My canibal flock. :-(

[MamaMarcy]

The coops & run are pretty secure. No holes big enough for a fox or cat. I know rodents etc can squeeeeze thru tiny cracks. We have the smaller guage chicken wire wrapping the whole thing (double so bottom couple of feet), and rocks around the footprint. I don't see any holes dug under. It's got a metal roof.

 

[FireTigeris]

picts?

I thought that (my coop was secure) but was having tail loss- just at night- and missing eggs- missed a hole and something was getting in- fixed it- no more problems.

I have 1/4 inch hardware cloth- chicken wire can be bent and unwound or chewed through.

 

[Nightfeather]

i know that if you have a dead chicken the other will start to eat it maby it got rat pison and eat it or it ate some mouse that had eaten the rat pions and it died and your chicken ate the mouse

 

[Nightfeather]

i know that if you have a dead chicken the other will start to eat it maby it got rat pison and eat it or it ate some mouse that had eaten the rat pions and it died and your chicken ate the mouse

 

[dainerra]

you would be surprised how SMALL a hole a predator can fit through. A full-grown boar coon can squeeze through a space only 4 inches, so imagine how tiny a weasel or even a fox can squeeze.

 

[MamaMarcy]

The poison is kept safely under the house--no way for the chicks to get to it. The juvenile was too small to eat a mouse unless it was a newborn.


I serched the coops & run (it's a duplex) really well yesterday. I saw one rock out of place but no hole dug...but my guess is something got in there. I'm thinking about setting a live trap. We also have a predator cam I need to set up...if I can find it. My oldest son 'hid' it somewhere.

 

[FireTigeris]

Sounds like a plan good luck-

 

[Ibicella]

Yeah, that's definitely not chickens. They'll happily take advantage of the carcass, but they do not kill like that.

Unfortunately, I can think of several other creatures that would eat in that pattern, so you've got some trapping/investigative work ahead of you.

My deepest sympathies for your loss.

 

[FireTigeris]

here's a link to my pictures - https://www.backyardchickens.com/gallery/album/view/id/6177963/user_id/44847

 

[Lute]

It sounds more like a vulture got your chicken but I don't see how after seeing your pictures.

Hmmmmm....