Just when you think you’re safe...

[WhyDoILikeChickens]

You’re not. We’ve had chickens for almost 3 years and have lost a couple to hawks here And there unfortunately. We thought our coop and run were like Fort Knox until early this Morning when i got a text from my daughter (Waiting for the bus at 6:50am) that the chickens were freaking out. It wasn’t quite light out. I ran outside and they were all terrified and one of my original girls, an Easter egger was dead, half eaten and pulled partially through the fence. She was our biggest chicken and best layer. Prints in the Snow appear to be raccoon prints and I’m now on guard for sure. I always look to the skies but now enemies are everywhere. We are too close to other houses to shoot, but am getting trail cams tomorrow and if I see anything, hubby will get his .22 out regardless. We have a Great Dane and a Saint Bernard who share the same hard so I really thought their smell would deter any predators

Same story for me. Had 7 birds and in a single weekend lost 5. Tightened up run area and ended up leading 2 raccoons, 3 possum, 2 skunks, and 1 biggest cat I ever saw to their demise. Girls were traumatized for a month, and I was too. Several months after things were going well then found 1 of my 2 girls same as yours. Something couldn't get in so it pulled her head through a crack and ate what it could reach. The other hen was pecking at the remains.

 

[Monkeysmom5018]

I doubt the lost bird was captured through the fence. More likely, even a good sized coon could have gotten past the corner openings in the chain link gate pictured in post #19. So maybe nabbed her off the roost, then was taking it out and got stopped at the gate. If it was a coon, that insulation board wouldn't last as long as it took you to put it up. As to why it hasn't been back, this time of year coons often den up during a cold snap.

Chain link gates......the types with the rounded corners always leave holes in the corners.....all 4 corners. Folks would be shocked at how easy it is for even good sized predators to go through those. For a mink or weasel, they wouldn't even slow down.

And what is covering the triangle directly above the gate?

All openings are covered with welded wire. There’s no way the raccoon got into there run or coop, There are no places where the wire is broken or pulled away, and the only prints in the snow were outside the run. The insulation is still up and being held there with a super heavy pipe.

 

[hayley3]

All openings are covered with welded wire. There’s no way the raccoon got into there run or coop, There are no places where the wire is broken or pulled away, and the only prints in the snow were outside the run. The insulation is still up and being held there with a super heavy pipe.

Howard meant the corners circled in red. I don't see welded wire there, is it there and the photo is just not showing clear enough to see it? Anyway to me that looks like a big enough opening for a raccoon to go through. Just trying to help.

 

[Monkeysmom5018]

Oh! Yes, there’s welded wire and chicken wire at those corners I appreciate the help! Every time i hear a chicken squawk i go running outside

 

[hayley3]

What's the purpose of the board there?...did you say that's insulation?

And yeah I know, I am like a hawk watching my chickens.. at the slightest noise I run out there. LOL

 

[Cryss]

Yeah i know, thus the welded wire behind it. Regardless, it pulled my girl through the chain link.

Anything larger than 1/2 inch square can let a raccoon reach through. Chickens are curious. Grandson brought home a very active young dog, a Parsons Russell. He runs right to the run to look and bark at the chickens. What did the chickens do? Did they run away? Did they hide? No. They came right up, nose to nose at the fence with the dog. Your bird probably did the same thing with the raccoon. 1/2 inch hardware cloth is the answer. I’d close the pop door until I was able to add it. I also use chain link but it V is covered, sides, roof (raccoons climb), and 2-3 foot wide apron. My coop sits on pallets that are first covered with HC to keep out diggers and chewers. Then it too has an apron. The bottom 4 feet of the coop has HC between the frame and the outside walls so nothing can chew through there either. Every vent and gap is covered with HC. Trust me HC is your best friend.

 

[cmom]

Thank you for everyone’s responses! So far so good, haven’t seen the raccoon come back. I borrow 2 trail cams but i just have to figure out how to set them up lol. We used to close the pop door at night, but now we have a tiny coop (an eco flex ) in the run where 4 chickens and 2 broodies sleep at night.

I have 10 cameras up on my property. If you need some help setting them up, post a picture of the cameras and maybe I can help.

 

[cmom]

Same story for me. Had 7 birds and in a single weekend lost 5. Tightened up run area and ended up leading 2 raccoons, 3 possum, 2 skunks, and 1 biggest cat I ever saw to their demise. Girls were traumatized for a month, and I was too. Several months after things were going well then found 1 of my 2 girls same as yours. Something couldn't get in so it pulled her head through a crack and ate what it could reach. The other hen was pecking at the remains.

 

[cmom]

Oh! Yes, there’s welded wire and chicken wire at those corners I appreciate the help! Every time i hear a chicken squawk i go running outside

From the picture you posted it's hard to see any welded wire in the corners of what looks like a gate with the board over it, especially the unhinged side. If the wire can be pushed in any, the coon can squeeze through. It looks like the coon could get behind the board even though there is a pipe against it. Our daughter recently had a coon get into their coop. Luckily it didn't kill any birds but did do some damage to the comb of one of the birds. It climbed the wire and made a gap between the wire where it is at the roof and squeezed through. Their pit bull went out and the coon got out and ran off. They fixed the gap so the coon couldn't get in again.

 

[Monkeysmom5018]

What's the purpose of the board there?...did you say that's insulation?

And yeah I know, I am like a hawk watching my chickens.. at the slightest noise I run out there. LOL

It’s insulation. We use it as a windbreak sometimes.
We’re getting hardware cloth today and putting that all around the bottom 2-3 feet of the run depending on what the store has.