Just lost most of my flock...

[Pent]

Something got into my run and killed three of my four birds. I know what the problem was and I've fixed it, but now I have a lonely chicken.
Its sad, and crushing, after all the months and dollars and time spent taking care of them, and piling on top of that is snarky remarks in reply to my looking for a hen to keep my remaining girl company. "Well maybe now you''ll get around to putting that latch on" among others, implying I don't deserve to have more chickens, because a predator got them.
It happens, i'm not the only chicken keeper to ever loose birds to a raccoon, or whatever it was. For the longest time I was screwing a board over the coop door every night, and removing it in the morning, but with a 10 month old son, I just don't have time to do that, so I let them have the run. I figured it would be more secure than free ranging, at least.
Anyone else have any stories about birds lost to predators, because of a stupid mistake?
(Molly's in the house now, I don't even want to put her back outside right now.)

 

[donnavee]

I thought all my chickens were locked up one night, but neglected to count them as I normally do. Turns out one was still out and there were feathers everywhere the next morning. Poor little thing, I still feel guilty but I learned a valuable lesson. Count, count, count.

Sorry for your loss and hope you find your girl a couple of friends soon.

 

[Wild Prime]

Its sad, and crushing, after all the months and dollars and time spent taking care of them, and piling on top of that is snarky remarks in reply to my looking for a hen to keep my remaining girl company. "Well maybe now you''ll get around to putting that latch on" among others, implying I don't deserve to have more chickens, because a predator got them.
It happens, i'm not the only chicken keeper to ever loose birds to a raccoon, or whatever it was.

Sad how rude people can be when you're only trying to improve your situation. This to me proves that you definitely deserve more chickens, because you're taking such good care of Molly.

My dad left our coop door open while he was gathering eggs and our German Shorthair got in and killed one bird and got a hold of another girl and broke her leg. Luckily the injured girl survived. She lived till she was 12 years old before she died.
Another time I let the chickens out to free range on our lawn and I forgot to tell the rest of my family that the girls were out and they let our dogs out. One of them got a hold of my favorite rooster, but luckily I got to the dog before he killed him. The rooster got most of his tail torn out but he was ok.

 

[plunk72]

I got wiped out in one night. Squirrels chewed through my top netting then the raccoons found the hole.

 

[Gallega]

Thats

...

Something got into my run and killed three of my four birds. I know what the problem was and I've fixed it, but now I have a lonely chicken. 
Its sad, and crushing, after all the months and dollars and time spent taking care of them,  and piling on top of that is snarky remarks in reply to my looking for a hen to keep my remaining girl company. "Well maybe now you''ll get around to putting that latch on" among others, implying I don't deserve to have more chickens, because a predator got them. 
It happens, i'm not the only chicken keeper to ever loose birds to a raccoon, or whatever it was. For the longest time I was screwing a board over the coop door every night, and removing it in the morning, but with a 10 month old son, I just don't have time to do that, so I let them have the run. I figured it would be more secure than free ranging, at least.
Anyone else have any stories about birds lost to predators, because of a stupid mistake?

(Molly's in the house now, I don't even want to put her back outside right now.) 
[/qThat's so sad. I'm sorry for your loss. I have squirrels that keep coming around and I'm airtime scares they will so the same. Thank you for sharing even though its painful love to Molly

 

[hrhta812]

I'm sorry for your losses. Just about every bird I've lost has been due to a stupid mistake on my part, so you're not alone. I get upset at myself every time. The most recent was the worst. We'd lost 4 hens in as many weeks and the remaining birds were acting spooky at dusk two nights ago. I should have put them a hard shell dog crate, as I had been doing, but I stupidly left them in the coop, thinking that since we had traps set out there, they'd be okay. Nothing in the traps and my rooster dead was what I found the next morning.

I feel terrible about it - he was such a nice roo. Last fall, I lost one EE that was just about laying age because I let her and sisters out into a makeshift pen area and she must have slipped and got caught between the scrap wood blocks, that my husband stacked in front of the coop, to be a staircase, and the fencing I had rigged up. Either she broke her neck in the fencing and then the older hens came over and pecked her, or worse to think about, she may have been pecked to death by them because she got stuck and was squawking. Either way, my fault. It's always something. You just have to do the best you can, learn from any mistakes, and keep going. Best wishes!

 

[WitchyAng]

Sorry for the loss you've experienced! We have been raising our first flock over the last couple months and have four family members taking care of the chicks. Of course we're all trying our best, but we've talked about the worst case scenario and have decided to forgive ourselves/each other if we make a mistake. I hope it never comes to pass...

 

[mkcolls]

I feel your pain. We lost 2 turkey poults to raccoon(s) that got into the barn through a small hole in the barn siding that was 10 feet from the ground. We felt awful, it was horrible to find and to imagine what those beautiful babies went through.

DH repaired the hole, and reinforced several other places that were not secure.

Two nights later we were away for dinner, came home in a downpour, all the birds were already in the barn so we fed & watered and closed up the barn. The next morning we found a frightened flock, still on roost and parts of 3 more turkey poults. Oh, and a raccoon that ran out as soon as we opened the door. From what we could tell the raccoon entered the barn during the rainstorm, hid and had a midnight terrorist snack.

Oh, and just so you know we trapped and buried 5 raccoons over the next 7 days.

Even now, 2 years later, we check the barn for predators every night, although with 3 very vocal roosters, and 2 very protective toms not too much goes on without notice from one or more of them.

We try our best, we live and learn and try not to repeat the things that cause harm. No one wants our chooks to suffer. Don't worry about the negative comments, no one is 100% safe with birds.

You are right to find your hen a companion or two, they don't do well alone. Good luck to you.