Holy Smokes, I lost 30 Chickens this afternoon!

[jturbo68]

Hi Folks,


New to the forum, but could use some help.

I am fairly new to chickens and recently decided to increase my chicken count to augment my 10 Mature hens.
At some point during this afternoon something killed and carried off 1 Adult Hen and perhaps 29 6 week old chicks ( some Meat birds some hens). The missing adult hen is confusing as it is full sized and wouldnt be dragged under the fence easily.

These chickens are housed at night, and are behind electric net during the day. I found a spot along the electric net where the bottom (non Electric) strand was chewed thru or cut. I dont recall the fence having any damage before, I am thinking that this is where the intruder entered.

There were 6 bodies around the chicken yard. Several had small bite marks near where the neck and body come together on the top part of the chicken. No feathers seemed to be disturbed, the chickens were just lying on the ground kind of stretched out with some puncture marks.

The rest of the chicks are just gone. Im not sure if maybe they ran thru the fence to get away, or were killed and carried off. There is little sign of struggle of any kind in the fence or in the field surrounding the fence. I havent found any unusual feathers or tracks.

I have had few issues with predators to date and kind of saw the electric net as a strong deterrent. Perhaps I have gotten a bit less rigorous at making sure the fence is all the way to the ground.

I do have Possum, Skunk, Fox, Raccoon, Possum, coyote, hawk and an LGD who is young but pretty well trusted with the chickens. The dog was not in with the chickens and isnt a fan of the electric fence.


The fence was hot and 3500 volts when I tested it prior to discovering all the dead/missing birds.

Any thoughts on my predator would be appreciated.

Thanks John

 

[HeyBigRhondaq]

I lost birds early this spring to what we believe was a weasel. It left a distinct "sweet skunk" smell. The wounds were almost vampire-like. They were simply killed, not consumed. It was a horrific scene.

Maybe something (weasel or not) killed them, and then something else (owl or hawk) took the remains. Regardless, I feel for you. It's not fun to raise them (whether you get attached or not) and then have your pets (or hard work) ripped away from you.

 

[ivan3]

A Red Fox (or breeding pair of Red fox). Our neighbor, several years ago, had her 13 Silver Laced Wyandotte pullets out in the yard for the first time. She said that she stepped inside to cut up a watermelon and clean some grapes for them. In approx. 15 min., all 13 pullets were gone (a few feathers). She happened to catch sight of one of the foxes disappearing into the field behind their house.
I walked our tree line the following day. Found 13 piles of nothing but feathers spread out under two Cedars (they like to cache their kills - good place to start hunting den). The following evening I just started checking the bases of Oak and Hickory snags and banks along drainages in our woods. I found the den and that was that.

The Reds, here, are brazen and will try to snatch up chickens even with humans in the vicinity. When I brush cut clearing around house and woods out back I always leave a couple of `noses' of Multifloral Rose/Gooseberry/Poison Oak/Ivy/Amur Honeysuckle. I trim most of the foliage at the base of the plants in those `noses'. The Reds will think they are hiding, but if the chooks or turkeys start to act worried I just pick up the .22 and swing the barrel to those aiming points (Fox just don't learn). Have shot more than I've snared and have snared more than I've taken in live traps.

Reds will adjust their schedules to whatever time the chooks are most available for the taking.

Good luck.

 

[jturbo68]

Went out and restrung the electric net this morning and inspected the chicken carcases.

I repaired the broken bottom strand. Hard to tell if it was chewed, but I suspect it was as had another spot where it was almost gone.

Most all of them seemed to have a pair of puncture wounds where the wing
meets the neck area. Whatever was into them grabbed them in pretty much the same way each time.

A couple of them were Bluish/Yellow, on the body. Not sure if this is just rigor setting in. No odor that I noticed.

My Adult hens are black, and I found a few small clumps of black around the pen.
The Young ones are red, but no signs of feathers around that I have found yet.

Guess well see how today goes

Thanks for your help.

 

[ivan3]

Don't know ht. of netting, but Reds can easily clear 4' fencing. The description of wounds is consistent with fox.

 

[jturbo68]

Thanks,

I know there are FOX around, just have never been a problem til yesterday.
Im fairly sure that they went under, Ive restrung the Electric net leaving no space > 1" from earth to the 1st electric strand.

LGD is spending the day with the chickens also.

Thanks everyone

 

[JackE]

I use electrified poultry net(Premier) to protect my birds too. I've had the netting set up, going on four years. I have A LOT of fox around here. They don't even approach the fence anymore. They stand well off and all they can do is watch the chickens. You say your voltage is at 3500Vs? That is low, my fence is at 7000Vs, it may be even higher, but that is the max reading on my fence tester. I've read, that if the fence's charge is too low, predators WILL challenge the fence, and just go over, or under it, and just take a weak fence's hit. You should have at least 5000Vs with the fence. What kind of charger do you have. If its a good charger, then maybe you have a bad electrical ground setup with the fence, maybe you need more ground rods(I have three with my fence). I know one thing that will suck the juice out of electric netting, and that would be if the bottom hot wire is caught up under one of the fence's posts, where the fiberglass post ends, and the metal ground spikes begin. If that happens, the hot wire will directly ground out against the post's metal spikes. This can easily happen when first installing the fence, or when moving the fence for maintenance, like cutting the grass. I've seen with my own fence, that one bottom hotwire strand caught, will cut the fence's charge in half.

 

[jturbo68]

I am using Premier PoultryNet 4x50 foot sections and the PRS100 Charger and one 3' rod.

It is most probable that I just left too much space at the bottom of the net. Once the animal chewed the bottom string, there was probably a 6" space available.
Conditions were moist/rainy at the time of the issue which had lowered the voltage. I just didnt give them enough credit for ingenuity after 18 months of no incidents!
Just wish the result wasnt so drastic for my mistake!

Right now the fence is at 6400 volts now that it is drier. I have a 1 Joule charger, but it will not stay over 5000Volts if its wet.

Im glad to know that you have had good success with the premier electronet as it has been good for me as well. I have lost one or two birds prior to now, but from Hawks, which
the fencing cant do much about.

 

[JackE]

I am using Premier PoultryNet 4x50 foot sections and the PRS100 Charger and one 3' rod.

It is most probable that I just left too much space at the bottom of the net. Once the animal chewed the bottom string, there was probably a 6" space available.
Conditions were moist/rainy at the time of the issue which had lowered the voltage. I just didnt give them enough credit for ingenuity after 18 months of no incidents!
Just wish the result wasnt so drastic for my mistake!

Right now the fence is at 6400 volts now that it is drier. I have a 1 Joule charger, but it will not stay over 5000Volts if its wet.

Im glad to know that you have had good success with the premier electronet as it has been good for me as well. I have lost one or two birds prior to now, but from Hawks, which
the fencing cant do much about.

I would get at least one more ground rod, two would be even better. They don't cost that much, and they help the fence be more effective. Are you keeping the grass cut back under the fence line? I know, with my fence, if the grass is not kept cut back, ESPECIALLY when everything is damp from the rain, voltage will be lost. But if the grass is kept cut back, the fence doesn't lose voltage. If anything, it bites harder. I know it can be a pain to keep up with cutting that fence line grass. What I ended up doing, is spraying the fenceline with Roundup. I know a lot of people don't like it, but it sure makes things easier than moving 650' of fence, mowing and then moving the fence back, and properly getting it tight and back in position. Another thing you do, for where there are gaps at the bottom of the fenceline. I just use short, straight piece of a tree branch, maybe 6 to 8" long, that has a smaller branch, like 1 to 2" long attached. I use pieces like that to pin my fence down, where there are gaps. As the very bottom strand of the fence is not charged, this doesn't effect the fence's voltage at all. But nothing, not even a snake, will get under, and through. And I know that for a fact, because week before last, I saved a 6' blacksnake from certain death. He was all wrapped up in the fence, just getting zapped. He must have just got wrapped up in there before I showed up, because he was still alive. I turned the fence off and got him out of it, and set him back by the treeline, after a bit, he crawled on out of there.

 

[jturbo68]

I tend to move the chickens and coop every week to new pasture. THe Grass can grow a bit during the week between trimming and when the next
paddock is setup. Perhaps a stronger energizer is the answer as my setup doesnt really lend towards roundup or mowing more often.

Thanks for all the ideas.