If chickens are attacked at night......?

[DDRanch]

Will they squawk? I know this sounds like a dumb question, but last night, for the 1st time in 10 years, we saw a big raccoon wandering through our field just before sunset.

I believe my coop and pen to be quite predator proof...but have read about the strength and cleverness of raccoons. I am in No CA in the country, but not the "wilds". I locked my girls in the coop last night but they were not happy having to wait for me to let them into the run this morning.

I can hear my chickens in my bedroom, so if something, God forbid, does get in and attacks them at night, will I hear it? Do sleepy chickens react when threatened?

Last night, about 3am, 2 animals were fighting, screaming and growling just outside our bedroom window under the pines. I could not identify the sounds but immediately thought of the raccoon.

Well, that's my question. Thanks.

Anne

 

[thechickenchick]

Thats a good question. I am curious too. I have heard of people putting baby monitors in their coops. My hubby , very firmly says NO WAY! So I don't have a baby monitor in my coop!

 

[Wolf-Kim]

If I go mess with my chickens in the middle of the night(counting), they don't make any noise at all. Even if I pick them up and move them. The I have heard mine make in the night is small cooing noises and that's it.

-Kim

 

[Dodgegal79]

If its dark and they get grabbed, they usually don;t make any noise. I am having raccoon problems right now, and my ducks let me know when they are in the yard. Ducks can see at night fairly well. I have the chickens penned up and the ducks running free, but they have a little pen were the sleep, with the gate open. That way they can escape from the raccoon. They also run out screaming and run around the yard in circles screaming, so it wakes me up and I can go out and chase them off. I can't see at night since my laser eye surgery so i can't shoot at them, but they havent come back for the last 3 nights now.

 

[greenmulberry]

When I had my late night predator attack, we woke up because the chickens were making such a ruckus with alarm squawking. Our coop is also near the bedroom, and we heard the commotion. There was a mink on a killing spree.