Lost three of six chicks/pullets

[jreardon1918]

Thanks everybody. Short term, they are back in the secure run. Also added a camera to watch for predator activity. Middle term, I will double the size of the secure run. That will make it about 200 square feet for the remaining 7. Long term we do have an idea to fence the whole yard. That would allow to redo the perimeter to allow better daily inspection. Lastly, I think my biggest mistake was to allow relatively small (8 weeks) to spend most of the day exposed.

 

[cmom]

I'm glad you put up a camera. Most likely the predator has been lurking looking for an opportunity and found it. I'm sure it will be back. Good luck...

 

[jreardon1918]

It did not take long to spot a fox. I don't know if this is the culprit.

 

[centrarchid]

It did not take long to spot a fox. I don't know if this is the culprit.

It could be. I have seen on more than one occasion where a fox kills multiple birds and de-heads them prior to transport. That do it with larger chickens they are having trouble subduing and when they are unable to get them out of a pen by jumping / climbing with a carcass like in your setting. it does not take much of a payload to reduce the foxes ability to jump and climb. Even when it comes to running, the prey item slows fox.

A few years back a Red Fox came over the hill into yard to snatch an American Dominique cockerel. Dogs at the time were with me walking pens a couple hundred yards away. Fox ran with screaming cockerel back over hill with dogs chasing it. Dogs actually caught up to fox and forced it to drop the cockerel. Cockerel came running back into yard while dogs pressed chase on fox. Normally the fox is fast enough that dogs cannot catch it from behind like that.

 

[cmom]

Probably is.

 

[jreardon1918]

Since we lost the 3 chicks/pullets I added a camera. We have spotted a fox and Maybe this is a bobcat. No shortage of suspects.