Lost My Flock Last Night

[seastar421]

Lost my sweet little flock of 4 last night. Devistating. I believe it was a weasel. The mystery to me is how the weasel got my chickens out of the coop and into the yard. The coop doors were secure, and I cannot find an obvious exit that it could pull an entire grown chicken through. Let alone 4. It definitely started in the coop.
I didn't even know there were weasels in Jacksonville, FL! I was worried about raccoons, foxes, and dogs. I found small tunneled holes that I assumed to be rat holes which I filled. But now I know what I am dealing with We are now going to concrete the floor and set traps in the coop before getting a new flock.

RIP Lana, Lola, Luna and Lorraine. You were my good girls. Thank you for feeding my family and bringing smiles and peacefulness to our days. You will be missed, and remembered fondly.

 

[drumstick diva]

That is so said. Do you think it could have been a predator that climbed your fence - rather than something that tunneled under?

 

[seastar421]

There is no way. My coop has a 10 ft ceiling and is made of metal studs and heavy duty metal sheeting. There is no opening wider than 1/4 inch. It has a small old wood frame screened door with a door knob and lock. there are no holes in the walls either. It has us all baffled for sure. It has to be around the bottom somewhere. I am going to strip all of the hay tomorrow to see if there is something I am missing. I have stared at every inch of this coop and cannot imagine a chicken fitting through anywhere.
It is attached to another metal building and I am thinking maybe it is living under there.

 

[Brookliner]

So sorry for your loss. I understand how you feel. Last week a long tailed weasel killed all 4 of my adult geese 2 ganders and their 2 hens. Thank god that my new chicken coop is like Alcatraz or it would have killed my chickens too.

 

[seastar421]

Thank you, and I am so sorry for your loss as well. You can bet mine will be like Alcatraz before another chicken steps foot in it. After the trauma of last night I am ready to dig a 6 foot deep trench around the whole thing and fill it with barbed-wire. It's all I can do not to sit in the cold in wait for the varmint! But I don't want the husband and kids to think I've lost my mind...lol so I am going to set traps inside the coop and see what I get and then work on security instead.

 

[Back2MyRoots]

Oh my gosh! I am so sorry for your loss! That is so a nightmare of mine. Good luck with finding and fixing whatever allowed the vermin in and best wishes when you are ready to start a new flock.

 

[chickensahoy96]

i used to have that problem. how i fixed it is i shot a coon (dont know if it was the culprit) And i built a new coop no attacks yet since 2 years ago. But then i remodeld my old coop and still no attacks and no break ins. The roof had rusty and broken nail heads causing the roof to flop open (it was corrugated steel) and the wire wasnt securly nailed against the door frame and since its now a winter coop i took off the wire and put 1/4 inch plywood sheeting and on the top it still has wire, just more securly placed, but has knobs to open up a vent i can show pics tomorow. And i put a 1/6 board on the bottom of the door that when shut it is flush with the siding and have locks on the middle and top,bottom. SO nothing can squeeze in.

On my new coop every staple, all 2000 of them are placed in strategic locations to make sure no wire can bend open for something to come in. look at my pictures. I will update everything tomorow. If you need help pm me i had no more chicken break ins for 2 years i can sleep at night finally and so can they (and not be eaten)

 

[cluckyarla]

Im sorry for your loss. I know how you feel. We lost 7 last night. The Colonel and his ladies!! We think either a Mink or a Stoat got in through a CLOSED window which it openedand attacked them! Only one hen had a mark on her and it seems that the rest of them broke their necks Has this happened to anyone else??
Oh it cant be a Coon or a weasel or a Skunk as im from Ireland.
Whatever did this I want to find it and kill it!!!!

 

[canesisters]

Every chicken keepers nightmare! I'm so sorry.

 

[JanetS]

So sorry for your loss.