How did a predator get your chickens?

[patman75]

I was just curious on what is the most common cause of chickens getting killed. Not so much which predator caused the death but how the predator got them.

Example:
Free Range death
Chicken wire did not stop predator
Dug into coop
Decapition through welded wire
left coop open overnight
Unsecure coop or run, explain
Etc...

I'll keep a running tally. Thanks for you input, hopefull we can all learn from it.

Latest update..

4 Free ranging deaths
2 Chicken wire did not stop predator
2 predator reaching through wire
1 Unsecured coop
1 Left the coop open
1 electric fence malfucntion.
1 Dug under fence

 

[A.T. Hagan]

Mostly free range casualties - dogs, coyotes, foxes, and raptors.

Once a hot wire charger failed and a coon picked that night to get in.

Had a coon reach through wire to kill some Silkies once.

Had a coon tear through chicken wire once.

Those are all that I can recall from over the years.

 

[DDRanch]

I've lost one to my dog and 2 to red tailed hawks.

 

[Morgan7782]

I lost a Barred Rock hen while free ranging to a foster dog

Only one so far thank gosh

 

[ranchhand]

Once, because I didn't make SURE the gate was closed.
Once, digging under.
Once, when a hen flew into my dog yard.


I've taken care of those things now, but there's always another pred lurking in the woods.

 

[darkmatter]

Quote:
Answer: All the above, except "Dug into coop" (deep buried brick foundation) See my BYC page for coop/run pics. I once had a hen that insisted on sleeping out in the run, one morning the remains were high in the top of the tree and the next night the remains were finished off-----Owl maybe? What carries a 8 pound hen to the top of a tree (the mulberry tree in my run pics) eats half one night and the other half the next night?

 

[patman75]

So far we have...

4 Free ranging deaths
2 Chicken wire did not stop predator
2 predator reaching through wire
1 Unsecured coop
1 Left the coop open
1 electric fence malfucntion.
1 Dug under fence

Lets keep them coming. Unfortunately

 

[J3172]

2 ducks while free ranging, takin by owl.
3 young chicks to raccoon, they were poled through the cage

 

[rcentner]

7 free range (morning).... fox attack, idk if they all got killed and taken from the property or if some ran off and were lost and killed by the fox or hawk or whatever else. Only 1 out of 8 missing chickens returned after that incident

 

[Oven Ready]

All Free Range

In order of 'Most Wanted'

These ones really annoy me
Numerous - Dogs
Numerous - Cats

These ones I don't mind so much
A few - Hawks
A few - Snakes
A few - One Nasty Hen
Only One - Monitor Lizard
Two - Falling Tamarind Seed - they are about the same size as a week old chick - they even hurt me when they hit my head
Only One - Falling Mango Fruit
Only One - Drowning in water bowl

This one just made me feel bad
Only One - Our Truck - Why do chickens sleep under cars and not get out the way?


We've not had any predator penetrate the coop when the door is closed. We have two coops, one is used as a dog/cat trap at night with a spring closing door and we've not had any dogs or cats get out of the trap....
....alive.

I'm sure glad we don't have raccoons round here, from what I can tell from the horror stories I've read on BYC they seem worse than dogs.