Just Lost All 4 Hens, Help!

[Fire-Chicken]

Hello to all!
Thants right, I just lost all 4 of my hens to either a raccoon pack, or, a Florida Black Bear! They just started laying at 12 to 12 1/2 weeks, 3 chickens getting 1 egg on the ground and the other 3 eggs. What a sad start to the 4 th of July.

I am asking this question to South Floridians, specifically, but please, anyone else, jump in...I hope you all have good imaginations! (LOL) I'll try to post a pix of the coop later.

I have an elevated coop (like a stilt home), with a pen underneath. The pen (bottom) portion is 3' tall, 8' long, and 4' wide. The pen is protected by 1/4" welded wire and framed in with pressure- treated wood. The bottom is also enclosed with the same welded wire, to deter "digging dangers".

The intruders pulled the top-left corner of the welded-wire down and climbed in. (Remember, this is a stilt home coop, with the bottom being the pen). The girls were found within 3 feet of each other near the coop ( I couldn't locate the 4th hen).

First, Floridians, what's the consensus of what got to them?
Next, any good predator deterrent ideas, including improving the coops security? (Including exterior, mechanical means)

Sorry again for not having a pix readily available. I will try to post one later today. Thanks so much, in advance for your input!

Fire-chicken!

 

[Mattemma]

Not in Florida,but if it were me I would set out a trap today.Home depot havahart for $46. If you just want to see what is creeping you should get a game cam.In the least you are looking at $80 for one.If there is no rain in the forcast you could put some flour around the coop,and see the prints in the am.Not sure what you could put on the coop to pick up prints.

So sorry for your loss. I hope it is coons,which are easy to get rid off.No idea on the bear.Is it ok to shoot them? I watched enough animal planet shows and seen enough pictures of bear attacks that I would shoot first(if a bear was coming at me).

Hope you solve the issue soon and are able to get more hens.

 

[Lizard Feet]

so sorry.

 

[Rhoise]

Sounds like coons, how big was the hole? usually predators peal just enough to squeeze in, the bear would have gone for the feed for sure.... We sandwich our wire in between wooden frames to secure it from coons so they can't "peel" it back very easily(usually takes too much effort in one night, and we will notice damage in am), but a bear is just about impossible to deter if it wants to open something......I am so tempted to leave my coop door open for cooling in this heat but always lock the coop slider just for this reason. Bears are tough, they'll tear up a door if they want too. Had them rip the seat off a brand new snow mobile because they thought they smelled food in the compartment. (Insurance adjuster didn't believe it) I have learned not to keep food or anything that smells good to an animal in anything i don't want wrecked( this includes sunscreen, spices, chap stick). I absolutely don't leave food in the coop or run at night, lock it in metal cans and away from the chicks(they don't eat while roosting anyway, and it just turns into bait for predators and rodents)....So sorry for your loss that really really sucks!! Hope you catch the culprit and are able to secure things up to deter the next one....

 

[Fire-Chicken]

Thanks to all for your sympathies and responses thus far.

As for the bears here, they're protected. I don't know why because they're all over, like alligators and become acclimated to people very, very fast. But I did buy arrowheads with blunt tips (for my compound bow) for that purpose, this way I can smack them in the 'noodle', or, the 'can'. At 410 feet per second, that should give them a hurtin'.

I am an avid hunter (which is handy to rid the critters/predators), and, ironically, just took the "chicken cam" off of the tree (3 days prior), to take out to my hunting lease, because the bears bit into my other game camera, broke a battery, and acid ruined the circuit board inside.

What my plans (thus far) is, to get 4 more chicks (obviously), and to reattach the welded wire and add a second, sturdier layer, then frame / sandwich it in, as you suggested, Rhoise. Thanks for the advise. I'm also going to get a sturdier piece of plywood for the front drop-down door, as well as stronger hardware.

I may even add a solar, electric wire as a third defense. Any suggestions on that? Yes, no, size, type?

The food thing at night, well, I work for a fire department and I'm gone for 24 hours. That I need to keep status quo, but, again, thanks for the heads-up.

I do, however, have a really cool 30 video for a Florida Black Bear sniffing all 4 corners, then proceeding to the back yard. The Florida Bears are very lazy. They'll work at it only if they have to, and, we have neighbors on each side of us, to offer their garbage cans!!! I also have a still photo of a bobcat on the roof, one night.

Thanks again!
Fire-chicken

 

[Fire-Chicken]

Does anyone have any suggestions about the solar, electric wire? Brand, type, size, placement?

Also, about reinforcement of the current pen?

I'm looking for any great suggestions.

Thanks so much!
Fire-chicken