Losing Chickens With Electric Fence

[Chelsa'sChicks]

Went away for the weekend and come back to one of my pens compromised.

The pen has no top ( work in progress ) but is 6ft tall welded wire with 3 strings of electric wire around the base that really packs a wallop. I was honestly surprised something was able to climb the wire without touching any of them. Here's a pic.

View attachment 1435582
Most of the fence is more snug to the welded wire than where I took the pic. Less of a gap between them.

Today I added a new wire at chest level. The top will be on the pens by the end of the week.

I'm thinking a raccoon did it. Nothing dug into the pen and it doesn't look like a bird kill. The two bodies were found still in the pen, the heads and some of the torso eaten. The wings were also torn off and gnawed. The birds are young and still like to sleep in piles. It looked like the kill took place at the pile and then they were dragged under the coop ( its on legs ) and eaten there. I'm grateful it didn't kill them all in one shot but it looks like one died Saturday night and then another last night. I'm also missing two young silkies entirely from the next pen over which is the same setup.

I'm getting ready for tonight. Hoping the extra wire above will help. I'm setting up a trail camera. Does this sound like a raccoon? I can't imagine a opossum doing all this but I'm honestly surprised it didn't kill everyone in there. There's a Tom turkey in a third pen next to them, they are all connected. The Tom was left alone.

I agree with you it was a racoon. They can and will climb. Racoons also always leave the body and always eat the head/neck and croup. WI gs could be ripped when the bird trying to escape and the racoon hanging on. I feel, though I've not seen your fence in person. . that a racoon could squeeze by those electric wires and go unscathed. They are kinda like huge ferrets how they can twist and shape themselves.
Sorry for your loss

 

[Soon2BChixMom]

It was a huge owl. Great Horned Owl.

Did you have the aviary netting up when the owl got in?

 

[happyfrenchman]

Racoon would have killed everyone first time. I am waiting for the pics of the owl on the game cam.

 

[Chelsa'sChicks]

Racoon would have killed everyone first time. I am waiting for the pics of the owl on the game cam.

I have had a racoon kill one only as per my camera and evidence of 1 body. I have had opossum kill 3 in a night.. depends on how hungry they are.

 

[DyingPhoenix]

Ok here's pics of the gap.
This is the biggest gap. I couldn't get my foot in there sideways if I tried. It's a little wider by the pole.

Here's what the rest of it is like.

 

[Chelsa'sChicks]

I love your set up. I do think in the first pic a racoon could slip by where your post is...he could rub on that all night. Set up a game camera if you have one. The second picture looks real good and close. You did a great job with it!

 

[DyingPhoenix]

I will see after tonight. I'm moving all of the pullets I want to keep to a secure pen as soon as it gets dark enough and last night's kill is going back in the pen in the open with a game cam overlooking both it and the outside fence perimeter.

 

[Chelsa'sChicks]

Just be ready to catch it.. on day 3 as it will come back since he is getting fed same spot 2 days in a row.

 

[DyingPhoenix]

Well if it is a coon, he will have a nice surprise of wire that's higher up now.

 

[centrarchid]

Cover I use against owls is very light, simply deer netting that last at least 4 years.

Dismembering is not a typical owl habit, but the predators are not obligated to follow procedures / descriptions posted on internet. This could still be a raccoon, just smart enough to jump past the hot-wire. That is not a high probability, but not impossible either. Another characteristic of a raccoon kill involves feathering that have a decidedly wet appearance that is not restricted to area of consumption. The raccoon will roll food item around a lot as consuming it. Wetness associated with owl consumption either not apparent or concentrated around consumption site.

Game came pics will be more informative. Carcass needs to be left in place until you have perimeter secure. That has saved many a chicken for me as I trouble shoot exclosure.