My beloved Orps are gone...potential suspects!

[BlackBrookPoultry]

Were all the birds killed at the neck? I've never had a raccoon kill more than one bird at a time. It could have also been a mink or weasel. I'm sorry for your loss. I lost all but 2 of my call ducks to a mink this fall. He came back the next night for my chickens. I cried too for the loss of my "babies" and because I could have prevented it. It's a terrible feeling, but all you can do is protect the ones you have left and any future birds you acquire.

 

[shelleyb1969]

The 5 dead birds that were simply killed had no visible signs of trauma...so I'm assuming their necks were broken. If only the 3 survivors could tell me what it was. LOL

 

[hennyannie]

I hope your other chickens are doing okay, that kind of thing is really hard on them. I adopted a hen one time that was terrified at the place she came from after another was attacked in her coop by an owl. It took a long time for her to trust here.

 

[ranchhand]

Aw Shelley, I am so sorry.

Possum is another possibility, but I thought dog first. Hopefully the hatching eggs will just be a little slow to hatch.

Best wishes and thoughts are with you.

 

[HenThymes]

Noooooo!!!!!

I hate preditors.

soo sorry this has happened. Going out to do some chores and will send you an email later today.

 

[shelleyb1969]

I just went outside to check on the 3 remaining birds and to check for tracks. It's impossible to see any tracks with all the snow we've had. And with the serious storm we had last night, I am seriously doubting that a raccoon or possum would go out in search of a "good time". I'm thinking that maybe my neighbor let her dog outside to potty last night...the same dog that made the tracks in my back pasture...and it decided to wander off. I thought about calling and asking her, but then decided that calling her would give her a heads up and she'll pay extra attention tonight when she let's it go outside. I want the culprit to return...where I'll be waiting.

The 3 remaining birds have finally came out to eat, but are very calm (maybe in shock) and are staying very close to one another. I began bawling like a big baby when I saw them because I feel so guilty. I know it's crazy, but I keep apologizing to them for not protecting them well enough.

 

[schellie69]

so sorry about your loss, I hope you get what ever did this. Good hunting.

 

[speckledhen]

Michelle, I'm so sorry! I can only imagine the gut punch I'd feel when waking up to that. I hope that my baby monitor in the coop would alert me to an attack, but you just never know. Wish I could do something for you!

 

[mississippifarmboy]

Gosh, I'm so sorry to hear about your Orps.

It's times like this I wish I did ship, because I'd share mine with you in a heartbeat.

 

[shelleyb1969]

That's exactly how it felt to find them, Cyn...like someone gut punched me and instantly took all of the breath out of me. I guess I was in such shock and rage this morning that it didn't sink in right away. But now I can't stop crying because I truly did love those birds. I think maybe I'm hurt the most by the manner in which they died...I keep imagining their horror in my head. Yes, I know to a lot of folks, their just chickens. And I'm the first to say that if it had been another pen that had been attacked, I might not be so heartbroken. But I was super attached to my Orps.