Lost my first hen to a predator

[Susan Dye]

I love my game cams. No they don't alert me to the threat, but when I notice something different the next time I go to the coop. I check the memory chip and know what I'm dealing with and take appropriate steps to alleviate.View attachment 1587829
I didn't loose any hens. But I am more diligent about locking up the coop securely as in double checking all latches. I have found that the coons come early morning, early evening and the middle of the night. They also work in pairs. In the second Pic you will see one trying to get in from below and another from above.View attachment 1587833GC

Great clear pictures of those coons What kind of game cam do you have?

 

[Susan Dye]

I have used baby monitors but you need to respond when the sounds of alarm are made. After doing some learning since, I suggest adding a low power night light inside coop to make so birds can see their assailant. That will give more time to wake you up.

Harden you coop as well and consider putting out a live trap baited with remains of bird you just lost. I am betting current problem is an Opossum..

I am setting a trap as soon as my brother returns mine. And I have started leaving my bathroom light on all night. It shines a soft light all the way to the hen house. I've got several solar motion detector flood lights, but they obviously were of no help. Will look for a solar powered night light. Any suggestions on what to look for in a baby monitor? Not too worried about the noise not waking me. Two things will wake me in seconds...a dog puking and a hen in distress.

 

[Susan Dye]

I’m so sorry for the loss of your sweet hen! Bear hugs!
Best of luck securing the rest of your flock.

Thank you. She was so sweet. Always looking to get petted and share her thoughts on the days events

 

[GC-Raptor]

Great clear pictures of those coons What kind of game cam do you have?

That one is a Stealth Cam G42NG. GC

 

[Susan Dye]

Securing the coop the BEST YOU CAN is the best choice. A baby monitor may help,,,,,, but I think that when you hear the distress,,,,, it may be already too late,,, or a false alarm also.
The way you describe the chicken,,, it may have been the work of a opossum.??? A small to medium one possibly.
Cats can be predators of chickens, but not very often. I know there will be a swarm of different opinions flowing from many different peeps out there.
I have a Number of feral cats on my grounds,,,, and none of them bother my chickens. They did show much interest in baby chicks BTW, and also My Pigeons. They left my small banties alone for some reason even they were smaller than my pigeons. Serama Chicken in my avatar.
WISHING YOU BEST,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Thanks. Can opossums climb 6' wood fences? No signs of anything digging under the fence.

 

[Susan Dye]

I’m sorry to read you’ve had a hen killed Susan. It’s particularly hard when they’ve been killed in the coop because one tends to believe that they’re safe in their coop and run.
Tighter security is the best solution and often it isn’t that expensive or hard to do.

I build my coops at least half a metre off the ground believing in part that this will help deter the diggers, but I’ve seen weasels on the lead in ramp trying to get through the mesh on the summer pop doors.

Night camera’s can be useful but they wont stop a predator.
A contact I’ve made in Australia has been experimenting with a PIR, but instead of activating a light it’s linked to a speaker and he’s experimenting with different snake recordings which aren’t loud but most creatures will back away from.
This probably wont help you, but after the physical barriers are made good, it does show there are other less conventional options.

Thanks. Not only do I want to feel they are safe in their coop and run, I want THEM to feel safe in their coop. Poor girls stayed snuggled together under their holly bush all the next day unless I was outside. Only my sexlink layed an egg that day and she probably just couldn't help herself. They did all go back in the next night to roost, but there was a lot of talk from them while they settled in. Hope your friend down under is successful.

 

[Susan Dye]

That one is a Stealth Cam G42NG. GC

Holy Cow ! That's a high dollar unit! But, from the reviews on less expensive ones, I guess you pretty much have to spend the bigger bucks to get one that does that good of a job.

 

[cavemanrich]

Thanks. Can opossums climb 6' wood fences? No signs of anything digging under the fence.

Opossums and raccoons climb. Skunks dig.
Your hens are stressed out from the terror they witnessed. Stress will slow down egg laying temporarily. The one egg layed was already in the pipeline, so it came.

BTW,,,, Opossums are beneficial creatures. We just need to keep them away from our chickens.
They eat ticks. They are resistant to Lyme, and Rabies.
Caveman's attitude is to not KILL anything. You relocating to Wildlife Rescue is proper approach.

 

[Bogtown Chick]

So sorry on the loss of your hen.

We have been hit especially hard last winter through this summer. My set up is free range during the day spring summer & fall; and when there is snow on the ground, winter months are spent in the run.
I had to button up some spots, I'll admit for our Winter losses. I'm toughest on myself when it happens. Never easy and am regretful. Rethink my hobby. But then a friend said to me...doesn't that come with the territory a bit and you do love your hobby so. So. You just fortify and do what you're doing better.

We had some warnings 2 years ago to watch out for Lyme Disease in our area. It was going to be a bad summer. And the reason for it was a boom in the Deer Mouse population (main host of Deer ticks) What I didn't realize that deer mice boom cascaded up to a bumper crop of fox and fox kits in the last two years. Old folks are feeding their 'pets' all along the lake (nothing cuter than a friendly fox). We also had a visit at 10:00AM a female Bobcat brazenly go in and take a cockerel and old hen and a Buff orpington pullet. She pushed nail tacks holding hardware cloth. I thought it was pretty good and unusual for a fox since they are pretty light animals. But it was a Bobcat. And alot of locals are catching pictures on trail cams. Prolific predator as of late too it seems.

My thoughts after that "is it fair to my birds or the predator to keep doing what Im doing." I struggle with the question after every incident.

Layers of protection seem to be an answer. Automatic motion lights that resemble a front porch light coming on. The red eye blinking lights. Hardware cloth (with good attachment ) Solid coop construction. Coop kits can be ripped into by Momma coons I hear. I agree a baby Monitor will alert you but you must get there and get there quick-expect damages.

One thing I've seen with the predator attacks is the fox and bobcat have taken extra cockerels, then old hens. And If I had to pick the line up...they couldn't have done it any better for me. The slow and weak...and the cockerel and rooster...they often save the productive hens.

 

[Susan Dye]

One thing I've seen with the predator attacks is the fox and bobcat have taken extra cockerels, then old hens. And If I had to pick the line up...they couldn't have done it any better for me. The slow and weak...and the cockerel and rooster...they often save the productive hens.[/QUOTE]
I know what you mean about the guilt. You were "lucky" they took the ones they did. I know this sounds terrible, but I kept thinking "why couldn't you have taken that mean RIR instead of my sweet Wanda?"