now due to soooo many recent attacks. We also have a non helpful mini Donkey and mini Mule, lol. We can't build a fence around our whole 7 acres, and we can't put chicken wire around the base of any of the coops, pens, fences or barn. We haven't had success with traps either.

What should we do/get to protect our birds?

Thank you so much for any ideas/opinions/suggestions.

I agree that you could eliminate some of your problem by by assembling your operation in a more central location. I have my coop and run surrounded by cattle panels and the dog pen behind my coop. I lock my dog inside the cattle panel pen at night. She has access to the whole perimeter. Maybe you could watch for used panels for sale and use them. Tpost install and move easily as do the panels. If panels are too expensive welded wire would be the next choice.

 

[ladybugchickenfarms]

Welcome to BYC!
Hope you get everything sorted out

 

[LoveMyChickenBabies]

We are so glad that you're here! We are sure you'll love it here, so pull up a roost!!

 

[lilmillefleur]

Welcome! You've been given some great advice already. I hope you'll be able to sort out the mess, it sucks to have birds killed