Losing my babies

[50-45-1]

It does not matter if you live next to the woods or right in town. Racoons are everywhere.
A game camera will record what you actually have moving around your area when you are not looking. You might be suprised.
Your chickens need a secure place to sleep at night that keeps everything else out.
The chicken coop i have today is the result of many different preditors showing me where I had made a mistake in thinking it was "good enough"
I started out with an old shed and was contantly patching and fixing. Finally i drew out a plan on paper and my husband and i built a coop from reclaimed materials, including the old shed we had torn down.
Good luck with your chickens.
This is not your neighbors fault.

 

[KinnaChickie]

It does not matter if you live next to the woods or right in town. Racoons are everywhere.
A game camera will record what you actually have moving around your area when you are not looking. You might be suprised.
Your chickens need a secure place to sleep at night that keeps everything else out.
The chicken coop i have today is the result of many different preditors showing me where I had made a mistake in thinking it was "good enough"
I started out with an old shed and was contantly patching and fixing. Finally i drew out a plan on paper and my husband and i built a coop from reclaimed materials, including the old shed we had torn down.
Good luck with your chickens.
This is not your neighbors fault.

To be honest it is partially their fault. We have lived here 3 years and up to this year we have had chickens and no problems. He also was keeping the field cut. This year he decided not to and low and behold raccoons and snakes. They have a safe escape with the tall grass. I never until now had to cage them at night . We fixed the coop and put them up for the evening. A raccoon tried his hardest lol to get in. Finally they messed up and left a print in the mud so I know for sure it's a "trash panda". Lol.

 

[50-45-1]

Really, you are giong to blame your neighbor for NOT keeping HIS property up to your specifications and standards? In such a way that benefit your chicken hobby?
Maybe if you go over and offer to pay him for the time and expense of mowing his field. The wear and tear of his mower and tractor, give him a hourly wage for his time.
And as far as his piece of woods between you, maybe he likes having a buffer of trees and brush so he does not have to see or hear his neighbors all the time, or have them see him.
Maybe he is willing to sell you the woods and field, then you can do all that stuff for your self and see how easily its done.
All of that stuff you are blaming on your neighbor is insifinant. Coyotes and coydogs live in New York city. Caught on trafic cams all the time. Racoons, opossums, skunks are in most citys and towns. Snakes, rats, mice, hawks....all of them are present almost everywhere.
When YOU decided to get chickens it became your responsibily to provide and protect them, NOT anyone else. If you are looking for someone to blame, look in the mirror.
I am glad you fixed your coop and are not loosing anymore chickens.
Best of luck to you, and your neighbor.

 

[Elsveta641]

To be honest it is partially their fault. We have lived here 3 years and up to this year we have had chickens and no problems. He also was keeping the field cut. This year he decided not to and low and behold raccoons and snakes. They have a safe escape with the tall grass. I never until now had to cage them at night . We fixed the coop and put them up for the evening. A raccoon tried his hardest lol to get in. Finally they messed up and left a print in the mud so I know for sure it's a "trash panda". Lol.

We have a similar issue with the guy next door growing out a field for his cattle, it's right behind our chicken barn. Then he saw me saw me carrying several half eaten chickens to the burn pile and came and cut a wide boarder with his tractor. Unfortunately the animals still hide in the fields and come eat my chickens. We had a cat that was coming and killing the chickens for fun. Slaughtered my entire grow out pen. I was devastated, that pen had my only offspring from a very expensive and beloved rooster(my avatar picture). Cats and dogs both will kill for fun and not eat the entire carcass, or even take a bite. So keep a lookout for cats and dogs. Your picture looks a lot like the birds in my grow out pen did

 

[centrarchid]

Raccoon(s)

I will try to point out evidence for who I think did it. Red Fox, Gray Fox, Coyote and Bobcat would pack carcass off to be consumed elsewhere. If raptor you would like not have multiple kills with multiple also partially consumed even when spread about. If it were a hawk then you would see extensive evidence of feather plucking with feathers appearing dry. Owls are pretty consistent about eating head off leaving balance of body looking intact. Small predators like weasels and Mink do not eat that much. A raccoon, especially if multiple as sometimes involved, can eat quit a bit and leave remains usually near kill sight that have wet look, especially with feathers that are in close proximity to where carcass was consumed and even pulled feathers will look like they have been chewed on with sticky saliva before being spat out. Carcass can also leave that look but I have not seem them make multiple kills like shown.

Two things I would do immediately. First try to block access of critter doing killing. Then even put a light in there so chickens can see their attacker. Next put out traps using some of the chicken remains for at least some of the traps. If raccoons are naive to live traps, then you can catch a couple with those traps and they are good for baiting with the carcasses you have. A longer term trapping program can involve using the dog proof trap as linked below.

https://www.animaltrapsandsupplies....oBZHLlUt2pBrshX4tz__SK1yqhAz_d9RoC7nEQAvD_BwE

I have been using a combination of marshmallow and mustard sardines as bait. I like eating the extra bait sometimes so good for that too.

 

[centrarchid]

We have a similar issue with the guy next door growing out a field for his cattle, it's right behind our chicken barn. Then he saw me saw me carrying several half eaten chickens to the burn pile and came and cut a wide boarder with his tractor. Unfortunately the animals still hide in the fields and come eat my chickens. We had a cat that was coming and killing the chickens for fun. Slaughtered my entire grow out pen. I was devastated, that pen had my only offspring from a very expensive and beloved rooster(my avatar picture). Cats and dogs both will kill for fun and not eat the entire carcass, or even take a bite. So keep a lookout for cats and dogs. Your picture looks a lot like the birds in my grow out pen didView attachment 1852053

Picture looks very much like raccoon action.

 

[Elsveta641]

Picture looks very much like raccoon action.

Yes, that's what I thought it was at first. Then I caught the cat in the hayloft with a pile of chicken parts. I've been trying to catch it on camera, but I'm honestly running out of chickens to attract the predator :/ Right now the "trap pen" is baited with a man-fighter cockrel with the camera covering most of the pen. I dont want to give the cat away unless I'm sure its him doing it

 

[Irish1951]

So as a fearful chick momma my nightmares have came true. Im losing my flock. Seemed one by one they were being attacked. A few dragged through our privacy fence into the fields. We fixed the fence and nothing else happened for a few days. Low and behold today found my rooster chest and innards ate and a chick with innards one wing and head gone. What on earth is doing this? Has been raining and muddy yet there are no animal tracks. Any ideas?View attachment 1848916 View attachment 1848917

So sorry

 

[RhodeIslandRed5]

I would definetly set traps! I live in the woods to, and I hate our wildlife population. I trapped and relocated an armadillo last month. Traps are nice! Maybe you could consider getting a guard dog such as a Great Pyrenees.

 

[cmom]

I would put up a game camera if you have one. More than likely the predator has staked out your place and will keep coming back and you will know what you are dealing with. Years ago I used leg traps but more and more people are moving into our area. We are rural. People are buying land and building so now I have been using live traps. I bait them for a few nights and let the predators take the bait then I set the traps. I have had some incidental catches such as cats and a vulture. The predators here are not endangered and awhile back I talked to a wildlife officer and he said if the predators are killing my livestock I have the right to eliminate them them and I have. Here we have mostly coyotes which nothing preys on them but they will prey on other predators as well as livestock among other predators such as fox, coons, bobcats, etc and birds of prey. Good luck at finding out what is killing your birds.