Lost another girl :(

Fordblondi

In the Brooder
May 24, 2018
10
1
17
Hey all I'm new to the chicken world and I love my babies a lot. However, today I lost another one. I had them in the coop and I went in to check on them before tucking them in and found one of my girls with a wet neck(she was pretty much full grown). Im thinking this happened around 3 or 4pm. About a month ago I had the same thing happen. I am hoping this does not happen again!!
There coop has concrete all around it-doesn't look like anything tried to dig in, nothing got through the screen? I do not have a floor in my coop, but like I said I have concrete all around it and so I could see nothing dug in?

Also, I live in Florida just to give some insight.
 

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Is it possible you have had a snake in there? I think that is a big possibility in Florida...tried to swallow the poor girl and regurgitated her when she was too big. Unfortunately, I think this is common in areas with big constrictors.
 
They have chicken wire over those openings-I usually put boards up at night and opened them during day-the chicken wire is fully intact
 
Thank you, I was thinking that also. Also had a lady at tractor supply tell me it could have been the heat? I did have a rat snake which I removed in there days ago but he was very small- head as big as your finger.

How hot has it been? I'm in Arizona and my hens get hot and pant, but never have I lost one to the heat. I don't think she would have been wet either...
Definitely not your rat snake! Some decent sized snakes can fit through chicken wire...I bet that's what it is. It definitely looks too well sealed off with the wire to be any other predator.
 
I would replace your chicken wire with hardware cloth. The only thing chicken wire does is keep chickens in. Everything that wants your chickens will easily chew through chicken wire. Also- I would make sure you have a solid floor, whether at ground level, or if you bring it up a couple of feet. You may even consider laying down hardware cloth below the solid floor to make it harder to access.
 
Im not sure it was pretty hot, but not as hot as out there. I guess ill have to start building something else tomorrow :( Hopefully they will be ok tonight.

I have two big pekin ducks in there-youd think they would have killed it!???
 

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