Lost 4 chickens already, I'm not sure what to do!

[SchatzelFlock]

I'm having the most bizarre problem. My chickens are free-range, but they all come back to their coop at night and are locked in. The problem is during the day something is happening. The first day we lost 3 chickens. I kept them in the coop because I was looking to trap whatever took them. I wasn't having much luck with the trap (I put some baked chicken in it and the chicken disappeared but the trap was never set off. After that I ran out of baked chicken so I put fish in and I've only managed to capture my cat after that). I let them out Saturday because they'd been cooped up for so long and somehow right under my nose I lost another one.

I really don't know what takes chickens during the day and I'm not sure what to do. The chickens love being free range but I'm thinking of making a yard for them for the time being. Does anyone know what takes chickens during the day? Would a rooster help? I know it's definitely not a hawk, but thats about it. Thanks for looking! I love my girls and I just want to make sure they're safe!

 

[Mehjr10]

It Could be a fox or coyote, a fox will run through snatch one stash it and come back for the next one.. Is your area surrounded by a fence row where you can look for spots where it is crossing?


Rooster will not help if it is a fox, it eats them also..

 

[SchatzelFlock]

Thanks for the reply. We don't have a fence right now, it looks like we're going to be putting one up though.

It's very possible it is a coyote. I thought I had seen a fox on the property a few weeks ago, but I was looking at the pictures and it turns out it was a coyote. It was during the day so I didn't think it was a coyote, but the page said young coyotes are out during the day. It makes sense because my initial thought was it was too big to be a fox and too small to be a coyote.

Will the fence stop the coyote? Or is trapping still the only option?

 

[Eggcessive]

I'll bet it was a fox, but raccoons, dogs, coyotes, oppossums, and skunks will kill chickens. I have had good luck with electric poultry fencing from Premier One. Kencove also sells it. The chickens won't go over it usually because they can't perch on top of it, but the predators are stopped.

 

[srm220]

maybe its a human... are there any feathers around?

 

[JackE]

Sounds like a fox. I lost a bunch of birds to them in the daytime. They are tough to catch in a boxtrap, but it can be done. Next time you bait the trap, try wiring (Bailing wire works great) the bait in the back. That way when the animal goes in to get his free meal, he'll have to tug and pull on the bait, making it a lot more likely he'll stomp all over the trigger plate and set off the trap door.
I'll second the idea of electrified poultry netting from Premier. I have 600' of it, and it has done a great job of protecting the flock for me.
Jack

 

[SchatzelFlock]

I'm working on getting the trap, we're borrowing a large havahart trap. Just got all the stuff for the electric fence materials as well! Thanks for all the help!

 

[Nicole01]

We thought our hens were being taken by fox, but that wasn't the case until we saw a coyote walk right up to our house with our children in our yard playing. This was at 1:30pm.

Also, dogs are notorious of killing chickens as well as hawks and eagles.

It's impossible to keep the flock safe while free ranging. The only way to protect them is to keep them locked up in a run.

I have 2 house dogs(an Aussie and golden) that will alert me when a dog enters our yard, but that's it.

We are eventually planning on fencing our property, but we own 4 acres and that's going to cost a bit of money. I've increased my flock in the mean time. I just can't keep them locked up 24/7. They love to free range.