lost another one today :(

[Red jungle fowl88]

i woke up this morning to find my old english game bird hen missing there was blood on the chicken wire and here little ankle tag was there but she was gone and no sign of her white feather any were either???? wondering what could of took her and were he grabbed her from there no sign of force entry or entry of any sort.... really confused and wondering what happned.
as you can see in the pic she is very little

 

[Kittymomma]

Raccoons can and will pull them out right thru the wire.

I'm sorry! If you can run some hardware cloth around the bottom (3' or so) part of the run. It's best to do the whole thing with the hardware cloth, but it can get expensive.

 

[PandoraTaylor]

so Sorry for your loss

 

[ozark hen]

So sorry, but you said, when you woke up you found her gone? That says you don't lock them up at night? Not that it can't happen in the daytime but if you wait till the sun is completely up then turn them loose into their run you might have better luck. My run is chickenwire only on parts of it but they have a coop to go into at night. Plus I keep a few turkeys around to help prevent air attacks. coons and possums (around here) tend to come around not long after dark and before complete daylight. I am so sorry as I know it is hard to loose them.

 

[Red jungle fowl88]

So I went to pick up some family thanksgiving food around 4:30 am and around 5:10 am on my way home I spotted three young looking cats lurking around the new run and coop I threw rocks at them couldn't get the riffle out in time?
My question is... I wonder if they are th ones who tookthe head o my rooster and ate some of him and completly took my little hen

 

[Kittymomma]

Maybe, but I kind of doubt it. Cats, especially young ones don't usually bother chickens (chicks though....) The cats are probably more interested in the rodents that always seem to want to hang around coops and barns. I'm a bit biased since I like cats, but what happend to you really does seem more likely to be a raccoon.

 

[gsim]

Sounds like a coon to me. Kittymomma is right. Hardware cloth is the way to go, especially if all you have is chicken wire. Dogs, coyotes, and coons all can tear chicken wire apart or even chew thru it. Coons dismember, then drag/rip each dismembered body part thru chicken wire or welded wire fencing. It is their signature kill. Chicken wire stops chickens, rats, rabbits and maybe weasels.

 

[Red jungle fowl88]

I wonder if there wild cats???? Becouse ther nobodys pet cats??? I have plywood 5ft high all aroud the cooop and hardware cloth on the roof now so they should be ok right?

 

[juliawitt]

We have feral cats that like to watch the run/coop.....the chickens run up to the fence and a stare off ensues. However, not even one feral cat has been brave enough to do more than watch. 18 5 pound chickens are just TOO much for one kitty! I like to call it......Kitty TV!

 

[Bizzybirdy]

Cats will not do that kind of kill, in fact they very seldom kill chickens. I have nine outside cats and have a stray "visitor" now and then and none of them would consider taking on one of my hens, let along one of my roos.

You seem to have a RACOON problem! They will pull a chicken through a fence piece by piece. Run a hot wire around your pen and lock your chickens up at night. Mr. Raccon will be back soon and maybe bring a few family members for another chicken dinner.