Lost all my chickens tonight!

[schellie69]

Sorry for you loss, it does sound like a dog.

 

[zoo357]

I am so sorry. I can imagine how you feel.....

 

[flowergirl60]

So sorry this happened.

I think a web cam is the way to go.

 

[P-Funk]

That sounds horrible. If they are safe in the rafters then I agree it's a dog. I called animal control yesterday when I caught the neighbor dog trying to dig its way into the barn. It's already killed my Black Star and left her dead on the front porch. Once they get a taste for birds they will keep coming back. Douglas County Animal Control said 'just shoot it'. I had them go talk to the neighbor instead.

 

[joyous]

I run an electric rope around the base of my coop and turn it on when they go in at night. Anything nosing around gets quite a shock and leaves! So sorry for your loss!

 

[Bengalcats1]

I agree for Sure it has to be a dog, they kill for sport and most of the time hardly leave a mark, they are fast and furious......so sorry for your loss and keep a close eye out cause he will be back!

 

[andrew6d9]

whatever killed them needs to be killed. it was probably a dog. if you see that dog it needs to be put down and sorry for your loss

 

[KlaHaYa Gardens]

Quote:
Although everyone BUT me thinks this is a dog, I do not, for the reasons you mentioned. (Please see my previous post with links and information.)

Yes, weasels and minks are around in your area. A rat infestation or a rat shortage (when the weasels/minks/fishers have been feasting on rats) can prompt a weasel to go after your chickens.

When you inspect the chickens more closely, try to determine how they were killed. Are their skulls crushed?

Do, please let us know what you learn.

 

[Chicken Delight]

So sorry. I lost my entire flock to a dog that ate the side off my coop at night so I understand your pain.

 

[chkndoodl]

Ok. So update on the carnage of last Sat night. There were chickens dead everywhere - in their room of the coop, in the big chickens room, and outside in the two pens, outside each room. There ended up being 5 babies still alive (out of 33) - hiding - I don't know where. Maybe under bodies of others. At least 2 of those outside were eaten almost completely - skin,feathers, heads gone. Just feet and feathers and some entrails left. You couldn't even tell what killed the others - no wounds at all. One of the areas the animal had to get through was quite small and narrow - a passageway maybe 8" wide and 14" high. and the pen outside that passage is quite secure - hurricaine fence wuth chicken wire inside, and netting over the top. The chicken wire actually runs down the fence and over the pen floor (dirt) but has grass growing up thru it so it's almost "buried" under a small layer of growing grass and roots. Anyway ------ I don't know ALL the dogs in the neighborhood, but they are PRIMARILY big dogs. I've never in 15 years seen a small dog running around in these fields. Certainly anyof thedogs I have seen are capable of killing a bunch of chickens, but not of getting thru that space. I've never seen a weasel or mink here at all, but realize that doesn't mean they're not around. We have had an occasional rat. Do weasels eat eggs? Cuz we HAVE had some egg eating happenong lately in mid day.

I'm thinking a live trap might be in order, but I'm not sure how one gets their hand on the right thing for weasel/mink trapping. And what do I do if I catch a weasel? I don'treally want to kill it, but obviously don't want to give it a chance to do anything likethis again.......Also, several people mentioned a"webcam" - how would I do that? I don't mean to seem dumb - but does it transmit to the web? Is it on all the time, or triggered by motion? Who can I go talk to to help me set something like this up? Since whatever-it-was was EVERYWHERE, where do I point the camera?

I desperately want to try to replace a few of my chicks, but I am so worried about not being able to keep them safe. There is always a certain attrition rate with chickens, but this was WAY beyond my ability to take it in stride as "part of the game". One here, two there, - I've come to expect that with free range chickens (and owls, hawks, coyotes, foxes, racoons, apparently weasels all in the vicinity) but not 20 some odd in a couple hours....I don't want to always keep them penned cuz that's not nice for them, but letting them out and leaving access to their coop for preditors obviously has its risks....

Any input or advice is welcome. And thank you all for all your condolences - it really did help to read them Sunday morning. I didn't seep very well cuz I kept waking and thinking about them - and your kind words were very realy appreciated. This is going down in history as the "Mother's Day Massacre" at my house ----Thank all y'all!