Lost half my flock

[keesmom]

Chicken wire won't be enough for a determined climber. We rolled out chain link over a kennel run and strapped that down with heavy duty zip ties and metal wire. A fisher still managed to peel back a corner and get in. You may want to consider an electric fence around the outside.

 

[guineapeeps]

Hello all! I'm devastated.. I just got back home from a couple days away and discovered 5/8 of my chickens missing. Feathers around the run suggest a struggle, but there's no blood or bodies anywhere. I thought the coop was pretty secure. I have a 6' tall chain link fence in a circle with one side being the wooden coop itself. I had a 7500 lumen double light that turns on at night to try to scare off predators, and bird netting over the top to stop any unwanted visitors. I can't find where anything would have entered, but alas 5 chickens are missing, including our favorite rooster. My wife is even more devastated.. the three that are left look terrified, and are hiding in the top of the coop which makes it even harder. My question: what do we do now? How can we support our presumably terrified chickens? And not that I can get any chickens currently since I live in NY, but should I get more? And on a side note: anyone have any good advice for consoling my wife as well? It wouldn't be as hard if I didn't know how devastated she was as well...

Thanks all!

Sorry for your loss! I’ve been there and done that whole thing with loss of a flock. It was under different circumstances, but it doesn’t matter how it happens, it’s never easy! As a female myself, I do think women tend to be more emotionally attached to their animals, so usually take it harder. I personally put my sadness to work by reinforcing my coop and trying to eliminate what predators I could. I would include her in helping to reinforce the coop, it may make her feel better knowing she is doing something to prevent future predation! And after your done predator proofing your coop, some new chicks may help your wife feel better as well!
I have to agree with many of the above posts....some sort of netting over the top of the coop, electric fencing, and fencing with very small holes so that things like weasels and mink cannot get in is a good start. The crime scene you found sounds like a raccoon to me since they left behind so many feathers. I found that fox and coyote tend to grab and go and other things, like raccoon, struggle at the scene before running off with the meal, leaving behind a trail of blood and feathers. Whatever it was will probably be back though, so be prepared for it to return for more of your chickens.
Don’t kick yourself too much....just make it a learning experience and make adjustments to protect the rest of your flock. It sounds like your ideas and plans are a good start towards that!

 

[Stargeer2]

To those who recommend electrifying the fence, how have you done it? My coop is not near any power sources, although I did run a 100' extension cord out to it for the heat lamp and for the "security" lights.. is there a solar option? And would it harm the chickens at all? Mine sometimes peck at taller grass outside the fence, and sometimes brush up against the fence when playing. And is there a way to do it economically? I'm definitely committed to securing the chickens, but don't want to go bankrupt while doing so... Then I wouldn't be able to feed them!

 

[guineapeeps]

To those who recommend electrifying the fence, how have you done it? My coop is not near any power sources, although I did run a 100' extension cord out to it for the heat lamp and for the "security" lights.. is there a solar option? And would it harm the chickens at all? Mine sometimes peck at taller grass outside the fence, and sometimes brush up against the fence when playing. And is there a way to do it economically? I'm definitely committed to securing the chickens, but don't want to go bankrupt while doing so... Then I wouldn't be able to feed them!

I’m certainly no expert on the subject, but I can tell you what I used which was relatively inexpensive. I Bought the cheapest, smallest charger that I could find since I didn’t have a huge area to cover and it seemed to deliver a fairly good jolt when I touched it. Mine was electric, but there are solar powered electric fencing; however, they are much more expensive. I bought wire and insulators which I ran along the outside of the coop about 10-12 inches up, because I was worried mostly about raccoons, since other things like fox or coyote couldn’t really get through my fencing. I also had wire netting on top of the run, so was not really worried about predatory birds and did not live near a source of water so had never seen mink or weasel. (Raccoons can be pretty sneaky and smart, so was worried they would climb the fencing and somehow get through the top netting, so they were my main target predator.) I did not have any power in my coop either so ran a heavy duty outdoor power cord to power it. Also, make sure you get the newer pulsing type of electric fence so that it doesn’t provide a constant shock to your chickens if they touch it. I do not think the fencing used that much power, but I cant say for sure since I only used the electric fencing if I was going to be out very late or gone for a few days and my birds needed to have the coop door open to the run. If I was home, I would lock them in the coop at dark and let them out during the day. I will post a picture below as to what mine was like. It was not the perfect or prettiest setup, but the only time I really lost many to predators were when they were free ranging in the yard. The fox and coyote would come into the yard in broad daylight and pick them off....they are relentless! I never had anything penetrate the electric fencing and get in while I was gone.
Hopefully others on here have more experience than me and can weigh in as well!
In the picture below, you can see the yellow insulators and wire about a foot up.

 

[Folly's place]

I'm so sorry for your losses, it's hard, and we've all been there.
Electric fencing is very useful against ground predators; Howard E on this site, and Premier1supplies both online and by phone, are great resources.
If you have bears, only very strong electric will deter them!
Consider having your survivors in a safer place for now; maybe a big airline crate in the garage?
Your coop needs some help too, in structure, size, and use padlocks on every door, not snaps.
Do you have a dig proof run? The hardware cloth is not secured well enough either, and the coop isn't well ventilated.
Sorry, but you asked...
Chainlink with chicken wire on top is better than no fencing, but again, not very safe.
Adding electric as a perimeter will be very good.
Rats and weasels won't care about the electric, so more will need to be done to keep them out.
Again, I'm so sorry.
Mary

 

[ocap]

To those who recommend electrifying the fence, how have you done it? My coop is not near any power sources, although I did run a 100' extension cord out to it for the heat lamp and for the "security" lights.. is there a solar option? And would it harm the chickens at all? Mine sometimes peck at taller grass outside the fence, and sometimes brush up against the fence when playing. And is there a way to do it economically? I'm definitely committed to securing the chickens, but don't want to go bankrupt while doing so... Then I wouldn't be able to feed them!

i bought electric fencing materials from Premier and KenCove as well as my local farm store. There is a solar option, my batteries lasted three years. My birds survived with a chicken wire roof but I saw a hawk on the wire several times. Snow and ice load will need to be considered if you have lake effect snows. Basically I tried to strengthen the system will each death because I couldn't justify the increased cost without another death. Finally I am satisfied with the risk.

 

[Trimurtisan]

I'm sorry to read about your flock. I don't have any advice in regards to security, but there is already some great tips being shared here.

I'd like to share with you whats recently been going on here with my flock though.

I lost 16 birds over a 2 week span. About half to illness, 1/4 to hawks, and 1/4 to raccoons. I took a complete crash course in "What happened to my birds?!" It was very difficult for me to handle. None of my chickens actually give me eggs or provide meat, their just pets. I love them with full on emotional attachment. My first death was my favorite Serama by a hawk just 2 feet in front of me. It put me in tears, and my wife was the one counseling me. Then my flock got smaller by the day from there. (including 4 of 5 guinea fowl too)

should I get more?

I think you should get more chickens. It might not be the right time, I'd work on the security aspect, but I encourage you to get more chicken. They are just wonderful to have, and amazing stress relief, dogs with feathers, and if you get the right chickens (something I have a problem with) they feed you too.

I don't know why you keep chickens, but with your wife so bothered from it, I would guess it's not to just throw them in the frying pan. I'd also guess you know how awesome they can be. Find ways to adapt, research not only proper security, but the predators themselves. Ask tons of questions here at BYC. The amount of experienced advice here is astonishing, and the people are too! What's good for the goose might not be good for the gander, but the crew here has tons of backgrounds, budgets, locations, and experience levels to draw from.

For me, most of my chickens where/are pretty small. At one time I had 19 chickens with only 2 being a large fowl breed. This is not my only problem (small easily picked off birds), but for me it is the biggest threat and easiest to address first. This is Nugget, a Serama pullet, and not my smallest chicken. You can see, they are no troubles for a hawk or raccoon to just snatch her.

I am restructuring my chicken flock. What Bantams that did not die where rehomed. I moved my Seramas inside the house (I'm not giving up on my favorite breed!). Then I researched breeds till my eyes cracked from lack of blinking. I want to know what breeds are predator savvy, what roosters will defend their flock the best, what breeds are just to big for hawks to carry away. I still haven't found a breed with night vision I could teach jujitsu to, but when I do, it'll help with the raccoons. Will my search criteria fix my problem? Maybe not, maybe so, but it's a fighting chance at least.

What I do know is I wanted to quit. I felt crushed. You can see in my thread, more than once I said "I can't handle taking lose like that", or "it just hurts to bad to deal with."
I'm still bothered by it. Izzy would cuddle up in my neck and take a nap while I'd sit and read. She would fly to and perch on me when I walked by. She was my favorite chicken, and also the first to get taken. I wholeheartedly miss her.

Still though, and I think most people here would agree, if it's something you love, you should continue to do it. Strive to make the living conditions safer. Educate yourself on the predators in your area. Get some new fluffy butts, and love them.

Our situations are not exactly the same, but I lost a lot of birds and I could have prevented almost every death. I just didn't know what to do, or what I was even doing wrong. I'm not going to quit though, and I hope you do not either.

 

[guineapeeps]

I'm sorry to read about your flock. I don't have any advice in regards to security, but there is already some great tips being shared here.

I'd like to share with you whats recently been going on here with my flock though.

I lost 16 birds over a 2 week span. About half to illness, 1/4 to hawks, and 1/4 to raccoons. I took a complete crash course in "What happened to my birds?!" It was very difficult for me to handle. None of my chickens actually give me eggs or provide meat, their just pets. I love them with full on emotional attachment. My first death was my favorite Serama by a hawk just 2 feet in front of me. It put me in tears, and my wife was the one counseling me. Then my flock got smaller by the day from there. (including 4 of 5 guinea fowl too)

I think you should get more chickens. It might not be the right time, I'd work on the security aspect, but I encourage you to get more chicken. They are just wonderful to have, and amazing stress relief, dogs with feathers, and if you get the right chickens (something I have a problem with) they feed you too.

I don't know why you keep chickens, but with your wife so bothered from it, I would guess it's not to just throw them in the frying pan. I'd also guess you know how awesome they can be. Find ways to adapt, research not only proper security, but the predators themselves. Ask tons of questions here at BYC. The amount of experienced advice here is astonishing, and the people are too! What's good for the goose might not be good for the gander, but the crew here has tons of backgrounds, budgets, locations, and experience levels to draw from.

For me, most of my chickens where/are pretty small. At one time I had 19 chickens with only 2 being a large fowl breed. This is not my only problem (small easily picked off birds), but for me it is the biggest threat and easiest to address first. This is Nugget, a Serama pullet, and not my smallest chicken. You can see, they are no troubles for a hawk or raccoon to just snatch her.

I am restructuring my chicken flock. What Bantams that did not die where rehomed. I moved my Seramas inside the house (I'm not giving up on my favorite breed!). Then I researched breeds till my eyes cracked from lack of blinking. I want to know what breeds are predator savvy, what roosters will defend their flock the best, what breeds are just to big for hawks to carry away. I still haven't found a breed with night vision I could teach jujitsu to, but when I do, it'll help with the raccoons. Will my search criteria fix my problem? Maybe not, maybe so, but it's a fighting chance at least.

What I do know is I wanted to quit. I felt crushed. You can see in my thread, more than once I said "I can't handle taking lose like that", or "it just hurts to bad to deal with."
I'm still bothered by it. Izzy would cuddle up in my neck and take a nap while I'd sit and read. She would fly to and perch on me when I walked by. She was my favorite chicken, and also the first to get taken. I wholeheartedly miss her.

Still though, and I think most people here would agree, if it's something you love, you should continue to do it. Strive to make the living conditions safer. Educate yourself on the predators in your area. Get some new fluffy butts, and love them.

Our situations are not exactly the same, but I lost a lot of birds and I could have prevented almost every death. I just didn't know what to do, or what I was even doing wrong. I'm not going to quit though, and I hope you do not either.

I’m sorry for your loss but appreciate your honesty, sharing your story, and the encouragement that you give. I only had guineas, no chickens or other type of fowl, but was very attached to them (sadly, I recently had to move from Iowa to Florida and had to re-home them.) I found the guineas to be a great alarm system but they certainly weren’t immune to getting picked off by predators. Flock loss is hard, no matter what you have or the reason for the loss, and all we can do is try to improve things and protect the ones we have left. It is inspiring to see people here on BYC come together with words or encouragement, support, and recommendations to help each other! Thanks!

 

[Trimurtisan]

I’m sorry for your loss but appreciate your honesty, sharing your story, and the encouragement that you give. I only had guineas, no chickens or other type of fowl, but was very attached to them (sadly, I recently had to move from Iowa to Florida and had to re-home them.) I found the guineas to be a great alarm system but they certainly weren’t immune to getting picked off by predators. Flock loss is hard, no matter what you have or the reason for the loss, and all we can do is try to improve things and protect the ones we have left. It is inspiring to see people here on BYC come together with words or encouragement, support, and recommendations to help each other! Thanks!

Some of the members here are the reasons I didn't quit. Sometimes all we need is a bit of support, and this is a good place to find it. In my case, I needed some educating too, also courtesy of BYC members.

I'm sorry you had to rehome your guineas. Like you said, flock loss is hard whatever the reason. Guineas are cool, a bit annoying at times, but I love'em all the same. They're just so unique, it's hard not to love them. Welcome to Florida by the way. I'm just outside Orlando.

 

[guineapeeps]

Some of the members here are the reasons I did quit. Sometimes all we need is a bit of support, and this is a good place to find it. In my case, I needed some educating too, also courtesy of BYC members.

I'm sorry you had to rehome your guineas. Like you said, flock loss is hard whatever the reason. Guineas are cool, a bit annoying at times, but I love'em all the same. They're just so unique, it's hard not to love them. Welcome to Florida by the way. I'm just outside Orlando.

Thanks for the welcome! We are in the Naples/Marco Island area. Tried hard to find affordable property here that would allow us to keep the guineas, but it was hard to find something and the different predators here in Florida was a whole new ballgame for us! Plus the heat and humidity was a big change too! Frustrated with the high price of real estate here combined with the need to be here for my husband’s job, along with our daughter and grandkids in Ocala, we ended up moving aboard a sailboat! What a change from the middle of corn country Iowa. For now, I have to get my bird fix here on BYC! Life is always an adventure!