I'm totally numb

[panner123]

BEAR........only animal that will eat that much and do all the damage you said was done.

 

[Mac in Wisco]

el chupacabra...

 

[FluffyChickenMama]

I have a friend that lives in Va and she just told me not an hour ago about how bad the bears are there this year and there is apparently a rouge bear where she lives and they havent found it yet.. she wont even go out on the porch at night now..wont let the dog out or anything..

 

[mom'sfolly]

I'm thinking bear too. It's kinda scary to think about; they definitly come back to where they have found food before. I once saw a black bear climb a huge oak tree, as fast as a squirrel. It was a wakeup call for me, I just didn't know they could go that fast straight up.

Sorry about your chickens. What an aful thing to come home to.

 

[thndrdancr]

A badger would be very powerful too, but not sure you have those in your neck of the woods. We dont have too many around here, but the ones we do have, you want to stay away from. I just cant think what could do that kind of damage either, coons can get pretty big when they are an old boar too, and mighty strong.
Sorry for your loss and here is hoping you get whatever it is.
Jill

 

[Wooden_Pony]

Do you have Mountain Lions??

They are STRONG and FAST!!

When I was little we had on come onto our ranch and she pulled our newly born foal over an 8 ft solid wall of our round pen!!!!

My Dad could not grab his shot gun fast enough to get her, she can back every couple of nights and picked off goats, sheep, and a calf.

I remember my Dad sitting out there waiting for her for hours. She would not show up so he would come inside and wouldn't you know it as soon as he came in she would show up and take another animal.

Sorry to hear about your chickens!! We just lost one to a hawk the other day. To loose them all in one day would be horriable.

 

[silkiechicken]

Maybe it was a bear, but if so I would expect that the outside fencing would be damaged. I was thinking coon because it may have rolled the waterer around to get a the water to eat the chickens.

 

[LynnGrigg]

Hi Mark, Gosh I'm so sorry! I'd be numb too! We have some property in Buckingham county. It's a bear. They're on the rise and the state has bear season now. We've had two killed(not by us) on the property and have found the prints of two others. We also have bobcats and foxes but a bear did the damage on your place. Bobcats wouldn't have bothered your feeders. I'm not sure there much of a method to keep them out in the future except perhaps an electric fence. Once again, my sympathies and good luck in the future. Lynn

 

[bantymum]

Mark, How are you now?
I hope you are feeling less numb. I would also try an electric fence and flour tracks before that to check the id of the predator.
remember he doesnt see your precious girls in the same light as you, he sees an easy meal.
Good luck
Helen

 

[MarkR]

Feeling a little less numb, a little angrier, and a little more understanding.

On the way to lowe's after work to work on building a more solid roof for the coop and run. I have an electric wire running on three levels, which is why whatever it was had to climb a cherry tree and jump through the netting to get in. I'm trying to decide how much I like that tree. It's not producing fruit lately (has some kind of gaul problem), so it's not like I'm wanting it for fruit, but I'm hesitant to take out any tree unless I have a good reason. This might be a good reason. It did provide a lot of shade for the coop, though.

Well, I have a full day of teaching to do first.

Mark