Lost my first hen to a predator

[cmom]

I haven't lost a bird to a predator in quite a long time except for a Leghorn that I named Houdini who was constantly getting out of her pen. Houdini eventually disappeared.

 

[RoosterML]

Ask the fox how well it works. Oh wait, you can't, he's dead.

 

[Christabean]

So sorry, I also had my first loss early this morning. A raccoon I had run off earlier in the night managed to reach in and pull an inexperienced pullet right out through a 2" gap in my sturdy steel coop. We're so sad about it. In our urban area the raccoons are completely bold and won't be run off by lights, noise or even a human going out there yelling and throwing water at them. They stay right out of range and then return when you give up. They are totally confident, and couldn't care less about our bright motion-activated light. They'll even come in dog doors and enter homes (we blocked ours). Although I thought my coop was secure, we also have a fence around it of welded wire and chicken wire. They ripped the chicken wire like nothing. And killed the family's favorite pullet through a 2-inch gap in a steel-framed door. :-( So sad. We don't really have any removal options here, either. I guess it's good the wildlife has adapted rather than be wiped out, but we now get bold urban deer, raccoons, and even coyotes are coming down from the hills and killing cats. At least they didn't get my cat.

I'll be adding hardware cloth to make my coop more secure, but also won't discount the importance of wary chickens. This little pullet was out in the big coop for the first time and just didn't have the sense not to panic and run to the door rather than stay on a high roost. Natural selection doesn't favor the tame and docile babies. :-(

 

[Susan Dye]

So sorry, I also had my first loss early this morning. A raccoon I had run off earlier in the night managed to reach in and pull an inexperienced pullet right out through a 2" gap in my sturdy steel coop. We're so sad about it. In our urban area the raccoons are completely bold and won't be run off by lights, noise or even a human going out there yelling and throwing water at them. They stay right out of range and then return when you give up. They are totally confident, and couldn't care less about our bright motion-activated light. They'll even come in dog doors and enter homes (we blocked ours). Although I thought my coop was secure, we also have a fence around it of welded wire and chicken wire. They ripped the chicken wire like nothing. And killed the family's favorite pullet through a 2-inch gap in a steel-framed door. :-( So sad. We don't really have any removal options here, either. I guess it's good the wildlife has adapted rather than be wiped out, but we now get bold urban deer, raccoons, and even coyotes are coming down from the hills and killing cats. At least they didn't get my cat.

I'll be adding hardware cloth to make my coop more secure, but also won't discount the importance of wary chickens. This little pullet was out in the big coop for the first time and just didn't have the sense not to panic and run to the door rather than stay on a high roost. Natural selection doesn't favor the tame and docile babies. :-(

I am sorry for your loss too. Your description of your problems with the racoons is why I feel reasonably sure racoons are not what I'm dealing with. Sounds like you have your hands full. The cat I'm still clinging to the belief as the culprit, was on his way to the hen house this evening just as I was headed out to lock up the coop. There was still one hen lagging behind when I looked out the window and spotted the cat. He ran off as soon as I yelled at him. I got the hen inside, locked up everything and placed the trap in front of the door to the run. Got lucky I saw him when I did, but I still hope I catch him in the trap. If I can get him removed from the neighborhood I will at least have eliminated him as a possible threat. Wish you success with protecting your flock from the various critters you are dealing with.

 

[cmom]

If you are planning to catch to release somewhere, beware it is often illegal to release and you may pass the problem on to someone else.

 

[WthrLady]

 

[WthrLady]

Not a videon just a screen shot

 

[WthrLady]

 

[WthrLady]

sorry so many posts. I pulled them and posted them from my arlo library on my phone and it is picky (my phone) about posting images on this site.

Clear shots, clear photos, all real time and recorded and sent to phone.

all cameras are wireless, run on recharg. batteries, and are on my wifi

 

[cmom]

How far away at night can you get a good nighttime photo? I use my cameras in video mode but have a converter to convert video to pictures.